Gifted Test Should My Four Year Old Take It

I say go for it. What do you (or your daughter) have to lose?
My daughter really enjoyed the testing process. To her it was like a game where she was allowed to show off her abilities. Anyway, at that age, I don't think they truly understand what the test is for or what is considered a "good" score. If she qualifies for the gifted program, or even if she doesn't, at least you will have a better idea of her potential and can make more informed decisions about her education in the future!

My oldest daughter was given the same opportunity in pre school. The teachers obviously see something in her to recommend that she take the test. When they go for the test they just sit and talk to a very friendly teacher who gets them to talk and share what they are capable of. I recommend it very highly because if she is advanced she will be terribly board in a regular kindergarten class. The program my daughter had the opportunity to participate in was such a wonderful program and she learned so much that she wouldn't have in regular academic classes. I feel it gave her a start that she wouldn't have had in a regular class and taught her how to excel in school. She is now in High school and is still doing very well in honor and advance placement classes. You have nothing to lose, If she does not get placed in the class she can still have a very normal kindergarten experience, give her a shot!!!

Let her take the test. The results aren't announced in class so the only way she would know the results is through you. Chilcren take so many tests anyway what's another one. If she scores in the range of "giftedness" it would affect the classes she would be in through her elementary school years. Not every child is gifted so you shouldn't feel bad if she turns out not to be--I find that parents are usually the ones who are devastated by this news. Keep pushing and encouraging her. She's 4 yeard old and just starting her education. Give her a chance to see what she can do. BTW, I taught a gifted class before my girls came.

i know that if your child is gifted they should be able to show what they have so they can be placed in the right class if a child is gifted a placed in a class where he is not challenged that child would get bored with the class the work would be to easy for him if he go into a gifted class it would be good for him it would be a challenge let the child knowldge of what he know be exposed

Oops...After all that, I think I neglected to give you the site www.toysofdiscovery.com
B.

My son was in gifted classes at school. Testing began in 1st grade and the kids were pulled out for enrichment. In 3rd grade regular IG pullouts were done.
The philosophy of the IG teacher in charge of the program went like this....when children are very young, they have a wide variety of ability. And by the time 3rd grade comes around, the dust starts to settle and the testing for giftedness is more accurate and the kids sort of settle more into what their abilities are.
Your child may be truly gifted, does she read spectacularly, do math far above her age level? Then by all means, do this.
Let it just be something she does at school. Nonchalant sort of. And it is not failing....Why not just do it without making a huge deal about it? Don't even tell her when the results are back if she doesn't get into the program.
How is was done in my son's school included the IG teacher coming in, doing some light testing with the kids and making some assessments. The regular teacher or parent could also make recommendations for testing.
The IG teacher who headed the program in my town was spectacular. A noted speaker at national meetings. I just loved her.
If your child is truly gifted, you don't want her bored to tears. I have seen this happen to kids who are not challenged. It is too bad.
Because of No Child Left Behind the gifted programs in Connecticut have been cut apart. The towns want all the money to go to the underperformers. And the top kids are left in the dust.
If she does get into the program, read about giftedness. I know that for a basic source, CAG, the Connecticut Assocition for the Gifted has a website for finding resources. It's a start.
Here I have rambled on....anyway. Good luck!

My son will be taking a gifted test next year. He is currently 3 and attends a 3 year old preschool program. His teacher informed me of the gifted program so my husband and I started early and went to meetings on the program and test.

The most important thing is not to tell your child she is taking a test. The day of the test you just simply tell her she is going to go and play in a room for a little bit. The less they know the better. You do not want to create any anxiety for your child.

If she doesn't get accepted , who cares. It is simply a program that is becoming used more to help those gifted children from getting frustrated in school, and hence getting into trouble or dropping out.

I would read over the characteristics they give you to identify a gifted child and decide for yourself if she matches them. There is a difference between a gifted child and a bright child decide for yourself what you feel your daughter is and then go from there. But make sure not to discuss it to your daughter. The less she knows before the test the better.

I just noticed you live in Brooklyn, My husband grew up in Manhattan and took the gifted test at 4 in Manhattan. I think the gifted programs in the city are a lot different now but I thought I would share this with you. My husband took it when he was 4 and his parents were told he was off the charts. His mom was going to put him into the gifted program (she had to go through a lot to do it, which I think has changed for the better). But she viewed a class and the kindergarden teacher screamed at a child for not knowing the answer to a question. She couldn't believe what she witnessed and did not want her son to have the same teacher. So they decided to put him into some of the best private schools in Manhattan. But they didn't have a gifted program, the best private schools in Manhattan but it was all mainstream learning. He always excelled in school but when he reached junior high he started to have problems at school. Everything that he went through were classic examples of a gifted child that gets bored and begins acting out. When I met him he had completed 2 years of college on and off but couldn't get himself to go back. He still claims that being in a classroom makes him physically ill. After reading up on gifted children and the research they have done I finally realized and understood why he could not finish college and why it made him ill. Which is why now that my son is thought to be gifted I am very concerned with his education. He is a lot like his father and I do not wish for him to run into the same problems my husband did. The gifted school here in Buffalo that my son will be testing at next year has some great information on this subject.

Here are the links.
http://olmstedschool.org/home/Olmsted+School/Gifted+and+T...
http://olmstedschool.org/home/Olmsted+School/Gifted+and+T...

good luck!

I don't think there is a pass or fail for a GT test. It is meant to measure what areas she is strongest in, and where she needs improvement. I think it's odd that a preschool would be doing such a test. Usually that's not done until a child is in regular school.

Hi A.! Obviously someone thinks your daughter is smarter than the average kid - not a bad thing at all. You can let her take the test and just tell her that the teachers want to know how much she has learned this year (do not make a big deal about it). When the results come back, you can decide how you want to use them. If she is found to be "gifted" you will know to be aware that she will likely get bored with the regular classroom pace and might do well with more advanced work (sometimes called enrichment). This does not mean that she needs to be shoved into school. Rather it allows you and the teachers to create the best learning situation for her and keep her stimulated and interested. In our elementary school this is handled by keeping the child on the same curriculum as the rest of the class but taking whatever topic they are covering and letting her bring it to a higher level.

Knowledge is power. Think about it, if there was concern that she had a learning disability wouldn't you want to know so she could get the additional help she needs?