I do think she’s bright because I think ALL young children are bright! But like you, I wondered what else is on this test. My first thought? If it’s only what is written in this article, then half of the BrillKids babies should be admitted into Mensa! But these are industry standard IQ tests that do not incorporate reading skills at this age, so it must be more spatial reasoning, compare & contrast, recognition and so forth.
I am not particularly pro-IQ testing. They say if the child is being stimulated accordingly, there are no benefits to the label. But G & T programs are supposedly easier to enter in K level when the pool is wide open, versus later in the elementary years when spaces may only open up as kids move away or change schools. (This will vary by public/private and school districts of course). Even so, that would not occur until right before school begins.
And Tracy, you are very right, if not stimulated further, I too believe she will likely most not continue to progress, or at least as rapidly as she has during the brain building years.
From everything I have read:
-IQ does not stabilize until later elementary age (7-8ish if I remember correctly) so preschool entry IQ tests for elite institutions are semi-invalid to begin with. But when accepted, the kids will receive a higher quality education which will in turn “make” them intellectually superior if they were not already in the first place. Like Suzuki teaches with no admittance tests, all children can excel to their full potential if simply given an opportunity.
-IQ scores can be paid for depending on who you hire to do the test. Like any field, this kind of thing exists. I am certainly not saying all are invalid or implying that this one was (On the contrary, I believe it was as legitimate as the test itself is), but this was something discussed in Nurture Shock or Hot House Kids, I forget which. Some affluent parents feel a “need” their kids to get accepted to the “right” schools, and this is one way to ensure it happens.
-IQ scores can be dependent on mood and people test differently if they are happy and/or motivated (even bribed!) to do well.
-The teacher’s/parent’s perception of the child’s IQ plays a MUCH bigger role than we think.
I am in the middle of a book now called “The Happiness Advantage” which discusses a study on supposed IQ tests. Here’s a fascinating excerpt:
...One of the most well-known psychology experiments ever performed. A team of researchers led by Robert Rosenthal went into an elementary school and administered intelligence tests to the students. The researchers then told the teachers in each of the classrooms which students- say Sam, Sally, and Sarah- the data had identified as academic superstars, the ones with the greatest potential for growth. They asked the teachers not to mention the results of the study to the students, and not to spend any more or less time with them. (And, in fact, the teachers were warned they would be observed to ensure they did not.) At the end of the year, the students were tested again, and indeed, Sam, Sally, and Sarah posted off-the-chart intellectual ability.
This would be a predictable story, except for an O. Henry type twist at the end. When Sam, Sally, and Sarah had been tested at the beginning of the experiment, they were found to be absolutely, wonderfully [i]ordinary[/i]. The researchers had randomly picked their names and then lied to the teachers about their ability. But after the experiment, they had in fact turned into academic superstars. So what caused these students to be out of the ordinary? Although the teachers said nothing to these children and had spent equal amounts of time with everyone, two crucial things had happened. The belief the teachers had in the students' potential had been unwittingly and non-verbally communicated. More important, these nonverbal messages were then digested by the students and transformed into reality.
This phenomenon is called the Pygmalion Effect: when our belief in another person's potential brings that potential to life...The expectations we have about our children, co-workers, and spouses - whether or not they are ever voiced- can make that expectation a reality.</blockquote>
Another interesting article (particularly the section on Early Development of Reading):
http://giftedkids.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=giftedkids&cdn=parenting&tm=3&f=10&tt=14&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10124.aspx
I am content to just go on and educate my kids knowing they are bright without a label, whether they “deserve” one or not is irrelevent. They have MY LABEL of being the absolute most wonderful, favorite kids in the world. But this article did make me do a double take and wonder how “Doman kids” would stack up. But it goes against everything I think I believe in, and against what I believe is good for the child. Interesting article nonetheless.