IQ testing

[marie33]

Let me introduce myself. I am a brand new member, my name is Marie and I have a 4 year-old who is most probably highly gifted. We have been using a first grade curriculum to homeschool him since the beginning of this year, but he is already reading at the 4th grade level and is capable of 3rd grade math. I have trouble keeping him stimulated and busy, as I am sure you all experience.

 

I would like to get him tested but don't know how or where to go for that. Can anybody help direct me?

 

Also, does anybody have any tips or ideas on keeping your gifted children busy and stimulated without having to exhaust yourself? Does anybody have young children who they can already see are gifted?

 

Thanks.

[MaMa2005]

Your son sounds like my son. I started teaching him last August (at age 4) and a year later he is reading on a 6th grade level and doing math on a 4th grade level.

 

We went through curriculum at an alarming rate last year. This year I am pushing him a bit and putting him in higher level curriculum.

 

The one thing I found from last year is, due to the speed of his reading and math development, we wound up with gaps for language arts. While we will do them at an accelerated rate, DS is doing FLL1/2 and WWE 1 this year as well as beginning diagramming. You may be noticing the same thing with your DS.

 

DS also takes private Mandarin and Spanish classes. These have helped him to stay busy as he must concentrate a little more on studying during the week.

 

Have you looked at outside enrichment classes? They are an integral part of my year and help keep DS's mind and body busy without wearing out this over the hill MaMa.:tongue_smilie:

 

Sorry, I can't help with testing. DS was tested by a family friend who is a psychiatrist. He was interested to see where DS fell in the gifted spectrum and did the testing for free :hurray:. I would not have pursued testing on my own as I am just not hung up on the IQ numbers.

[2smartones]

I've been in exactly the same situation! And yes, I knew from the start that my children would be gifted. I very distinctly remember asking my mommy group for toy advice when my oldest was 6 weeks old, because he seemed bored. They all told me I was insane and that he should still be sleeping all day. That was my first real indication that he was vastly different. The 2nd child was no surprise.

 

You're not alone, but you'll feel alone most of the time (I still do). For testing, there are a few options. Look in your area for gifted private schools. They'll be able to direct you to local psychologists specializing in giftedness. Next, look around at universities. Some do tests at a discounted rate if students are the ones administering it. (None in my area, but others here can give you their experiences.) If all else fails, you can haul a truckload of money to Denver for probably the best testing experience available at Gifted Development Center. http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/

 

Oh... and to keep his mind occupied, we were doing several subjects when he turned 4. Aside from the 3 R's, we were doing science, social studies, Bible, Latin, art, music, playing sports with other homeschoolers, and whatever else came up... field trips, etc. The same people who told me 6 week old babies can't get bored also told me we were doing too much. I proved them wrong again.

Edited July 29, 2010 by 2smartones

[marie33]

I get that A LOT! People usually don't believe me when I describe my son's abilities. They tell me we are going too fast, and that I am expecting a lot of him. But you know, I am following HIS lead, not the other way around. I provide the means for him to be challenged and here we are, at 4 years-old, in a first grade curriculum that's too easy for him. I'm not pushing him go too fast, rather he's the one stepping on the gas pedal!

 

Also, I do have Gabriel in karate, he'll start swimming lessons next week and is signed up for soccer in the Fall. He has so much energy that I feel like he could really use a treadmill sometimes...but that would be too boring for him. He loves to be challenged in every way! It's really hard to provide for him and keep up with his next interest, much less care for my other two children. We do have a full curriculum for Gabriel, including science and map skills, grammar and religion. He's still not busy enough.

 

A close friend of mine recently told me that maybe I should not be trying so hard to provide all these things...that maybe Gabriel should be expected to just be normal like everybody else. My gutt tells me that is the response of a mother who doesn't have gifted children...am I right?

 

Thanks a lot, ladies.

Really helps to have support!

