Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment What testing should I use?

I think I overlooked part of your answer. Sorry, more coffee needed here.

Ren

A number of us with HG+ kids had good results with non-academic, half-day, play-based pre-K programs. You're right that no academics is usually a much better fit than the wrong academics. Then you just follow his lead on the academics outside of school. It can work quite nicely.

Don't let your friends worry you. I think you're right!

I think that's a great price for all of those tests! She sounds very thorough from what you describe. I like that she offered to have you touch base during the first year of pre-school.

The school doesn't like to see the tests before age 6 or 7, I've found. DD6 took the WPPSI at 4. I was told the score is artificially LOW, that she didn't take it seriously, she still tested HG and it was a good place to start with her. I would love to have her take the creativity test, but tester didn't think it was necessary. You'd know what he meant if you met her!

If you and your husband are inclined and the tester thinks the age is okay, I say go for it.

We've been fortunate to have found a great specialist by where we live. His expertise, advice, support, help has been more helpful than I could ever put into words. Except, that through his support DH and I have been able to make changes and decisions that have greatly improved the girls quality of life. They are becoming happy, healthy and authentic little people!

You can always have another test administered at six, the WISC, for example.

Good luck!

Shellymos, your son sounds amazing!

Here's our experience on school and testing. My DS4.5 is going to a play-based preschool again this year, and he likes it well enough. (He told me the other day that he's sad about going back to school, and that he hates it, but I don't really believe him about the hating it part! We'll see, I guess.) He is learning respect for other people, how to follow rules at school. He's a bit iffy on the following rules at home! but he's extremely proud that he's never gotten a consequence at preschool. So I'm happy about the preschool.

We had DS tested at 4.1 (SB-V) because we were thinking early entrance to kindergarten. He more than met the district's requirements, but we followed the tester's advice to keep him home for another year (his preschool is just a few hours/3 days a week). We haven't focused too much on real homeschooling, but he's still learning stuff. We'll do the achievement testing when he's 5, and apply to DYS. For all the tests you are being offered, that sounds like a good deal to me.

As things progress (quickly with these kids, I'm finding!), I'm starting to think that we'll probably end up trying to skip kindergarten when that comes around. (However, we just got info about a new STEM k-8, spearheaded by a mom of HG kid, that will have plans in place to put gifted kids at their level of learning, so we'll see...)

My words exactly. I am one of the people who had great experience with play-based half-day PreK with DS6 and not so good experience with DS4 in Montessori last year. DS4 will go to play-based PreK in a few weeks. All I want is for him to have fun and be around other children. He can get the rest at home.

Yes, actually I probably should have quoted you there, LMom. I think "no academics is usually a much better fit than the wrong academics" is your trademark in these conversations.

Sorry to steal your line! But it's so right and so wise that I couldn't help myself! LOL!

I am so glad to get some affirmation. I feel like I am doing the right thing with the pre-k we chose, but I just wonder sometimes. He is so excited to go. Friends do wonder if it will keep him stimulating...and I think a trampoline can keep him stimulated for quite some time, LOL. The 3yo program we chose last year said they didn't focus on academics...and then I found they would sit and review shapes and letters and things at circle time...so hopefully this pre-k doesn't do that. Nathan frequently got in trouble for running around in circles during circle time, and for hugging the other children and not stopping when the other kids told him to. They called this 'aggressive.' I asked 'was he trying to hurt them' they said 'oh no not at all, he is just wanting to play and hug them." Hmm.....I guess that is the new definition of aggressive. Anyhow, I digress. I am feeling much more positive and it is nice to see that others have had a positive experience with this with their children.

Michelle

I do think it is a decent price for the services being offered...just not really in our budget right now. But we will try and make it work. I know that we would regret not doing it. my DS is not highly creative at all, and extremely literal so I think that test would be good for him. I am glad you found a good specialist, I think it is really important to find others to relate to. I would also love for my DS to have some peers to relate to at some point. He has lots of friends, and all the kids love him actually at our church...but he does tend to be the class clown and just acts goofy with them. He is so different around other children than he is one on one. I would also like to meet a real life gifted child his age, LOL. I know they exist with people on line, but we have yet to meet any. he plays with older children and adults and relates well to them at least. I would bet we would definitely need to retest at some point because he changes so much so often, it is amazing. I guess gifted children in general do, but is still amazes me when he just starts doing random things that he should have no idea how to do. Thanks for the well wishes!

Well, I always tell my kids that "hugs shouldn't hurt." That seems to help them distinguish between real, friendly hugs and the aggressive kind. Kids can use hugs as a way to wrestle, so even if that wasn't your DS's intention, I can kind of see what the teachers were saying.

Oh, and I got a kick out of your DS's running in circles during circle time. Seems appropriate, no?

I think even play-based pre-K's tend to do more of the "This is the letter A" stuff at circle time than our kids need. But it tends to be small doses--5 minutes or so--so most kids can deal with it. It's a WHOLE lot better than a whole CLASS of "This is the letter A," at least! Hopefully you'll get the former (or less) and not the latter!

Thanks. Funny because when my DS was in his 3yo pre-k program he said he didn't really like it and the others didn't speak english because he couldn't understand him. He didn't really say that he liked it at all, and often didn't feel like going. He didn't fight it, but didn't love it. Then we took him out because of how the staff were reacting to him and frankly they truly didn't like him (which shocked me because I had never experienced that with anyone, everyone loves him). So then a month later he cries and says he is ready to go back. I felt awful. I still think it was the best choice but it made me sad. I would bet a week or so after he starts this preschool DS will say he doesn't really like it....but I don't really think he will feel that way. It happened this summer when we did swimming lessons. He would not want to go and then he would go and have a great time and say how he loved it and the next morning the cycle would continue, sigh. Glad the preschool is working out for you.

My DS's behavior at home is okay...but he he does like to test things. Lately it's the word 'poopy' It's driving me nuts. I just told him that I needed 15 minutes of mommy time (my first time all day) and then we could play a game together before his "nap" and he then emails me the word "poopy" so I replied and told him to go sit and time out. Not my typical parenting style, but it's got to end at some point. (I then followed up with him by talking with him about other positive ways to get attention). We don't have early entrance to K, and we have no good programs anywhere. New York sucks in fact. I love the state and everything, but there is no mandated gifted programming and our school doesn't have it so that is really frustrating. It's amazing what kids will learn by not doing real "schooling" or teaching. I swear we don't teach DS much of anything. We didn't teach him to read or sound out words at all and yet he was reading fluently at 2. He did fall in love with starfall at 16 months though, that helped.

Gotta run, it's DS and mommy time now.