Hello,

I am not sure where to begin... As a very young child, he knew his colors, shapes and was more verbal than his friends. Teachers that we friends of the family would comment on how advanced he was in certain areas. We beamed, but really did not put much thought into it. He is a Summer baby and we considered holding him back before entering Kindergarten. His Pre-K teacher explained that academically he was ready. She was very impressed and thought he was very bright. We had noticed his inquisitive nature and how many facts he knew or retained. At four, he was fascinated with how electricity and plumbing (cycle of water through purification) worked. His Kindergarten teacher said he reasons at a different level and she thought he had a very high IQ. In 1st grade, he began below reading level. He began working with a reading teacher at school. They thought he may be dyslexic and may not meet the state reading requirement by EOY. He worked hard and it clicked and he ended the year above the requirement. Over the Summer, he moved up 2 levels in reading. He has fine motor skill delays and has dysgraphia which has improved with work. He has SPD and sees an OT therapist and it has improved over the years. In spite of the focus on improving reading, his 1st grade teacher said he is excelling at everything else, but is not focused. When he does, he would blow her away and she said she would live to know his IQ level. He builds intricate designs, knows so much information and wants to share it all with you. Some kids shy away from him for it, but he is very happy and outgoing and will usually win most kids over.

I would like to have him tested, but I am not sure how to proceed. His school has a pullout program they test for, but I am concerned that he will not perform well (due to interest/focus). I have given him questions at home and he gets them all right, but it is a struggle because he doesn't want to do it. I have to bribe him to finish. Should I have him tested somewhere else or wait until he is more mature? I would hate to have him take the test and not get in since he is VERY self-aware and aware of the world around him. He knows what the program is and has asked about it. I would not want to hurt his self-esteem.

Any advice appreciated!

Bump

Hello Portia!

And thanks for the bump Archie.

I thought I would receive an email notification when there was a reply.

The original school he was in only went to private Kindergarten. We chose it since he had trouble transitioning and wanted him to get a little older before we moved him. In 1st grade, he started at a new school. The GT teachers are not overly helpful when I have asked questions, but I don't really fault them. I am sure the field a ton of inquiries from parents who are bot yet in their program. They use CoGAT and the ITBS.

We decided to forego testing in 2nd grade. I don't think he is ready. He is 7 now. The main reason I am interested in the program is to make sure he is being challenged and he enjoys conceptual learning which is the program's focus. I did buy a CoGat practice booklet to see what it was like and he has tried it. I am not sure how to interpret any results from it. We have only worked in a couple of sections. He has gotten most correct, but he sure doesn't want to do it. I still have to bribe which I am not a fan of doing. In fact, he got two right before I did. He did get some wrong, not many, but some...I expect him to get some wrong...but he has trouble staying on task.

Thank you so much for your suggestion about how to present the testing to him!! It was very helpful and I will do it.

Does the testing always show giftedness? Just curious.

Thank you again!

The CoGAT isn't an IQ test; you will want to contact a local professional psychologist to get testing done. The IQ test usually given at age 7 would be the WISC. It may be administered in combination with an achievement test like the WIAT.

I would recommend you look for a tester with experience in gifted kids. Testing ought to give you a good idea of giftedness. It's hard to recommend anyone specific without knowing where you are; you might look for a local gifted organization to seek a recommendation for a local tester.