[EKS]

I would wait until he turns 6 and then have him tested with the WISC IV by someone who is familiar with testing gifted kids. I think there are some articles about the optimal age for testing on the Gifted Development Center's website.

Edited July 30, 2010 by EKS

[HeidiD]

A close friend of mine recently told me that maybe I should not be trying so hard to provide all these things...that maybe Gabriel should be expected to just be normal like everybody else. My gutt tells me that is the response of a mother who doesn't have gifted children...am I right?

 

 

 

I guess it boils down to whether one believes that being exceptionally intelligent entitles someone to have another person (such as mom) at his beck and call, catering to him intellectually. As a former "gifted" child raising gifted children of my own, I do want them to be normal in the sense that they view their intellect as just one facet of their nature - and not necessarily the most important aspect. A constant need for intellectual stimulation can become an addiction, and in the real world, we're all going to be bored sometimes.

 

You're right - people who don't regularly deal with these driven kids have no idea how demanding they can be. One would think that things should be so easy, right? But we know better. :) So each of us has to figure out the best way to strike a balance in our particular circumstances.

[zaichiki]

I spent a lot of time entertaining and educating my oldest (to keep him busy and to keep up with his thirst for information) until my second child was old enough to interact with her big brother. I have found, as my kids get older, that they will educate and occupy themselves (often interacting with one another). We still do more formal academics (mom-scheduled and/or with a curriculum), but if left to their own devices they will research their passions, read, play music, draw, read, play outside, take care of animals, read, bicker... All this to say that I no longer need to be the one responsible for keeping up with oldest. He largely takes care of his own needs in that department.

 

Hang in there. A few years from now you'll be helping him access his resources and sitting back to watch him fly. :D (Well, not really sitting back -- you'll have plenty of chores about the house and other kids' needs to keep you busy, not to mention that job as chauffeur...)

Edited July 30, 2010 by zaichiki

[Elisa]

I would wait until he 6 and then have him tested with the WISC IV by someone who is familiar with testing gifted kids.

 

:iagree:

 

And check out the Hoagies site: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org

[marie33]

Thanks, zaichiki. I have gotten a lot of feedback regarding the ages of my kids. You're right, mine are young and because the oldest is only 4, he isn't quite there yet...but everyday is just a little better than yesterday. His younger sister is only 2, and gets annoyed easily. Sometimes this is fun for my ds and sometimes it's just boring, like many things. I suppose it's just harder for me just to let them work things out amidst all the noise their interaction can cause, and wait out the better days when they are a bit older. So I try to "occupy" my ds as much as I can to avoid unnecessary conflicts...when my ds has nothing to do, his easiest and quickest entertainment or time-filler is irritating siblings or getting attention from me, however painful. He just seems to be so needy, and I do get really overwhelmed trying to care for a household that is so noisy in a day, that I wear myself out breaking up fights and then trying to avoid later fights by finding things to fill my ds's time with. Yes, I am very exhausted, yet this is why I panic about whether what I am doing is right or not. I kinda wish there was a simple solution to filling the days without sucking the life out of me. Any ideas? My ds just isn't that independent for very long yet.

 

Thanks again!

[JennyD]

FWIW, mine (5 and 2.5) are impossible inside but outside they will play happily together, separately, and/or with other children for hours. So we spend a LOT of our time at various playgrounds and parks (no yard, alas).

 

On the subject of providing stimulation, I -- like so many other parents -- try to provide a "rich" environment, and we do a (very) little bit of formal curriculum, but I have gradually come to the conclusion that the stuff my 5yo comes up with on his own is so much more original than anything I could ever dream up, that what I really need to do is get more out of his way. Which doesn't mean that we'll be unschooling -- there are certain things that I simply want him to learn/be exposed to -- but I don't lose a lot of sleep as to whether he's being intellectually stimulated or not. The world is an amazing and fascinating place, and as long as he has enough time and freedom to explore it, I'm confident that he's getting what he needs right now. Making that possible, of course, is the real challenge for me.

Edited July 30, 2010 by JennyD