Gifted Testing for your Children

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - January 21st, 2014

If you or your child’s teacher believes that your child is gifted, there are many advanced-placement, gifted and talented programs out there. These programs are a huge help to gifted students. Not only do they get to experience a classroom full of students on their own level, but they will be challenged by their lessons. Many gifted students feel like misfits, and often under-achieve simply because they’re bored. These Gifted and Talented programs typically have advanced curriculum and an advanced pace for the curriculum. This will challenge your child and help them to stay focused during school.

Gifted and talented children often face alienation from their classmates, teasing and intense boredom with their schoolwork. As wonderful as it is to have a gifted child, coping with these difficulties is stressful for any parent. If you suspect that your child is gifted, having them undergo gifted kids testing may be the smartest decision you’ll make regarding their academic career and their development. You can place them in a program that is suitable for their intelligence level and where they will be surrounded by similar children.

When you think it’s time for a gifted kids test, remember that most gifted, talented and advanced-placement tests are not formatted like typical, everyday school tests. For this reason, test prep is key. Focus on the format instead of the subject matter, since these tests assess innate intelligence much more than learned knowledge. Having a grasp of the format ahead of time will help to avoid anxiety and confusion on testing day. Ask which tests will be given and then find practice questions or study packs online to help familiarize your child.