Ask an Expert - IQ & Creativity

Increase IQ Level

Q: What is that one important thing I must do to increase my son's IQ level?

A: Unfortunately, there is no single best way to increase one's IQ. It requires a combination of methods and a great deal of effort. See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Increase children IQ Level.

IQ and Creativity testing for children

Q: I am mother of 3 years old daughter. How to test child's intelligence, IQ & creativity at this age?

A: A note on intelligence and IQ. Howard Gardner (1983, a well known name in the study of intelligence today) looks at intelligence from a multidimensional point of view. Gardner suggested multiple intelligences and described seven aspects to be taken in view such as linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal and intra-personal skills. Problem solving is viewed as a key element in each domain. See Dr. Sandhu's answer on IQ and Creativity testing.

Artistic Creativity

Q: My daughter is 3 years and 9 months old. Since about a year ago she has displayed a great deal of artistic talent (at 2 yrs 9 months old she was drawing people with arms and legs and naming them). She draws pictures and labels them specifically, often asking how to spell the word so she can write it on the paper. Today she drew a "couch and chair" which was a striking resemblance of a chair at home, complete with the light that sits behind it.

What type of assessment would you recommend for a child demonstrating
artistic ability at her age?

A: Every child is considered to have creative potential and capable of creative expression, however not to an equal extent. In fact research has indicated that creativity can be enhanced using specific creative programs, which include art-based ones. Your daughter appears to be creative, in this case, artistically creative. See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Artistic Creativity.

IQ Test For Children

Q: Is it possible to be able to correctly test a child of 3 years old IQ?

A: To accurately determine the IQ of individuals of any age group is still questionable. However, it can be a rough indication and there are signs that you can look out for. You may want to view the checklist that I prepared for possible signs of giftedness, which would relate to higher IQ. See Dr. Sandhu's answer on IQ Test for Children.

Terra Nova Test

Q: My daughter turned 5 this past November and is enrolled in a full-day kindergarten program. She is doing well; e.g., she is able to read Hop on Pop almost entirely on her own and understands simple addition. My town imposes a cut-off date for entry into the 1st grade that she does not meet (must be 6 by Oct.1) but I do not want to hold her back. I've been looking into some private schools and some use standardized tests such as terra nova test to determine if she can enter their school. My questions are:

1. Is such testing appropriate at this age?
2. What are your feelings about pushing her ahead?

A: Your daughter is indeed doing very well for her age. I understand that certain policies are quite stringent where cut-off age is concerned to be fair to all. See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Terra Nova Test.

Terra Nova Achievement Test

Q: My son who is seven years old completed Terra Nova testing in school. His scores were in the middle of the 75th percentile across the board. Is this test conclusive on his further educational development? On the other side if a child scored 99% does this merit being gifted or very focused ?

A: Briefly (for readers who are not yet familiar), the Terra Nova is a standardized achievement test designed to provide achievement scores that are valid for most types of educational decision-making. Areas that are assessed are Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Terra Nova Achievement Test.

Reliability of IQ Scores

Q: I'm a 28 year old PhD student in ecology in the USA. I took an IQ test (Wechsler variety for kids) at age 6 and scored a 131. At the time I stuttered badly so the tester suggested I return after speech therapy as my ability to answer questions was compromised at the time. At age 12 I took another Wechsler and scored 144.... Anyway, I was wondering if my earlier scores at age 12 are the most reliable?

A: The intelligence tests available are supposed to be a guide to measure one's general level of intelligence. Different tests measure different skills. Usually standardized tests are said to be the single best predictor of one's level of intellectual capacity. Based on the Flynn's effect, our intelligence should be on the ... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Reliability of IQ Scores over Time.

High IQ Test Score and Possible Learning Disabilities

Q: My daughter is 4 years 3 months. Her nursery teacher suspected she is gifted and recommend an IQ test. Her IQ test shows a score of 120, her scores was pull down as she scores only 20 percentile for her 'visual image' testing. Thus, the tester suspected she might have some learning disabilities.

