Getting very bright 4-year-old assessed

I read past posts about assessing gifted children, and about finding appropriate schools, but everything seems several years old. My 4 year old is attending a fantastic play-based preschool and is flourishing. The teachers have said he is extraordinarily bright, if not ''genius.'' That seems a big word to put on a little kid, but I'd love any advice about testing, if public schools cater to kids who may be above average, and any other resources people have found. As far as I know, he may just be a bright kid who has an unusually heightened ability to retain information. Again, any sites, contacts, school recommendations greatly appreciated. -Anon

I've taught kids that were labeled as ''gifted'' and kids that were labeled as ''learning disabled,'' and while it's important to determine a child's specific needs so you can provide the learning strategies they need individually, I don't believe it's good to let the kids get too invested in their own labels. If you start this testing now and put too much emphasis on his giftedness, your child will clue into the fact that he is different, especially if he's always hearing how smart he is from everyone around him. This can backfire. There's nothing worse than hearing as student say, ''Oh, I do this because I'm really smart and need harder work, but you can't because you don't know how to read and aren't as smart as me...'' They aren't saying this stuff to be mean, they are just kids absorbing what they've been hearing. That's why I'm such a proponent of inclusion rather than pull-out programs in schools, but I'm digressing...

Let your child be a child. At four, children still need time to play and discover and blossom without us trying to ''sort'' them by intelligence. Tap into your son's interests by joining museums, investing in science kits, signing him up for specific camps that might appeal to his interests...etc, etc. That will keep him plenty challenged, and by the time he starts school, his teachers will have suggestions on how to channel his smarts. Just My 2 Cents

Please know that if your child IS gifted, he will already know that he IS different from the other kids (his age peers). He will know it and will not know why he is different, and often gifted children feel like freaks when grouped with age mates (rather then mates with like ability). So the label helps then know WHY THEY ARE DIFFERENT, and not feel like freaks. The more gifted a child, the more radically different he/she is from agemates.

Just as a sixth grader would feel weird in a first grade class, expecting a highly, exceptionally, or profoundly gifted child to feel perfectly normal in a class full of peers based only on age is crazy.

And Bravo to the students who ask for more challenging work--because they deserve an education that meets their needs, too.

Read A Nation Deceived and please advocate for your child; all children deserve to have their educational needs met, both those with developmental delays and gifted children.

For information on giftedness testing, please see Hoagies.org and contact the Davidson Institute.... Don't be decieved! Gifted Child Advocate

Where to get pre-schooler tested

I read on the BPN about parents who have had their child tested for giftedness, but I couldn't find any specifics. Has anyone done this and can you tell me who to call? My child is not yet in kindergarten so I can't go through the school programs. How much does a private test cost and where do I go? Thanks! TC's Mom

I actually don't recommend it for a five- year- old unless there are other reasons for the assessment. A bit older is better for the testing. What I do recommend is that you get lots of parent guidance. Gifted children are at risk for confidence problems if they are exposed to high expectations, but can grow up to be quite happy and productive, too, of course. In raising my own gifted kids, I followed some very helpful advice in this regard, and have been thanked by my grown children for doing so. They see how their similarly gifted colleagues and fellow graduate students were raised by loving, praising, well meaning parents who attached too much meaning to their child's gifts. It is too easy, especially in the Bay Area, to view our children as ''report cards with shoes''. So if you can, accept your child's gifts as just that. And they are gifts which are wonderful but do not mark her or him as extraordinary. If your child is gifted, he or she has lots of company in the Bay Area. Chances are good that you, your spouse, and a number of other relatives are gifted, too.

A good education is crucially important, and sadly lacking in our schools, which is important to all children. The oldest and largest children in a class tend to be leaders, which is something to weigh if you are considering skipping a class. JB

Gifted testing for first grader

My son is 7 and finishing up the first grade. I'm very concerned that he is not challenged at school. Thankfully, he's not acting up and I'm not hearing from the teacher that he's bored, but I don't want him to keep thinking school is so easy and then get slammed in high school or college when he finally finds things challenging. So I'm thinking of having him tested as a first step toward getting some resources from our GATE folks. The info on the website is 8 yrs old. Have you had your young child tested lately? Do you have a tester to recommend? What did/does it cost? Thanks very much.

Now, I am not sure if all schools work like Joaquin Miller in Oakland, but there are no extra classes, field trips or specific educational activities for the kids who have been identified as gifted. No child regardless of outside testing will be considered ''gifted'' until 3rd grade and identified by the school district. Teachers are expected to differentiate the curriculum in the classroom. There are some teachers who do differentiation well and others who do not.

The differentiation difference is not more problems of the same type, but deeper ways of doing the same assignments. For example, one teacher has the kids in the class learning the three branches of government. The children identified as gifted put on a mock trial for a situation happening at the school. In earlier grades, children research a reptile or a ''big cat,'' a gifted kid could research the reptile or big cat and how Global Warming or cutting down the rainforest affects the population of animals.

It's a very frustrating situation because most people understand ''smart'' and think that gifted kids are just smarter than other kids. They do not understand that the WAY and DEPTH that gifted kids gather information is different from other people.

Mom of a Gifted (and smart) daughter

Assessing a possibly gifted 3-year-old

My 3 year old attends several activities each week and many of her teachers have approached me, asking if she is gifted. I think she might be, but maybe she is just bright or a quick learner. We are on our 3rd preschool since last September, and haven't found anything that seems to fit her needs, so I am starting to think that gifted may indeed be the correct label.

SO... what do I do now? One of her teachers suggested getting her tested. What does that really get us, besides confidence in the gifted label? Does an official assessment get us anywhere with the school district when it is kindergarten registration time? I am already doing kindergarten-level work with her at home, so I can predict that she will be bored and unhappy, just as she is in preschool now.

We are going to try one more Montessori preschool, and I am going to continue to work with her at home until she is 5, but I need to have a plan in place for kindergarten time. Her pediatrician suggested homeschooling, but I'm not sure I'm up for that 24/7. Others have suggested private school, but I don't see how we can afford it. So I want to see what I can do with the public schools.

What exactly is involved in assessing a possibly gifted child? Is it a test? Or a meeting with a specialist? How much does it cost? If you have had your young child assessed, did you gain anything from it?

I've searched the archives and found some info on AnneMarie Roeper... she seems to be a true specialist AND she is local - is that where I should go now?

I'd appreciate any advice you can give! I'm stumped! not-so-gifted momma

In the meantime, offer lots of new experiences. Music lessons - piano and violin can be started at 4 and up, dance, art, museum, trips, and lots of books! I think it is important for bright kids not to be isolated, but to be around lots of differently abled kids who may have skills or abilities they don't. The hardest part of having a really bright kid was following your own heart about what to do for them. Sometimes you need to take other's advice with a grain of salt...mine included! her mom

With regard to preschool, have you tried something other than Montessori? It can be tough for some kids and their respective learning styles. I know that with my kind of ''giftedness'' (quick learner, highly verbal), it would have been a disaster. There are lots of ways to be gifted, and Montessori does work for some.

Check out this website for some good resources: http://www.cagifted.org/

Good luck! --gifted mom