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How to identify a gifted child

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - May 26th, 2014

This article briefly explains how to identity a gifted child. There are many areas a child may be gifted (i.e. music, art, sports) but being gifted in academics is the easiest to measure when it comes to a very young child. A group IQ test or an IQ test given by a trained psychologist are the primary ways a gifted boy or gifted girl can be identified. So many parents ask themselves “Is my son gifted?” or “Is my daughter gifted?”.

Here are a few of the signs of a gifted child and some of these will be measured on an IQ test like the WPPSI or Stanford-Binet:

Prefers older companions or adults
Has a wide range of interests
Has a great sense of humor
Early or avid reader (if too young to read, loves being read to)
Concerned with justice, fairness
Judgment mature for age at times
Is a keen observer
Has a vivid imagination
Is highly creative
Tends to question authority
Has facility with numbers
Good at jigsaw puzzles
Source: Gifted Development Center, Dr. Linda Silverman, 6

gifted talented boy

When testing younger children there could be issues with the IQ test that is given due to the following:

Too immature
Ear Infections
Eye Tracking Problems
Reflective Thinkers
Gifted in one realm;average in other
Twice Exceptional

Watch the free pre-recorded webinar training below on how to bring out the giftedness in your child!

Or: Sign-up for our FREE webinar on How to Test for Giftedness

gifted talented test girl

There is a debate that suggests that gifted kids more likely to be successful in life but there are some research studies that concluded IQ alone is not a predictor of success in life. A few of these studies include:

Louis Terman Study – “Intellect and achievement are far from correlated.”
Reba Subotnik Study – “Non-intellectual factors” probably matter more.
Liam Hudson – “You are as likely to win a Nobel Prize with a 120 IQ as a 200 IQ.”