Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment New here, WPPSI & WJ-III

ok, here goes-
First of all, I agree with Acu's idea of just looking at the strongest score - which puts him beyond the highly gifted catagory, but for the sake of argument, lets lowball, and say - ok, he's 'only' HG:


HG and Ruf Level 3 are a pretty good match. Most Davidson YSP kids are HG on a table like this one, and Ruf Level 3 is very common there, so be aware that you are running into a difference in definition. I happen to agree with YSP and lump everyone with a Verbal or Performance subscore over 145 into the PG catagory...but I don't deny that kids in that big catagory face very different challenges in their path to adulthood. I also haven't personally seen the value of having an EG and PG seperate catagory, but I dont' deny that there are parents who find it meaningful.

Let's say your kid 'just HG' - so what does that page say about kids who are HG and what they need?

[quote]
Highly gifted children tend to do well in congregated gifted classes, such as offered in a few larger districts across the United States. These classes are most successful when they use a more in-depth curriculum, which also moves at a faster pace. Gifted children are different not only in their faster learning, but by their deeper interest and level of understanding. Both these differences must be addresses in a successful educational situation.
[\quote]
That sounds like an extreme need to me. Don't lump you kid with MG (here we say Optimally Gifted, or OG) when the Full Scale is one point above and the highest subscale is a whole standard deviation above that! If you want to use the logic that one point above the cut off isn't 'real' then you have to commit to the logic of seeing the 147 as 'almost' Davidson YSP - because YSP doesn't care a rat's xxx about Full Scale, only strengths. So lets keep it simple and say yes, By this particular chart 139 is HG, and but a little star there to remind us about the very rare 147 in Verbal (which is what folk happen to see all the time in school, anyway)

If you happen to live in one of the few larger districts that offer a congregated gifted class, then no problem. But do you? If not, then seriously consider homeschooling or gradeskip/subject accelerations - it is possible to make either option work. Ask Dottie to 'fess up about how she got out her giant sheers and made cut and paste out of the standard local public school offerings. Yup, in retrospect she made it all work just fine - and so did I and so will you, in retrospect, whatever choice you choose.

I just want to show you how easy it is to slip into denial:

You said:
When I read about children who score around the same level, most information says that his range, which is just inside "highly gifted" according to Hoagies, are okay in public school with differentiation or enrichment.

What I read on that same exact page is that he needs a congregated full time gifted class with a speically designed challenging and fast curriculum that is ony availible in a few districts.

See what can happen when the 'denial glasses' are on. But good for you for noticing that there is a mismatch somewhere. Go Team!

Love and More Love,
Grinity