question about a child's intelligence

[Erin1700]

Is it possible for a kid who scores off the chart on standardized tests and gets all A+ in school at a second grade level, to not score high on an IQ test??

I ask because the school called us and would like to test our DD for the gifted program. They said they look at grades first and then recommendation for the teacher. Bottom line is you dont get in unless you have a high IQ.

We never asked for them to test her or to see if she could be tested, so this kind of all jumped at us this week.

 

[luckymom4]

I had good grades when I was in school and my IQ was tested at 143. I did NOT score high enough on the gifted test to make it into the program though. Go figure. I wouldn't worry what a test told me about my child. If your daughter is smart and applies her knowledge, she'll go far.

 

[HerdOHuds]

Of course it is. Some kids are better test-takers than others. Some kids are better at listening in school and it all depends on how hard you work. Frankly, I would MUCH rather have a child that works hard but doesn't score as genius on an IQ test than a kid that is a genius, according to the IQ test, and couldn't excell in everyday school. JMHO.

 

[Iott Family]

Of course it is. Some kids are better test-takers than others. Some kids are better at listening in school and it all depends on how hard you work. Frankly, I would MUCH rather have a child that works hard but doesn't score as genius on an IQ test than a kid that is a genius, according to the IQ test, and couldn't excell in everyday school. JMHO.

I totally agree! Our oldest two have been in high ability classes since 1st/2nd grade. They are both in middle school now and we are re-thinking this whole "gifted" class thing. The kids are getting burnt out on school from all the homework and guidelines they must follow. Not to mention they struggle to maintain an A average in class because anything under a B gets them pulled from the class. And the classes arent weighted so DD's GPA is only 3.6 compared to the 3.9/4.0 that other students in regular courses are pulling because they are on the high end of "regular" courses. Colleges look at your GPA and NOT your classes, etc. There was a big thing in the papers recently about our local big 10 colleges raising the bar on acceptance, etc.
My advice is if your DD tests out then go ahead at elementary level and put her in because "gifted" classes are smaller and employ various learning tools not afforded to "regular" classes but once she hits middle school really look at what will be expected and weigh that out before automatically putting her in.
By middle school kids want to have a social life, get involved in school sponsored clubs, etc and if she has 2-4 hours a night of homework that just wont be possible.
Gosh, I hope this helps and doesnt veer to far off the path!

 

[mjkacmom]

Yes. Ds has a friend who has never had any grade less than an A, who always scored advanced proficient on standardized tests, who's tried to test into the GT program for 3 years, and hasn't made it (although his twin brother did). My ds gets A's and B's, and tested in. That's why they do it in 2 levels - you have to have good grades, score advanced proficient in at least one subject on standardized tests, and get a teacher recommendation in order to have the IQ tests.

 

[N&B'smom]

My school growing up didn't have this because it was such a small school but I would have fallen into this category. I got all A's and was very advanced on my standardized tests. Who knows, maybe I wouldn't have done well on the IQ portion of the testing!

 

[Iott Family]

Is it possible for a kid who scores off the chart on standardized tests and gets all A+ in school at a second grade level, to not score high on an IQ test??

I ask because the school called us and would like to test our DD for the gifted program. They said they look at grades first and then recommendation for the teacher. Bottom line is you dont get in unless you have a high IQ.

We never asked for them to test her or to see if she could be tested, so this kind of all jumped at us this week.

To answer your IQ question. My 11 yr old DS scores higher than my 13 yr old DD but she consistently gets better grades and we rarely have any issues with her getting her work in on time, goofing off in class, etc. DS is a whole other ball game. He only applies himself when he is in the mood, would rather go out to play than do homework, will lie or "forget" he has homework. Headache! Which is why he is on lockdown and not allowed to play school or rec team sports until after 1st semester wraps up this coming year and he must maintain a B average or its a big NO on the sports!

IQ is only one of the tools used in education to measure "intelligence". Personally, I think a kid can be really book smart and just plain dumb dealing with life, if you get my meaning. The focus should be more on raising/teaching well rounded individuals and less about pushing those high test scores.

