I'm looking for comparisons of six year old gifted boys (preferably with no 2e issues), their level of giftedness, and their current learning and intellectual abilities. Eg. reading levels, mathematical abilities, etc.

Thanks!

DS is 7 (first grade) .. He is on a guided reading level "s". His math is at about the 4th grade level. At 6 in kinder, he was barely reading but his math has always been very strong. He is old for grade with a November birthday (september 1 cut off).

The levels are the same as my boy. May I ask his level of giftedness?

I don't know level of giftedness.. his WISC GAI is 139

My son is 8.7 and has never been tested. I think he has a bit of stealth dyslexia. He wasn't reading at all at 6. I should say that we are relaxed homeschoolers and I haven't pushed academics. He has always been very good at math and at 6 was already a very strong chess player. He was given the Peabody Picture Inventory which I understand is a quick and dirty IQ test, and his standard score was 140, so I imagine he is at least HG.

In first grade, DS turned 7 in December... mostly HG w/ MG in visual processing

Reading 4th grade, vocab 6th, spelling 1st, writing K
Numeracy 3rd grade, math topics 4th~5th, problem solving 6th+

My first-grade DS is turning 7 next month. WISC last year gave a GAI of 148. Reading around a fifth-grade level according to Scholastic Book Wizard. Reads Beast Academy math books for fun (3rd grade) but grumbles about memorizing math facts because it's quicker to count up on his fingers.

Strong interest in science, nature, how things work. Currently memorizing states, countries, and bone names/locations whenever he can get his hands on the iPad.

Thank you so much everyone! I just wanted to compare with my son, and see comparisons of IQ. This has been very helpful.

My 7 year old boy has GAI 144.... achievement is currently slipping. He is in 2nd grade

No IQ yet for our son, age 6 born in early 2007...

He was tested early last year as reading at a fourth grade level.

Since then, we've changed schools and his current school is teaching him third grade level math and he's getting Magic Tree House level books. (I know he reads higher than that.)

His writing is just okay. He loves to do it, but the formation of letters are behind his schoolmates, imo.

We hope to have him tested this summer by a gifted specialist.

He's been described as a bright boy with a good heart. No issues.

My DS6 tested a 132 on the WPSIII, which is a score that means moderately gifted on some of the charts.

As of last August, he was reading at a 5th grade level, and I think we're at 6th or 7th by now. For math, last August he tested at end of 1st grade and I've been having him do a bit of Khan Academy addition. He had fun with the addition with carrying.

Mostly he's really verbal and he's a happy kid. I think he wishes he could meet more kids like him or have pen pals or email pals.

He struggles with printing, and the testing we had done last August revealed big handwriting challenges. With his teachers and the educational psychologist who did the testing, we asked him to pick a hand this year. He was very proud of being ambidextrous, but it was not serving him well. His handwriting has greatly improved over the last year, but it's still not as fast as his brain.

We had the testing done so that we'd feel more confident asking his school for some accommodations. We thought he was pretty bright, and even had other parents remarking on his reading and his intelligence, but we wanted some evidence.

My DS will be 6 in 4 months. He has been labeled as gifted by our school district after NWEA testing scored him 99 in reading and 98 in math (99 is highest score). He has been invited to attend the special GT public school next year that has a wonderful program so we are really looking forward to that. I have no idea of his true IQ or actual giftedness, but I don't believe he is EG or PG. It's hard to say exactly what grade level his abilities fall into, but I would guess somewhere between second and third grade in reading and math. His writing skills are still fairly poor, though they have improved quite a bit this year. He exhibits many of the typical gifted traits, including over-excitability, and his KG teacher hasn't a clue how to handle a gifted child. She immediately labeled him as "in-mature" and complained of him "spacing-out". She was, honestly, quite surprised to learn of his high scores in the NWEA testing. He has greatly underestimated him.

Interesting thread! For all of us with boys around the same age!

Our son- turned 7 a month ago. He was skipped from 1st to 2nd last Oct. His writing ability is above average for 2nd, though he doesn't love it and the grade skip definitely made his hand writing sloppy (guess he has more to write, faster) He is lefty/ odd pencil grip.

AR/ Star reading put his level at 3.6 when he skipped in the beginning of the year. He likes Magic Tree House because they are a quick read and he does well on comprehension tests.

