Continued...
Then find out the exact task and testing conditions.
Then sit down with DS and discuss Asynchronous development....and how it will stop mattering so much by 4th grade but here is the scientific explaination...talk about the height chart at the pediatrician office and ask if it would be fair to say that all 1st graders have to be able to look into a particular peephole without the help of standing on a box. Show him how the shortest 25% might have to wait until next year or the year after but eventually everyone will get tall enough.
Have him devise some bell curve type tests of his own and then brainstorm tests that are roughly half a matter of growth and half other things. List what the other things are...practice...effort...repitition....problem solving ability.
Find out if he is interested in exploriing the role of a scientist...a scientist explores an unknown question as fairly as possible. Makes a prediction about the anwser and takes notes and does tests but stays more loyal to the process than to any particular outcome. It is all about adding information to the universe and writing it up for the next kid in his situation.
So at this point I would guess that everyone is quite excited and it is off to the races. Research on the question of what is known (ask here). Brainstorm various tests to tease out the various abilities that go into winning the task. Keep a journal or start a private blog. Let us know the results.
/Mary Poppins channeling
Smiles
Grinity
