Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment GT denial or being realistic?

So how do you know whether it's worth it to test for the hg+ programs?

There is a local HG+ charter school that seems amazing, low/no pressure, totally individualized curriculum and it's free. I'm considering trying to get DS4 in since he starts K next year. Then if he gets in DS6 would get priority (if he gets the scores necessary). But, I just worry that this is all a waste of time and while the programs sound amazing they aren't for my level of GT kids.

DS4 is working at a K/1st grade level right now in math and reading, probably 2nd grade+ for science. It's more his abstract reasoning and visual-spatial abilities that amaze me though. He can come up with a solution to any problem, we regularly hear "actually, you could" followed by the most hilarious explanations of how you could make it so. He loves word play and makes the best puns! He is really good at jigsaw puzzles.

DS6 is homeschooled and working at end of 3rd grade in math, 5th/6th grade reading, and probably somewhere around 4th-5th grade in science. Math is the only place I've nudged him and even then it's been at his pace, just not necessarily at his request. Reading and science have been totally his doing. When we pulled him from Kindergarten 7 months ago, besides reading, he really wasn't working very far ahead.

So, how do I know if they're HG+ or just regular old GT, but are ahead because they have the opportunity to move at their own pace due to homeschooling? I feel like I just got ok with knowing they were GT and now I'm right back to where I was but worrying about level of GTness.

What have you got to lose by testing? Is it too expensive?

I'd say doing some sort of testing is probably worth it even if you decide not to try out the schools. It has helped me immeasurably with homeschooling, frankly. I have a much better idea about what DS7 knows and doesn't know, and I have a much better idea about how to teach him--what will work and what will instead frustrate us both.

It can be expensive. That's the big drawback that I can see.

Aside from money, is there any other reason you don't want to test?

If you can afford to do the testing, I'd say go for it. I agree with Kriston, that it's helpful information no matter which way you decide to go with schooling.

The money is one thing, but more than that, if they *don't* make the cut then we have absolutely no other resources available to us, there just isn't anything here for MG kids who need more than a 1hr/wk pull out program. And, after DS6's Kindergarten year I'm extremely nervous at the thought of sending DS4 to regular public school, sending DS6 back isn't an option at all.

I guess (and I know this probably sounds crazy, but it's how I feel), I'm just really afraid they won't qualify and then knowing that there is absolutely nothing else we can do for them besides homeschool (which we all enjoy for right now, but I just don't see myself doing this forever). I'm especially frustrated because we had decided to test DS6 this fall, just for the information. But, that was before I knew about the school and now I'm completely second guessing myself and am unsure whether I should test DS4 first since he has the best chance due to more open spots for Kindergarten.

And honestly, I have no idea where they fall in the gifted continuum. I've researched until my head hurts and I just can't make heads or tails of it. They both currently have pretty big gaps between where they function and their age peers, but they meet very few of the exceptionally early markers besides speech and the emphasis in all the books seems to be on the kids doing things really early.

Anyways, I was just hoping that maybe there was some way to gauge ahead of time. Not so much a "yes, absolutely they are HG+", but at least whether there were some decent indicators they might be and so it was worth the "risk" to find out.

I don't know if any of this makes sense or if I'm completely over thinking things!

It sounds to me like the fear I had (and I am sure I wasn't unique) that the tests would come back and show that I was delusional about DS's abilities. No one wants to find out they were wrong or making things up. I doubt, though, that that will happen.

My advice is to remember that the test is a just tool. It may be able to answer questions that you need answered. But the test does not define or limit your children in any way. It is one piece of the story but not the end of the story.

I agree. I think many of us here had the same fear that you're describing, but I personally don't think fear is a good reason to keep you from moving forward with testing. (Easy for me to say, right? I know!)

But let me be Spock for a moment...

If you break it down, there are really only 3 possible outcomes to the testing: bad test day, high enough scores to get into the HG+ school, or not high enough scores even on a good test day.

A bad test day means only that you'd need to re-test. Believe it or not, this may be the most difficult option for a parent, since you spend all that money and time and energy, yet you know nothing more than you knew before. That's hard. And it's hard to commit to re-test. But in our case and the case of many other families, re-testing on a good test day is the right thing to do.

High enough scores means that you have another potential option for your child's/children's education(s). (Since one might score high eough and the other not...) It may not be an option you choose, but it opens the door for you. Yay.

Not high enough scores even though it was a good test day tells you to take the HG+ school off your list, allowing you to focus your time and energy where it will be useful to you. It's a bummer, but at least you know.

I know that it's nice to have more than one option for your kids. (Oh, I so know! Personally!) But I also know from experience that you really do need only one educational situation that works for you. I mean, keep your eyes and your options open, of course! But if the worst case scenario here is that the HG+ school won't work for your kids, then it is honestly for the best that you find that out so you can move on. Why waste your time mourning something that can never be?

Furthermore, why waste your time fretting over it now, before you know anything? Get the testing done if you can afford it or if the school will pay for it, find out, and move forward according to what you find out.

Don't make things harder for yourself than you have to. Don't get all emotional about something that might not even be a problem. Knowledge is power. Find out, and then go from there.

That's my Spock-like, anti-rampant-emotionalism advice for today...

I so agree, Dottie. Torturing one's self over The Decision just isn't good. There are better ways to spend our time!

And I think your point about being able to "unchoose" is SO smart! There are surprisingly few educational decisions that are truly irrevocable.

So please don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself that you can do without, M&M! One step at a time...Take them as they come!

Besides, something new and ideal might pop up on your radar at any time. It really isn't necessary to have all the answers right now. (And thank goodness for that! )

Thanks for all the input and advice! This just seems so finite, either we have this option or we don't have any and that's a lot of pressure! And, I'd rather deal with the the pressure on my own and come to peace with it before we test the boys than accidentally put the pressure on them. Because it's not their problem that I'm crazy, lol.

A score of 145 is automatic entry into the lottery, scores of 130-140 are taken case by case. Though, having talked to a psychologist locally, they really only take 140+. They do offer testing, but it's a group test (I'm not sure which one) and you only get 1 shot at it. If you don't make the cut and you choose to reapply later, you have to pay for the test. You also can't use the group test if you have individual scores already.

From what I've been told about the school, they have truly individual curriculums. The woman I know, her DD is in 2nd grade, working on 4th grade math and 5th grade reading, there's a boy in her class doing middle school math.

I would feel better about the whole thing if the options weren't so limited. It's frustrating that if they aren't HG+ then there's just *nothing* for them. The public schools here won't do grade skips because there is a public GT school (which we aren't even looking at because it's a very high pressure environment) and the charter school.

Bah, anyways, I guess it's time to put on my big girl pants and make a decision, lol. Thanks for letting me freak out and be so wishy washy and undecided!

Do the school testing. It's free (except for the application fee I suppose.) You can always retest privately if you don't feel the scores reflect their abilities. That gives you two shots at making it for the price of one test