Math- we don't teach ahead, but he got multiplication on his own last year. So he understands most elementary stuff with great ease.

WISC-IV GAI 143 (but his PRI was way higher than verbal)

He also has picked up on the cello at a much faster rate than other kids in his group. He just learns with ease (same with learning how to read music)

Mine doesn't fit the pattern. He is six next month and is in y2 (first grade) - our school year starts Feb. His wj111 cognitive is 158 or >99.9. His scores are fairly even except the spacial test which was on the 93rd percentile. He is about two years ahead in reading, one in spelling and one in maths (although he has a random set of more advanced areas). He spent the first six months at school getting back to where he started in maths which knocked him back but he was so sure the teacher was right.

Are you in Australia, puffin?

It's great to read about everyone's kids. There's such varying abilities, it's hard to say what is the norm for a six year old child with an iq of x. Very interesting.

There is no other child in my son's year that even comes close to what my son can do. Although, I'm guessing there is more to it than just maths and reading abilities. In fact, after my son being in his new year level for seven weeks, his previously "gifted-resistant" teacher is now on my side. Very exciting!

Thanks for sharing

I think we have twins! Aiden is 6 now, we are relaxed home schoolers and although Aiden can read and write we suspect stealth dyslexia with him figuring out "tricks" to help him along. he loves chess too and has always had a knack for maths!

No in New Zealand. My son is in the highest groups in his Y1/y2 class and the youngest equal of the Y2 children. So the kids in the groups with him are nearly a year older. The reading is about right but I really think he needs more challenge in maths - when I suggested it the teacher looked at me as if I had two heads and gave me some sixty minute drill sheets which were still in the order of 5+10, (homework was3 +2). He said if he did one a night they would get gradually harder over a few months. I decided to do Math Mammoth instead.

It is really interesting to see everyones info though.

Hi all - I have a 6yo also, in Gr 1. Similar profile to Skateycat. Strong verbal skills particularly. Writing LD diagnosed in the fall. HATES, HATES writing, but with significant supports is getting better. Also not fond of school in general, though he likes the social parts. Reads at a gr 4-5 level and it seems every month he has jumped up higher with his reading skills. Into chapter books now, which is tricky finding materials that are still ok for age. I caved a bit and bought the Captain Underpants series, which he loved (I don't know what it is about farting and boys!) He's also fond of the Zack Power series and has just started the Diary of A Wimpy Kid (I don't know if he can relate to the material). Geronimo Stilton has been a favorite for well over a year, and he often goes back to those, which works well as there are so many.

He has always been a right handed printer and eater, but interestingly he does everything else left handed. The OT was surprised on assessment that he was right handed and asked us if we had made him switch as he was better at several skills with his left - of course we had not. I do think this 'ambidexterity' contributes to some of his printing troubles and we still have lots of letter and number reversals, though it is quite inconsistent - some days lots, other days none - I suspect this might be the path with him though!

I just posted in the advocacy board, as we are struggling with getting an individual learning plan that considers his giftedness in addition to his writing troubles. So this is our/my major stressor at this point. All of his other academics are really quite good, though his teacher thinks he is too easily distracted, and maybe she's right, but we aren't barking up that tree just quite yet!

Re: math work - the printing interferes of course - his teacher still has him doing mostly addition, even though he knows how to subtract and recently explained multiplication to me. Apparently he has to finish a whole page in a certain time frame before he can move up. At this point he doesn't seem to mind, so I'm trying to pick my battles.

Since the beginning of the school year, I've been doing a little bit of extra practice in the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum little skateycat uses at school. 10 minutes 2x a week is what his teachers and the educational psychologist who tested him said, some months it's been more like 2x a month.

It's made a big difference. His printing is lots better than it was in the fall, and he voluntarily writes things down sometimes!

Just for fun, I'd like to know what developmental phase is it when a child first gets why "Ra Ra Ree! Kickem in the knee! Ra Ra Rass! Kickem in the... Other Knee!!" is so funny? Mr skateycat has used this expression around the house, but just this week, little skateycat started cracking up, reciting it himself and dramatically pausing before "Other Knee!"

I've also been letting my son use Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum for the Mac. I will sit nearby and check that he's got his hands on the home row and I'll encourage him to leave a few mistakes uncorrected so he can get practice with speed and accuracy together.

