online IQ test

[Brooke3193]

Is there some sort of free/cheap IQ test that my dd (1st grade) can take online or that I can order and administer myself? This is for my own use so I don't need it to be "official" in the sense that someone else needs to believe it is credible. But, I do want it to be accurate enough that it provides *me* with an accurate assessment of my dd's abilities.

(I've given her some of the placement tests on some of the curriculum sites. But, those have been just reading ability...not math or reasoning or IQ or whatever.)

[JenneinAZ]

There aren't any online IQ tests that are worth anything. In order to get a score that is meaningful the test needs to be done in a certain manner. Online isn't it.

If you are looking to find a way of figuring out what level to teach to then give the placement test for that curriculum. (Check Saxon, Singapore, Teaching Textbook or someone else for math.) IQ tests are not going to help you figure out placement issues. Even the official IQ tests don't do that. And the folks online here are likely more knowledgeable about curriculum than any educational psychologist I have ever met.

[zaichiki]

There aren't any online IQ tests that are worth anything. In order to get a score that is meaningful the test needs to be done in a certain manner. Online isn't it.

What she said!

And in addition to that... those on-line IQ tests meant for adults aren't anywhere near accurate either. A friend sent dh and I a couple of links for kicks. One night we had nothing to do... and so we thought we'd try them and see what was up. Entertainment purposes only! Talk about an overestimate! Ha! Yeah... that's us... the smartest people on the planet!

[Brooke3193]

I'm not looking for placement tests. I've got that figured out as well as I'm going to before we actually get started. (Although, I do think I will have her try a math one.)

I guess I was hoping to find something to either confirm or deny my suspicions of giftedness in the privacy of my own home before deciding whether I wanted to do any official testing.

I really think my dd is gifted, but then I'm her mom. :) If I am right, I am overwhelmed about what that could mean given our educational choices (or lack of). I do not know where to go for information. Googling seems to lead to as many questions as it does answers, so I gave that up months ago.

[zaichiki]

II really think my dd is gifted, but then I'm her mom. :) If I am right, I am overwhelmed about what that could mean given our educational choices (or lack of).

First of all, you're her mom, right? You know what she needs. You've been educating her so far. Whether you have a number or not, you're still meeting her needs. Those needs won't change if you get a number.

Okay. That said, I *did* get my kids tested (WPPSI and WISC IV) when they were younger. The biggest reason was so that I could stop doubting myself. I thought they were pretty quick learners, but "I was their mom" and they were probably just typical and I was probably just kidding myself that they were anything else. Ummm... yeah. I *did* learn a whole lot about my kids strengths and weaknesses, actually. I had suspected that ds was a strong visual learner and dd was a strong auditory learner, but now I know why. I have a lot more information from those subtests. And... it was good to get an overview of my children's strengths and weaknesses from a more objective "third party."

As it ended up, I didn't change any of the curricula or techniques I used to teach the kids. I AM a whole lot more confident, though, that I DO know my children and that I CAN handle this.

Not sure if that helps?

[melmichigan]

If your DD has had standard normed achievement tests with scores above the 95% then you have good reason to believe she is gifted. :001_smile: My oldest is GT and we just started the process of testing the twins. I figure we will eventually have them all tested so there won't be a question and since younger siblings often go unrecognized. A lot of the information is helpful but it doesn't change the child. ;) And if it helps, for us it only made things scarier!:lol:

Also wanted to add that the best testing age is between 6-8, 9 on the high side.

[Brooke3193]

If your DD has had standard normed achievement tests with scores above the 95% then you have good reason to believe she is gifted. :001_smile: My oldest is GT and we just started the process of testing the twins. I figure we will eventually have them all tested so there won't be a question and since younger siblings often go unrecognized. A lot of the information is helpful but it doesn't change the child. ;) And if it helps, for us it only made things scarier!:lol:

Also wanted to add that the best testing age is between 6-8, 9 on the high side.

This is all interesting. dd1 is above the 95% on her standardized tests. In the past, I always considered her bright, but not necessarily gifted. DD2, the one I'm talking about has never been tested. But, I've always said dd2 is "smarter" than dd1. And, all of the research I've been doing on DD2's behalf has led me to feel guilty about overlooking dd1's possible giftedness (kind of the opposite of your concern about younger siblings going unrecognized.

And, for those of you who pointed out that testing and its results don't change the child....I get this. I've often told myself that it doesn't really matter. But, I believe that it can matter. Just like it can be beneficial to identify a learning disability so it can be addressed, I think giftedness needs to be addressed. I think that it can be painful for a child if their giftedness isn't recognized (not in an award way, but in an educational strategy way). I also think that if giftedness isn't "used," it can become like a wedding gift that never gets used....it sits in the back of a closet collecting dust. It's still there, but it (and it's potential) is forgotten. That, to me, is so sad (for the child and for our society).

[AK_Mom4]

You can pay for testing from a child psychologist. We had some neighbors that went that route when they felt the school psychologist had done a poor job testing their child.

Another story - All our kids have been IQ tested. The 3 older for admittance to the gifted program in public school. Kid #4 we had tested because we decided to homeschool her due to some "problems" she was having in public school. The problems were all related to her being very asynchronous. The tests helped us pinpoint her strong and weak points and have made it much easier to tailor her curriculum for her.

