Testing gifted children

There are two kinds of tests which should be considered when testing for giftedness these are achievement tests and IQ tests.   The tests differ in two ways an IQ test measures the ability of the child while the achievement test assesses what the child already knows.   The age in which a child can be tested can vary but the best age to test a gifted child is any time from the child’s fourth birthday up until they are eight years of age.  If you test before this time then the reality is that the reading may not be very accurate, as the behaviour of any child before the age of four is often very unpredictable. 

Then there is the question of who should test a child for giftedness.  This should be someone who has a vast knowledge and experience of working with gifted children.  If you rely on someone who has had little experience then the results may not be accurate.  The tester should begin by asking a child a number of difficult questions in order to keep the child interested, if a child is gifted and you start by asking the easiest questions first then the child will become bored and frustrated, and the result will be inaccurate. 

The cost of testing can vary and could cost anywhere between 200 to 800 pounds, and you should always check up on your testers qualifications and experience before paying any money.  Gifted children are often picked up by teachers as being gifted, and this is for free, be aware that if you do decide to have your child tested for giftedness that the age in which the best results are taken are between four and eight, so school would probably be the first to notice.

Not all children who demonstrate the traits of being gifted are labelled as such, so it is important that the correct test is done in order that the child receives the correct education for their ability.  To make testing even more difficult it is often the case that a gifted child also has a disability too, this can go undiagnosed as these children look like average learners.  These children are intelligent enough to be able to compensate for their disadvantage, and often find the work tedious and boring, so although they are making the grades and achieving passes, they are not working to the best of their ability and are therefore underachieving.