Well, last night for his spelling homework, he was allowed to print or dictate sentences using each spelling word. Mr skateycat and I gave him the choice of typing his sentences. Not only did he do it, but he said that typing his homework MADE HIM HAPPY!

PS - My son is now 7. His birthday was last week.

Just silly, but I've been following this thread thinking my ds 6 fit in. GAI 142. He does. Now, I can stop second guessing myself especially with his school. And with school almost out and swim team started, looking forward to summer fun and some OT and VT. Mostly, fun!

It's been great to read all these comments. I appreciate it! I was curious to see the different levels, as I was wondering if my son may have not been gifted. In January, he sat the WISC iv and didn't get a great score. I later found out that the psych made many mistakes. My son won't get tested again (with a different test) until November. Soooo, just wanted some comparisons.

My son sees a tutor and she gave him some assessment tests. He is at least two years ahead with English, and three years ahead with maths (with extra extension in algebra). So I figure he must be a little bit clever

Welcome to the thread Melessa! Your post inspired me to sign my son up for the summer activities we talked about. 2nd year of skateboard camp. A science camp at the local university that another gifted friend from school is going to.

My son is 6 years 10 months, a first grader and profoundly gifted with WISC GAI of 179. We are very new to all of this. My son's school did not inform us of the test results from tests he took in September until Mid March. Since that time I had him tested privately and I am so glad I did. The full WISC and Woodcock-Johnson reports are worth their weight in gold and then some. I finally feel like I am prepared to get my son what he deserves. I had an idea he was gifted but I could never have predicted his test results. The school had him reading at a 3-4 grade level though reads at much higher levels at home and had him doing 2nd grade math instruction when he tested into 8th grade levels on the Woodcock-Johnson. My advice to anyone going through this with their child - don't wait for the schools. Be your child's advocate, get them tested. Don't speculate. No matter what the results are, once you have that full report you will have priceless information about your child that can help you parent them throughout their scholastic career.

Nice to meet you Navymom! The small school my son goes to doesn't have any kind of gifted program, and I chose to arrange for private testing so that I'd have a sense of what he's capable of and what to ask the school for. Fortunately, his teachers have been quite receptive. I was thrilled to pieces when the principal, his first grade teachers, his kindergarten teacher and even the second grade teacher came to a get together with the educational psychologist came to the school to go over the results and to brain storm ideas on how to meet his needs.

My son is not nearly as thrilled with the school as we are. His class is 14 girls and only 3 boys total. He plays with the older boys, but it's not the same. His best friend for now is a 5th grader who wants him to go online and play Minecraft with him. We're trying to arrange a few face to face get togethers first (to say the least)!

On another note, I'm kind of tickled that this thread has gotten as much traffic as it has.

We live in a rural area, and the local Mensa doesn't have any other kids. So it's nice to have other parents on this thread to connect with.

Don't think I've noticed this thread before, as I just joined in April after the wisc revealed ds6 was pg and psych suggested we connect w/DYS.

Wish we could have a meet-up and let them play. . We are planning for next year, which is of course necessary, but given the large jumps ds has made this year seems a bit crazy, as who knows what he'll need by fall. (Started the year at 4-5th grade reading/vocab/comprehension and has jumped about a grade each month. Definitely ahead in math, as well.) He's been very frustrated with the year, so we are hoping to be able to ensure next year will be more engaging for him. We are also in a rural area and here there is no gifted programming until jr. high. So, we are trying to forge ahead, connect with parents of gifted kids who've negotiated the system and respond to his interests.

Me too!


In an email to Carolyn K. from Hoagie's Gifted website, I mentioned that my son's school had no gifted programming. She mentioned that that can sometimes be a good thing, because then the school has no lockstep notion of what they're willing to do for gifted kids.

My 6 year old (born early 07) is reading Magic Tree House and Geronimo Stilton level books by himself. He is currently doing Singapore Math 2B without breaking a sweat though on online programs like DreamBox and EPGY, he is on 4th or 5th grade level math. His FSIQ is in the mid 140s range. But, he has plenty of small motor skill issues yet (puzzling because he is good at playing the piano) and has horrible handwriting and even more horrible drawing/coloring.

Skateycat, just noticed the above post. The comment you shared from Carolyn seems to be our experience thus far. The school seems open to what DS needs, instead of placing on an existing path. Hope your year ends/ended well!