[Elisa]

You might want to check with your school district to see if they will administer the IQ test. Where I live, homeschool and private school children are eligible with a written request from the parent.

[Brooke3193]

These tests that you are referring to....do they have a name? And, is there a particular kind of psychologist that does them, or a certification I should make sure they have?

I probably can't afford to have it done. I think the local university does it, but it costs hundreds....not in the budget for a long time.

And, thanks for everyone's input.

[Elisa]

The two big IQ tests are the WISC-IV and the SB5. This page on Hoagies has a lot of info on testing:
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/testing.htm

[melmichigan]

Many school districts use the Woodcock-Johnson (WJ) which can be achievement and brief ability. This test can be given by those qualified but not a psychologist so it is often much less expensive if paying on your own. For example on http://www.brewertesting.com/woodcock_johnson.htm you can spend $55 for the WJ and then add the Kaufman, which is a brief IQ tests also used by schools for an additonal $45. The WISC and SB tests are administered by a psychologist and much more costly unless covered by insurance. Fortunately for us it is covered 100% under our insurance, which I understand is quite rare.

I do agree that testing is beneficial, what I ment by- it doesn't change the child is more along the lines that often those of us questioning gifted IQ recognize it and are in denial. So, the child doesn't change but our view of the child can change. I knew my DD was smart, but has no idea how smart she actually is and what her potential for learning is until we got her tested. I also think I understand her a little more after reading more about how intelligence can impact a child in so many areas of life.

[zaichiki]

And, for those of you who pointed out that testing and its results don't change the child....I get this. I've often told myself that it doesn't really matter. But, I believe that it can matter. Just like it can be beneficial to identify a learning disability so it can be addressed, I think giftedness needs to be addressed. I think that it can be painful for a child if their giftedness isn't recognized (not in an award way, but in an educational strategy way). I also think that if giftedness isn't "used," it can become like a wedding gift that never gets used....it sits in the back of a closet collecting dust. It's still there, but it (and it's potential) is forgotten. That, to me, is so sad (for the child and for our society).

I believe I also mentioned that the results don't change the child. I didn't intend to say that it doesn't *matter* but that you're probably *already* meeting your child's needs. A child really doesn't have to be identified as gifted to have their educational needs met at home. Here's an example.

We had ds tested with the WISC IV by a local psychologist when he was 7. Before he was 7, though, he was not "identified by a number." He learned to read pretty much on his own at 4. I did run him through Hooked on Phonics because I was sure there'd be gaps if I didn't, but each time we did a lesson he would just read/recite it all to me, rushing through to get it over with or he'd stare out the window. It was obvious to me at the time that he wasn't learning anything new. So... I made sure (library, book stores, Sonlight curriculum books) that he had books he could read that were more advanced -- at the level he wanted/needed. Ds was only 5, but we did SL's core 1 anyway, because he was *obsessed* with Ancient history. He was working on Singapore Primary Math's year 2 before the typical age. Because he was ready. I didn't need a score to meet his needs.

That said -- I'm glad I did the testing for *this* child. I found out that his being a strong visual learner was true. He has a nearly photographic visual memory. But his sequencing ability was only just barely in the normal range (very close to below normal score). And his working memory was also below average. I discovered that he was compensating BIG TIME and it gave me permission to be more patient in the areas I knew he was struggling (mental math and learning to sightread the way his cello teacher was trying to teach him by memorizing the notes in order and then reciting them *backwards* -- he really couldn't do that). So, for this child, testing was fabulous.

My second child was tested at 4, just as she was learning to read. I'm SO glad she was "identified" with a number because she ended up struggling more than I expected with learning to read. If I didn't *know* she was gifted, I probably would have just sighed and taken this as "proof" that she wasn't really gifted and it was just my imagination. Instead, I already had the number, so I knew something just didn't add up. Her number was nearly the same as her brother's (the kid who was reading chapter books at 5). So, I had the confidence to follow up on this until I found out that dd has dyslexia. I would probably never had known that if I didn't have the confidence, given to me by that number, to go further investigating her reading struggles. Of course, dd was compensating, too, so although she has struggled with dyslexia, she would probably have blended right into the average first or second grade classroom (in reading) when she was 6 and 7.

So, again, I think you can be sure that needs will be met without being identified. However, you can also be certain that in SOME cases (2E), that number can really help. Of course, if a child is in the schools, being identified is important to help needs be met.

[Brooke3193]

Thank you for the additional info. And, I hope I didn't sound argumentative. I have a bone to pick with people not respecting the *needs* of gifted children....but that bone is not with anyone here. I apologize if any of my frustration with people IRL came across here.

[JenneinAZ]

You don't sound argumentative. You sound like a concerned mom who is trying to do the best for her children. I hope you find what you are looking for.

[melmichigan]

Sounds like a concerned mom to me, just wanted to clarify. :001_smile:

In our case my DD's testing helped cement the fact that she was struggling with fiction and writing because of her problems with pragmatics. The school at the time kept saying that she wasn't "putting forth the effort" or "trying hard enough" with the thought that she wasn't interested. My DD is 2E as well, and testing showed that clearly. Being able to understand where she was academically and intellectually allowed me the confidence to pull her from public school because they weren't going to do anything and to keep my younger children from the same experience.