Based on our experience, a very bright 8 year old doing the WISC IV may well find they've hit the ceilings on several of the subtests. WIth a very even profile it may not make a lot of overall difference to the final score. But if he has lows that aren't offset by the true height of the highs, the overall IQ score will be artificially lowered.
This means you're not getting a full picture of his abilities (and corresponding needs) and I've found it is almost impossible to explain to officialdom what the score means.
As a 6 year old, the liklihood of hitting ceilings is lower.
This is a very real issues with Outlier-ish-ly Gifted kids.
Also she's happy now - there is no gaureentee she'll be as happy in 4 months - that's just life.
Also she'll have fun and enjoy it.
Also - can't she take it again at 8 if she needs to?
Also - Read up on acceleration. DH and I also had that same idea, if we pick a great district with great education then even a bright kid will get their needs met. NOT
Recommend '5 Levels of Giftedness' by Deb Ruf
and a free download -
http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/nation_deceived/So the answer - for us - was that 'Gifted' comes in many shades and levels. And gifted kids have a variety or personalities. We were lucky in that my son's personality was such that he felt that he deserved to learn new things every day and he was going to 'make waves' until that happened. I'm so grateful that he happened to be born that way - as I already assumed that school isn't for learning until High School at the earliest, and that like me, kids had to be molded into dealing with the needs of the many. Ok, I called it 'being a good classroom citizen, doesn't that sound better?
But anyway, other kids with other personalities react in other ways.
Some, like my DH, aren't very interested in what other kids are doing and find a way to challenge themselves and make the most of any academic situation, and are basically fine.
Others, who are more high in 'EQ' (emotional IQ scale) just find ways to blend in, underachieve, and get so used to everything coming to them easily, that when the work finally starts to get hard, and it doesn't come 'instantly' then they give up and conclude that everyone was wrong about their smartness. That's the scary one, and young females are - in my observation - particularly vulnerable to falling into this category.
No matter what you decide, be ready - the school is 'aware' that among your local batch of bright and gifted kids, she's an outlier. She may be much better off with agemates, she may be better off with kids (gulp) one, 2,3 or more years older. Time will tell. Flexibility is key. You've found a corner of the internet where the far right end of the bell curve tail is explored and 'outlier' kids are the norm. Doesn't it always depend on the denominator?
My son is 15 now, has a July birthday, our public school system has many bright kids but many fewer gifted and highly gifted ones. Even at the local private school that attracts the local 'bright/college bound/Doctor's kids' crowd - he needed a skip in the elementary years to get traction enough to learn how to learn. He's also got ADD, so for high school we deceled to allow him time for those organizational skills to develop. Flexibility has been key. But he's happy now, and working hard, and has friends, and doing well academically, and (usually) a good classroom citizen! ((pinching self and warding off evil eye))
Golly it's hard to say the good stuff without feeling like the other foot is going to drop....
((shrugs and more shrugs))
Grinity