My DS is finishing up 1st grade - turned 7 last January. His WJ-III was 143 and his GAI was 129, BUT he has visual processing issues so I suspect that his actual IQ is much higher. He scored 99.9th percentile on many of the subtests but processing speed was low due to his vision. He got 98th percentile on both NNAT and OLSAT (99 v /93 nv)

He hasn't been tested to determine what grade level he is at (beyond the WJIII) but he is able to read at least at 6th grade level and beyond and his math skills are probably on par with maybe 4th or 5th (obviously he has some gaps but this is a kid who loves pi...)

We will retest privately once he completes OT and VT.

Great thread. I have second guessed things at times in the year since my DS4 was tested as EG. Asynchronous development has thrown plenty of curveballs our way but hearing these stories confirms what his psychologist was trying to tell us and what his score suggests.

To add to the data: DS4 is early entry Kindergarten this year. Reading is top of class though still at kindy level. Maths is at year 2 level. Writing is average for kindy. I guess 1-3 years above age level depending on area. Most of what we see that shows his giftedness is away from school - working memory, puzzles, chess etc. Looking for to gifted classes starting next year and see if they offer him a challenge.

My DS6 is just finishing up kindergarten and has made huge strides in writing this year. HUGE. His handwriting is very readable now, his sentences and syntax are way beyond his years (looks comparable to the 2nd graders in his class), and his ideas and arguments are just as loopy as any 6-year-old boy's. It's amazing how he rose to expectations, though. At his previous school, he was writing 1- and 2-sentence pieces along with every other kindergartner -- following instructions. The very first day at his new school, they let him write something as long as he wanted, and he filled a page!

Math: working on Singapore 4A/4B at school, and going deep into Khan Academy for higher math (fractions, statistics, geometry). Definitely his "superpower."

Reading: Boxcar Children, Little House, Jigsaw Jones, assorted science and math books. And Magic Treehouse is always around -- we have them all. Also, he's learning Spanish rapidly at school, so he's starting to have some basic Spanish books around as well.

We tested him a year and a half ago with the WPPSI, but the results were off because of his antipathy to the examiner (long story). No idea what he'd score if we tested him now, but we're not planning on it.

I am grateful for all of your replies! It has been wonderful to read about your clever kids, and it has been helpful to see the differences in giftedness.

Good thread, squishys... realizing they are all getting older as we go as I saw your algebra mention on the brag thread. We are getting similar drive from DS7.5. He is constantly looking for new math sites or apps. Last night he was doing work on a site called mathspace, and asked for some help with a question. When he wrapped up that segment, I noticed it was for 8th grade math; eghads.

They're all growing up so fast. I started this thread nearly five months ago, and now my DS6 will be a DS7 in September! My son has been doing some easy algebra for a year now (being taught by me), but lately he's been going to a maths/English tutor and he has learnt sooooo much more than I could ever teach him lol.

I have been wondering if any of you would be interested in setting up pen pals for your sons . My DS7 has been wanting to get to know more boys like him.

It could be postal mail or email.

I belong to a figure skating message board where we trade holiday cards every December. It's fun!

scateycat- my ds would love a pen pal who is more like him. He is a very social child, but had a very challenging time in school last year making friends. I think he knows he is different, but wants to fit in. With summer in full swing, he has his confidence restored and is acting more himself. Either email or snail mail is fine for us.
Let me know your preference, and we can get the boys started.

Skateycat- we are going on vacation next week, so if your ds likes to get actual mail, we could send some post cards too:)

Cool! I just sent you a private message.

My son Aiden loves to e-mail and would love to e-mail other kids around the world. He loves to send and receive e-mails (on his own account) We are based in South Africa.

My five year old twins have not been tested. One of them reads a few grade levels ahead, and reads with intonation. I have not had time to work with him on math, but he adds larger numbers in his head. He will look out at something in space, and count what he sees. I think he is counting Core Standard ten and one frames. By large numbers, I only mean like fifty five plus 17. Or something. He is currently reading Junie B books. He also likes captain underpants. he loves to sequence and likes to put things in order and has been doing that for ages. He did not talk until he was 2. He just entered first grade, he and his brother are the youngest in their class with August birthdates, adjusted birthdates would be September 25th, so we sort of view them as being a grade level ahead. I considered red flagging them, but he was reading at age 4, so it seemed cruel to hold him back. He only read rookies at age 4, but he read them very well.