Parents' Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education: All You Need to Know to Make the Right Decisions for Your Child

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0977109852 ISBN 13: 9780977109852

Publisher: Parent Guide Books, 2006

Parents of brainy kids can understand what’s behind IQ testing and selection for special school programs with this guide to gifted education. Written by an IQ specialist, this guide details the history of IQ tests and how they measure intelligence, and familiarizes parents with signs of giftedness they can look for in their own children. Acknowledging that some bright and gifted kids can reach their full potential in a regular classroom, a detailed analysis of how gifted programs work helps parents decide which gifted programs, if any, are right for their children. A section on twice-exceptional, or “2E” kids, shows parents how to recognize signs of learning disabilities in their otherwise bright or achieving kids and how to access school support for those particular problems.

From the Publisher:

Parents' Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education is the only book written specifically for parents who need to understand gifted testing and gifted programming so that they can make informed decisions for their children.

If your child is being tested for a gifted program, or if you're just trying to understand what gifted education is all about, you need information. In fact, when it comes to making educational placement decisions for your child you should know as much as teachers, principals, school psychologists, or anyone else.

This book gives those with little or no background in IQ testing and gifted education a close look at how the system of screening, testing, and programming really works. This is where you'll find the direct answers and specific advice you need to make the right decisions for your child.

In this book you'll find straight forward answers to the questions parents ask most...

- Who gets tested and why?
- Are gifted programs right for my child?
- What are the potential drawbacks to a gifted placement?
- What are the signs of giftedness and why should I know?
- What do IQ tests measure?
- What do IQ scores mean?
- How do learning problems like ADHD affect IQ scores?
- Are IQ scores always accurate?
- What score is needed for placement in a gifted program?
- Do all districts use these same cut-off scores?
- Are there circumstances where a child should be tested before starting school?
- Why is my high-achieving child not being considered for the gifted program?
- If my child is tested again in a year or two, is the score likely to be the same?
- I don't think the score is accurate. Should I get a second opinion?
- How much will it cost to get a private assessment?
- Who is qualified to administer IQ tests and how do I find them?
- What kind of IQ test should I ask for?
- Is there a downside to having a high IQ?
- Why do some kids with high IQ's seem to have social problems?
- What does "optimal IQ" mean?
- What special programs are available for bright kids with learning problems?

...And much more

Some bright or gifted kids can reach their full potential in a regular school program - but some need a different kind of learning experience to blossom.

Schools recognize this. So do parents, researchers, and specialists who advocate for this sometimes overlooked group.

If you think you have one of these kids, you need to get informed so that you can find the support your child needs.

About the Author:

Dave Palmer, PhD, is an educational psychologist who has administered hundreds of IQ tests to children of all ages and abilities. He is a former assistant professor of education at California State University–Los Angeles. He lives in Lakewood, California.