 

[mom2travel]

So you are worried that she does well but won't score high enough on the IQ test? I know several people with children who have high IQs but don't do well on standardized tests. I suppose it could go the other way as well. My DD was accepted into gifted. Here there are different levels/programs. You need to see what is offered. Will she be in a completely different class? The same class with pull-out and/or push-in of gifted teachers? Differentiated within main class and same teacher? For us, we just want to make sure the kids are appropriately challenged to their ability levels. Don't really care where/who, just that it happens. You sounded surprised by the whole thing, so perhaps you do not think it is necessary? Only you can know if an extra challenge is needed and can be handled by your child. I think if I were you I would let DD take the IQ test, see how she does, and talk to her teacher, gifted program coordinators, perhaps even the principal, to learn more about the program, whether it is a good fit, etc. Is she is happy, learning alot, not bored with current work? Or would she thrive with more opportunity/challenge? Has her teacher mentioned anything to you previously about her learning style or enthusiasm and ability?
Good luck!

 

[ADisneyQueen]

Here in our area, the kids must have an IQ of 130 to get in. My kids are both in it, my younger has the higher IQ and better in math and spacial tests, but the older one read earlier and is better in spelling and writing. The test is not alll about things they learn in school, there are puzzles and memorization tasks. Some kids don't get in the first year but do better the second year. They have to be mature enough to sit through the test and want to do well on it. Other kids do not do well b/c although they are smart, parents are helping them with homework every night and that increases their grades. Nothing wrong with that, I've just seen some angry parents when their smart kids do not get in.
I would suggest you google it and give your child an idea of what the test is like so they are less nervous.

 

[tzolkin]

I was in a gifted program in elem/middle school. The IQ requirement was 130. There were many kids who were smart and did well in school who did not score high enough on an IQ test. There were also many kids in the gifted program who had ADHD and some who just barely passed their classes.

I would let my child take the test, but make sure that she would not feel that she "failed" or was not smart enough if she was not placed in the gifted program.


On the opposite end-- my little sister supposedly only has an IQ of 78 (think Forrest Gump). My mother homeschooled her for a few years and when she re-entered public school she was on high honor roll every semester during middle/high school. Her IQ score was definitely not a good indicator of her intelligence.

 

[HERSEY]

Here is my 2 cents. In middle school advanced classes they grade tougher.

It was a great shock for my son, who is not a great test taker. It took a while for him to get what was expected of him. It was not made clear to either of us. The teachers want the child to go the extra mile. They need to step up and be able to actively participate. Not always easy with a shey child.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Putting a small damper on this. Please don't toss around IQ numbers, either as results or requirements.

Mensa, the High IQ Society, accepts people in the top 2% of the general population. They will accept a large number of standardized tests. However, although an IQ Test must have a mean of 100, varying tests have different standard deviations. I have seen the requirements based on different tests, and the requirement can be as low as 120 or as high as 148, depending on both the test and edition. So a 130 number will easily qualify on one test but will not qualify on another.

 

[taylor1293]

Yes, it happens all the time . It would be the teacher that requested she be tested. If you don't want her tested, just say no! It's no big deal either way. I said no with my youngest DD when they requested she be tested for gifted math. She gets stressed out easily with math work and, IMO, at her young age, doesn't need any more work or pressure. Now...if they would have had a reading program at her school, I would have said yes to that!

Also, ask about your gifted program and what it involves. Is it a pullout or does the teacher come to the room to work with the child. Sadly, too many "gifted" programs are little more than pushing the students to work in the next grade level or giving them extra work. Which really isn't what it should be about.

As for the results of your DD's IQ, don't worry about it. She does not need to know it's an IQ test, nor does she need to know the results.

Is it possible for a kid who scores off the chart on standardized tests and gets all A+ in school at a second grade level, to not score high on an IQ test??

I ask because the school called us and would like to test our DD for the gifted program. They said they look at grades first and then recommendation for the teacher. Bottom line is you dont get in unless you have a high IQ.

We never asked for them to test her or to see if she could be tested, so this kind of all jumped at us this week.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I would think really carefully and know what your child would be getting into. No matter the child's tested IQ, I would be very hesitant to put that label on them, and the 'expectations'.

 

[lionpryd]

I'm not sure how the test works, but in Missouri, they also look at how children think when testing for gifted programs. In other words, they can be sharp as a tack, but can they think outside of the box?

As a teacher, I see lots of kids who figure out the "game" of school and work hard to achieve good grades and do well on tests, but have poor critical thinking skills. They are trained how to achieve good grades, but there is sometimes a lag in problem solving skills.

 

[HerdOHuds]

I should also add, after administering countless standardized tests and IQ tests and teaching multiple elementary levels in several school districts for 12 years, my experience is that testing is a crapshoot. I realize that it must be done, but I never thought that any test was really great at giving an accurate picture of the whole student.

