Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school ruf estimates and doubts about giftedness

argghh so now she is insiting on pronouncing slimy as Sl I my as in IT and sphinx as spinx. How could she even know that if she wasn't reading.
Me - sweetie are you doing a bit of reading but don't want to tell me
DD: no mummy leave me alone.

To Mana I hear you about living in the wops - but lets face it Chchc isn't exactly a thriving metropolis right now. Part of me wonders if the quakes have held her back at all, the govt is working with schools down here to help kids not doing so well at school due the quakes, no mention of brighter ones though of course.

DH has started comparing her to the L & P togs and undies ad recently, genius genius genius, idiot :-) (no offence to anyone who doesn't like the word idiot!)

The earthquake. The entire city must still be healing from the loss and trauma. I hope the reconstruction efforts are going well.

We don't live in a thriving metropolis either but we do live in a middle-size university town with an "okay" art scene including an orchestra, some theaters, etc much like CHCH. You have two young children who seem to be developing at an accelerated rate. As they get older, being able to find mentors, tutors, peers, instructors, etc in CHCH might make a difference.

Until I was 6, I was raised in the country side and it was a wonderful experience and I wish I could give DD the same type of childhood but we'd have a hard time giving up her extracurricular activities. We adore her music teacher and DD still thinks she's going to be a ballerina (then a scientist). Of course, if we move to a rural town in NZ, I'm sure DD will learn to fish, golf, ride, etc and make a whole new life for herself. In a way, you can't go wrong either way. School might not quite be a great fit no matter where you go but I think a school with only 20 kids could actually work IF the teacher(s) has everyone on an individual plan.

FWIW - Checklists have been pretty useless to me, as they don't seem to fit our situation. DS was a somewhat late talker (due presumably to chronic ear infections) & he's pretty introverted. It seems like most of the checklists I see are more about philosophical conversations & early verbal development. So they often peg him as mildly gifted, if at all. But that doesn't seem to fit a kid who started reading paragraphs before he turned 3 (without instruction) and is now teaching himself how to read an analog clock.

I had a lot of mixed feelings about the Ruf estimates when I looked at the checklists online. However I finally broke down and bought the book. Like the OP, I just wanted to get some idea of where he fits on the gifted spectrum. So far the anecdotal evidence in the book has been very helpful & reassuring. It has chapters on each of the 5 levels, and then gives examples of what several different children were doing at various ages. I felt like I got a better sense of the variation within the spectrum, which allowed me to get a better sense of where my child lies.

Even though I don't agree with everything in the book, it's definitely worth a look for parents of younger untested kids. It offers a unique perspective in the limited world of books focusing on young gifted children.

Hi,
My DD is 4.5 and I have been going back and forth on getting her tested before she starts Kindergarten this fall. I have never heard of the Ruf Estimates so I looked at their site and it says that this assessment is good for children 6 and over. Has anyone used this for children younger than 6? I think this might be a good starting point for us to see if we want to get her officially tested (which costs a lot).

ah ok so she counts 100 now that she figured out what an abacus is this morning

ugh - it's fine as long as you avoid central - that is depressing. we were super lucky, no real damage just leaky pipes which are starting to show up now...

anyhow - thanks for the suggestions and comments everyone. I think I know where we are, just stuck in the thought pattern that says "we aren't special" but she is so better get used to it!