Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy New here -- questions about YS process

Hello friends,

I'm new here and eager to talk to some other parents of gifted children. I also have questions about the Young Scholar program, if anyone can comment.

Some background:
We have three children, ages 11, 7, and 5. While I believe all three are gifted, our youngest has been unusually precocious. Examples: she identified letters and numbers at 20-22 months. By 2-1/2, she read simple words (mom, dad, hi, bye, duck, cat). By 3 to 3-1/2 she was reading well, and by 4 had surpassed most K-level skills (reading, writing, simple math, etc.).

Also by age 4, she had an intense desire to be in school "like the big kids." After realizing there was no way we could get the public school to accept her (Michigan's age cutoff is 5 by Dec 1; she has a January birthday), we got her into K at a private Christian school this year. It has been a huge financial hardship for us, but she has had a wonderful year and thrived there by all accounts.

For next year, she is enrolled into first grade at the public school. So she is already accelerated one full year. Now I am badgering the public school to commit to a plan to let her start first grade with some subject acceleration, at least in reading.

Recently she took the Wood****-Johnson Achievement Test for Reading. We're told this test usually is given starting in 1st grade/age 6, so it was a high-ceiling test for her. I thought she would do well but was shocked at the final score: 99.9th percentile. The test pinpoints her "Instructional Reading Level" as beginning of third grade. The tester suggested we look into the YS program for her, so... here we are.

My questions:
First, I've begun filling out the YS application and, frankly, I'm overwhelmed! Anyone else feel this way? I am worried I won't relate the right incidents or answer the questions correctly... and I don't want to mess this up.

Second, we can't afford a full IQ test right now. I'm wondering what happens if she is accepted into the program based on the WJ Achievement Test score + portfolio, and we do the IQ test within a year of acceptance as required, and those scores aren't high enough? Then what happens? (I guess I'm worried the high WJ test score was a fluke.)

Third, on the YS Application Form, I'm not sure which info to put in the "Academic" section--the private school where she's currently in K (for 2 more weeks)? Or the public school where she'll start 1st grade in the fall?

Last question: How long does it usually take for Davidson to reply, once they've received the full Application + Recommendation Forms?

Thanks to all who have read this far--sorry the post is so long!

The application is overwhelming. We took it on piece by piece, talking over one question a day every day at lunch. It was less stressful that way. We pulled out old family movies to get the answers to some questions where we hadn't originally noted the dates. (Example, DS was a stealth reader - we didn't know he was reading until he was past a 2nd grade level. When we looked at the old videos, we realized he was able to read 'Tad's birthday surprise' completely offhand like he had seen it before at 36 months, as though it were as simple as C-A-T. Boy did we feel stupid.)

I would just answer the questions honestly and take the time to think things over carefully - maybe a month or so - to make sure you don't forget anything important.

In my experience, these tests don't give high scores as flukes. More likely, they give low scores as flukes when a child decides they are bored and the test isn't worth dealing with. Chill...... No idea what happens if the WISC isn't up to par, but I would deal with that if it happens rather than wasting energy wondering now.

We applied last year around this same time and we put what had been done that year rather than what would happen the next as we had no plans for the next.

I seem to recall that they review the applications mid-month or something, so how long depends on when you sent the application etc in. Check the YS pages and see what it says.

Just my opinion, but we have been in for a year. The first few months, it was a little comforting to feel less alone. The next few months, we had started to use some of the resources a bit more and it seemed like a real convenience. More recently, we find ourselves wondering how we would ever have survived the past year without the program.

I guess what I am saying is: It is worth it.

Good luck!

Yes it's overwhelming - but I was surprised to hear over the phone that many other families take much longer than I did - I found that the perfectionism that plagues so many gifted kids also affect their MOMS - LOL! I was so relieved when I heard that I want "bad" for taking "so long" that the process seemed much less of a big deal. FWIW
Trinity

Thank you both so much for the encouragement. How old are your children who are in the YS program?

Trinity, I had to laugh at what you wrote about perfectionism affecting moms, too... that's very true for me! Mary, I like your idea about talking over one question a day. That's a good approach.

