Dogmom, this post is for you, and all the other families going through G/T testing with their children. Don't worry if your child doesn't "qualify," and don't let the school system label your child or put them into some kind of "below average" box.  Early test results are not very reliable, and are certainly poor predictors of which children will enjoy success in school and in life.

My son tested for the gifted program before kindergarten.  High stakes stuff because it determined entry into a really great magnet school. 

There was also a boy across the street, a "biter" and a complete hellion who once hit my son across the head with a metal baseball bat.  He tested the same day. 

My son came out of that testing room, and I said, "How'd it go?" He said, "Great!  They asked me what five minus three was, and I told 'em seven!"    

What could I say but, “Excellent!”   

The hellion across the street sailed into the magnet school.  My son did not.  The hellion’s mother brought her acceptance letter to my house, saying, “We got our letter!!!  Did you get yours yet?”  (Note the “we” in this statement – lots of this testing stuff isn’t about the kids at all, but more of a prestige contest between the moms.  I know that’s not you, Dogmom, but it is true in many cases.) 

Two months after missing five minus three, my son (age 5) abruptly told us, “I think I know what 99 plus 99 is.  Is it 198?”  This was out of the blue… we weren’t even talking about math; we were on vacation and he was staring out of a city bus window.  Asked how he figured it out, he said, “I just realized that 100 + 100 is 200, and 99 is just 1 less than 100, so the answer would have to be two less than 200.” 

G/T testing means so little, especially for very young ones.  I say this as someone who taught G/T in junior high for several years.  Many educators and experts don’t even recommend G/T testing until third grade.  And most states and school districts only have the resources to accept the top 2% of the kids they test.  Think about that:  98th percentile, you qualify;  97th percentile, you don’t.  Do you think that 1 percentage point really distinguishes between those kids?   

Another injustice – kids may test sky high in one area – verbal, for instance – but low in another.  And unless they are “globally” gifted, meaning they test high in all areas, guess what?  They don’t qualify either.  Again, it’s just a resources game.  Speaking as a school board member, you’re dealing with a finite amount of money, and trying to meet a huge spectrum of needs – your athletes, your musicians, your actors, your writers, your math and science whizzes, your special needs kids, your dropout risks…  there is just no end of need.  Hence, the typical 2 percent rule.  They’ve got to cut it off somewhere. 

In a perfect world, they would not cut it off ANYWHERE.  G/T teaching techniques benefit every child.  It’s all about hands-on experiments, exploration, in-depth study, finding your interests, brainstorming, creative thinking, acceleration, making interdisciplinary connections, debating, asking good questions, building on strengths.  (It’s NOT about punishing the smart kids with extra work, which happens in far too many schools!) 

Now – about this concern of children testing poorly – I would also like to share that my daughter wrote every letter and number backward all the way through kindergarten.  I think you could have read her writing in a mirror.  We went in for some expensive testing, and they determined that she definitely had some marked learning “deficits,” which could be remedied for around $10,000.  I’ll never forget my shock when they gave me test results showing that her reading skills were in the bottom 12% of the nation.   

We waited it out.  My daughter loved for me to read to her and asked lots of questions and I just somehow didn’t feel like there was a huge problem.  Sure enough, she started forming her letters and numbers the correct way in first grade, without the $10,000 intervention.   She’s now in eighth grade, above average in math, and in every honors and gifted course available for reading/writing.  Her early test scores were a predictor of – nothing at all! 

Parents, please don't put too much stock in IQ testing results, especially for very young kids.  If you’re worried deep down that there might be a problem, go somewhere reputable for testing – in my state, the Shriners Hospital does a wonderful complete battery free of charge.  They’re absolutely tops, and they’re not doing it to promote some kind of “intervention;” they’re just trying to help kids.  (Yes – those same Shriners in the funny hats and little bitty cars you always see in the parades – their hospitals really offer some amazing services for children, all free of charge.) 

Dogmom, I wish I knew the right words to take your stress away!  As I said in my comments, if I could, I’d have you over immediately for a glass of Chardonnay and some commiseration – I’ve been there.  But since we know each other only through OS, I’ll just advise you to have fun with your child this summer – finger paint, collect bugs, read in the library, play counting games, swim, play in the mud, swing, stare at the clouds and stars.  Ask him why he thinks ice cream melts.  Ask him why he thinks his body floats in the water when he takes a deep breath.  Ask him why he thinks the sky is blue and grass is green.  There are no “right” answers to these questions!   

I taught for years, and can tell you from honest experience that there are many different kinds of gifts, most of which don’t begin to show up on an intelligence test.   And because of your love and confidence, you – Dogmom – you will be one of your son’s biggest gifts of all!