Take whatever scores you see with a grain of salt. There are a million different factors in how a test comes out, from the way it is administered to the way the question is presented to if it is a sunny day or a rainy day. Maybe there is simply a fly in the room that is distracting which means that 3/4 of the class doesn't complete the test in time.

 

[mjkacmom]

I totally agree! Our oldest two have been in high ability classes since 1st/2nd grade. They are both in middle school now and we are re-thinking this whole "gifted" class thing. The kids are getting burnt out on school from all the homework and guidelines they must follow. Not to mention they struggle to maintain an A average in class because anything under a B gets them pulled from the class. And the classes arent weighted so DD's GPA is only 3.6 compared to the 3.9/4.0 that other students in regular courses are pulling because they are on the high end of "regular" courses. Colleges look at your GPA and NOT your classes, etc. There was a big thing in the papers recently about our local big 10 colleges raising the bar on acceptance, etc.
My advice is if your DD tests out then go ahead at elementary level and put her in because "gifted" classes are smaller and employ various learning tools not afforded to "regular" classes but once she hits middle school really look at what will be expected and weigh that out before automatically putting her in.
By middle school kids want to have a social life, get involved in school sponsored clubs, etc and if she has 2-4 hours a night of homework that just wont be possible.
Gosh, I hope this helps and doesnt veer to far off the path!

I disagree. My dd is in middle school, in all vector classes, and does have 2 - 3 hours of homework a night, plus many projects. It's the last day of school, and she got straight A's, and still has a social life. If she got a B, she'd be kicked out of the vector class - not the end of the world. However, she worked her butt off to be on high honor roll all year. She's learning skills that will help her in HS, when the grades actually count, since colleges aren't going to see her middle school transcript.

 

[Aisling]

I'm not sure how the test works, but in Missouri, they also look at how children think when testing for gifted programs. In other words, they can be sharp as a tack, but can they think outside of the box?

As a teacher, I see lots of kids who figure out the "game" of school and work hard to achieve good grades and do well on tests, but have poor critical thinking skills. They are trained how to achieve good grades, but there is sometimes a lag in problem solving skills.

This is what I was going to say. I think standardized tests measure what the child has learned and retained, and IQ tests measure thinking skills, things you don't "learn", but the ability to use reason and logic.

 

[ead79]

It's been forever since I was in school (I'm almost 30), but I am happy to tell you about my experience.

My middle school was a small private school, so the only advanced class we had was math. I was enrolled in the advanced class that took Algebra I in 8th grade, and I did just fine and got an A. In middle school I got all A's, and I did very well on standardized tests (e.g. 99th percentile on Iowa Test of Basic Skills).

For high school I went to a very competitive public high school. Based on my middle school grades, my counselor enrolled me in all honors level classes for my freshman year. Based on my IQ test from 8th grade, I was not eligible for the gifted program at my high school. Essentially at my high school, your grades qualified you for the honors classes and your IQ qualified you for the gifted program.

At the time, it really hurt my feelings very badly that I wasn't allowed into the gifted program. In the end though, the gifted classes my high school offered weren't something I would've taken anyway (e.g. radio productions, media productions, etc.). So I decided that I wouldn't let my IQ "get me down" so to speak and figured that hard work would be the best idea.

Despite having an average IQ, I was able to graduate having taken a plethora of honors and AP classes with a 4.1 GPA. I scored a 1300 on my SAT and was able to get into a great college. I scored all 4's and 5's on my AP exams, so I was able to exempt 30 hours (1 full year) of college coursework. I graduated from the University of Georgia magna cum laude.

So if your daughter doesn't qualify IQ-wise, don't let her worry about it for a minute. In the end, hard work can pay off just as well, if not better. I wish I hadn't stressed about it at the time, but it felt like I was being told my good grades were just a fluke. It sounds like your daughter is one smart cookie to me!

 

[Erin1700]

I would think really carefully and know what your child would be getting into. No matter the child's tested IQ, I would be very hesitant to put that label on them, and the 'expectations'.

I think that is why I am hesitant to do the testing. I need to find out if this is the only option to getting her advanced reading. She reads at a 6th grade level and I really think she needs something more than what is offered in 3rd grade. BUT I dont think she is "gifted". Although every teacher and even her swim coach has told me how smart she is and that they constantly see her thinking ahead of things.