CogAT score wasn't high enough for gifted group

Parenting and Education (Other) After Early Learning
1

My daughter (age 7 and in first grade) didn’t score high enough on the CogAT test to get into our school’s gifted and talented program. I started early learning just before she turned 2 yrs old. She began sight reading immediately at 23 months old. When she started kindergarten at age 5, her teacher told me she was reading on a third grade level. She is very self motivated. For example, last year, she wanted to understand understand multiplication so she played an multiplication iPad app just enough to beat the first level and earn a medal. Then once she understood multiplication, she was interested in something else so stopped playing the game. Now I’m not sure if she can multiply anymore. It is difficult to get her to do as I wish. She likes to figure things out for herself and hates demonstrating skills for me. She came across a letter written in script recently and began instantly writing in script without any instruction. She has been a self guided learner since about 3.5 year old. She has no patience for formal lessons so I just provide her with interesting materials and experiences. Obviously, I think she is gifted. She scored high on the CogAT (in the 87%) just not in the gifted range. She is bored at school, and entertains herself by helping a struggling classmate. Outside of school, she plays with and relates better to older kids including a gifted 11 yr old. Not sure what I should do? Our gifted program isn’t suppose to be great anyway. Currently she is in a gifted cluster (an informal grouping of the school’s gifted kids that meets sporadically for more challenging work). But in second grade, the gifted group is formally defined per CogAT test scores and regularly gets more challenging work. I wish I could afford private education. Is anyone out there having a similar experience? I believe the school will view her her as a high achiever but not gifted. Maybe I shouldn’t care and just be grateful for less homework so she will have more time for her own private intellectual pursuits.

Lori

2

Hi Lori,

Hugs to you! I am sure your daughter is sweet and spectacular regardless of what the “test” says. Just keep nurturing her at whatever level she is, and that is the very best thing you can do regardless of the school’s opinion. I appreciate you sharing your experience here with us.

3

I really think that in the end, early learning is not about making sure our kids pass tests, but showing them learning can be exciting, and making something difficult (like math and reading) easier to do so that frustration does not kill the excitement. The fact that she is self- guided puts her above most of her classmates, who learned nothing until they were “forced” to at school, and rely on the “carrot or stick” style of motivation to pursue knowledge. The best thing you can do for her is show her new ways to get information, so that she can be more self-reliant and maybe one day, not even need to get a “degree” to find her own first-class education and be a huge success (ala Steve Jobs)!

4

Have you looked into the testing mom’s website? Your obviously bright daughter might just need to be taught how to take the test. I believe several parents on this site have used her site and were pleased.
Here is her like to Cogat section:

http://www.testingmom.com/blog/practice-questions-for-the-cogat-test/

5

Thanks for advice. Sorry I never responded back. At first I was worried then I decided it doesn’t matter. Actually less homework is a big bonus because my daughter will have more free time for her own intellectual pursuits. Ironically there was a possibility that she was being assigned to the gifted classroom anyway. However I called the principal and opted out. Other parents told me that the second grade gifted room teacher was demanding and emotionally unsupportive.
Thanks again, Lori