It's hard to know exactly when our daughter did all of the things the form asks about. Unfortunately we don't have a video camera, so I don't have home videos to refer back to. And I didn't do as good a job at writing down every milestone with this daughter as with our first two children. I'm kicking myself for that now.

Some milestones & ages I remember with absolute clarity, because they were so surprising! Like the day at 22 months old when she pointed at an antique game board (which had numbers on it) and said "I see number 2!" I said "Do you see any other numbers?" She pointed again and said "Other number...number 4!" Then proceeded to correctly identify all the other single digit numbers. I knew she could identify letters by then, but I had no idea she knew numbers too.

Another time my sister was visiting from out of state. Something my daughter did/said made my sister think she could read words. I said no, I don't think she can read yet. My sister wrote a list of simple words on a paper: cat, dog, mom, dad, hi, bye, to, from, etc., and ask my daughter if she knew what those words said. My daughter read every word correctly. She was 2-1/2 years old. I was shocked!

But then there are other things I can't remember for sure, such as when she could do 30+ piece puzzles. I know it was at an early age, but all of my kids did puzzles early so I probably didn't think it was that big of a deal. I guess I will have to guesstimate some answers and put a question mark beside them.

I think I'm going to get my daughter's records from her pediatrician, to see what developmental milestones they have recorded at her check-ups. That might help.

I had a few answers that were question marks too. In a couple of places, I did remember similar milestones, but just not the one they asked for - so I put down the similar milestone and the timing.

Check with friends and family. Some of them might remember some things. Also, you can sometimes make progress by comparison - I wasn't able to exactly remember when DS did 30 piece puzzles, but I did remember that DD did them before DS and she was nearly 2, but he caught up soon after.... etc.

DS is 7.

Interestingly enough, DD is 6. She won't cooperate with testing and we can't prove she is even moderately gifted, much less profoundly gifted. However, she has dropped tantalizing hints along the way that she might well be smarter than her brother. Just by having DS in the program, we get a lot of benefit that has helped us with her - even though she isn't in the program.

DS9 is almost 10 and in search of a new pseudoname! I hope it'll be short to type - ((being silly)) who BTW learned to read right along side his agemates. Difference was that he was listening to "phantom toolbooth" and "wrinkle in time" at age 4.
Trin

Trinity,
My DD is the same as your DS. She is totally into longer novels and has been since before 3. She follows multiple novels at a time, and we discuss plots etc...trouble is, she only reads at a late 1st grade level. She loves the Sisters Grimm novels, Book of Three, LOTR and historical books etc. Those are just what we are reading now! She has tested as borderline EG/PG but ceilinged 4 subtests. I guess not all of these kiddos learn to read at 2-3:)
AL

AL -
It sounds like your are handling this better than I would have - I lived in fear of an LD from age 3 to age 6 becuase DS9 had been able to identify all the letters at age 2, love to listen, but just didn't seem to be getting anywhere!

I keep ossilating on the edge of getting a behavioral vision assesment. What's your process been like?
Trin

Trinity,
DD (5) Has a wicked memory and is very visual, learned her alphabet by sight at around 13 months( could bring us any letter we asked for, and "read " it) She LOVES complicated novels, but just cannot read them herself. She **hates** simplistic stories. I have been trying to "catch-up" her reading (Late 1st) to match her ability to compare novels etc, but it has just been hellish. I thought she was "reading" earlier on, and she did have many sight words at around 21 months, but then she morphed into a "memorizer"... On her Testing, her scores were high across the board except "processing" , which was 15-ish points lower...but still *Well* above 130. I have often wondered if that is what is going on with her reading speed. Nice to meet you, though I think I have met you before on another board:)
AL

Interesting.... DD (the 6 yo mystery girl) has been listening to Harry Potter novels on tape since she was 4. She never wanted me to read her short sweet books. She wanted long fanciful fairy tales and has always had an astounding vocabulary. Often knows words that DS doesn't know- and vocabulary is one of his strong points.

Yet another hint that she is more than she pretends to be.... but can't pin a number on her for anything...

Mary