A: Her scores show that she indeed has above average IQ. An IQ test for any age group should be used a guide to determine strengths and weaknesses so as to improve and develop an individual's potential to the maximum. It should not be regarded as a test to label whether or not an individual is gifted. Accuracy of test scores depend on many factors, most importantly the credibility of the test itself... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Possible Learning Disabilities and High IQ Test Score.

Accuracy of IQ Testing

Q: My daughter was tested for her inborn intelligence and it turns out that it is above average by 51 points. Teacher claimed that she could be gifted due to her observation in class through a series of games and activities for brain training. Hence when an IQ test was administered on her, she has IQ of 100 points, which is average. Teacher claimed she was disappointed as it could be a misjudge. She used TONI 2 test. Will an IQ test for 4 years and 3 months old child be accurate at this point?

A: The TONI 2 (Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, 2nd edition) is a language-free measure of abstract problem-solving ability. This test is free of linguistic, motoric, and cultural factors and can be used for a range of age group; 5 through 85 years of age. Hence, in this case, your daughter is younger than the usual minimum age. For someone with above average inborn intelligence scores, I can understand your concern when her scores were average for the IQ test ... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Accuracy of IQ Testing.

WISC-IV IQ Test

Q: My son recently took the Wesley test to enter the gifted program in his school. He scored an average of 139 with a Math score of 149. According to the tester he was off the chart literally. Where can I find information about the testing and how to deal with a gifted child? We live in Pennsylvania.

A: The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth edition (WISC-IV) is among the most widely used children's intellectual ability assessment today. There are 10 required subtests (5 are supplementary) that yield a Full Scale IQ score and four Composite scores that are; Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed. The Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Reasoning Composites are very good indicators of giftedness (apparently Working Memory and Processing Speed are not).... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on The WISC-IV Test of Intelligence.

Terra Nova Score

Q: My daughter has entered 8th grade this September, she has been put into a Reading/Writing Lab based on her Terra Nova test results (score 682) from 7th grade, that this is an academic intervention. Yet, she was an honor roll student 3 out of 4 semesters and her year end average was 93%....should I been concerned? And can someone please explain to me what is Terra Nova score actually means?

A: The Terra Nova test is a standardized achievement test used to provide consistent, accurate, and objective information about students' achievement in various areas of the curriculum. Being a standardized test, standard testing procedures (with exact directions, time limits, and scoring criteria) ensure that testing conditions are the same for all students. ... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Terra Nova test score

True IQ

Q: I have three children, identical twins 22, and one 16 all boys. They were all diagnosed in school with learning disabilities. The twins verbal IQ's were both 128 but performance IQ was 95. Their disability was in auditory. My youngest verbal IQ is 133 and performance IQ was 91. And he has disability in visual. What is the true IQ? Is it the higher number or somewhere in between?

A: To date, there is no test that can actually predict true IQ. IQ scores are the best possible approximation to predict one's cognitive ability based on what is being tested. In fact it is indeed easier to make an IQ score that is lower than one's true IQ than it is to make a score that is higher..... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on True IQ .

IQ and Standardized Tests

Q: Is there anywhere on the results of the Terra Nova tests whereby I can see what my child's IQ is? Our son has been tested in the past and has an IQ on previous tests of 147. He is in gifted programs etc. When I asked for the IQ on the Terra Nova, I was called and told a number which is not near where he was previously, yet his test results show high levels into the 90 on Terra Nova test. Please advice.

A: To be placed in the gifted program, a child would, on the average, have a composite score of at least 96th percentile on a standardized achievement test, which is usually the Terra Nova that is widely used. See Dr. Sandhu's complete answer on IQ and Standardized Tests

Revealing IQ Scores

Q: Could you tell me why I should or should not reveal my child's IQ score to them? I have someone that would really like to know, but most psychologist advice against this. I just want to know the reasoning against this, since one of the number one gripes of gifted kids is that they don't know what it means to be gifted and that everything about it is almost secretive.

A: Usually, psychologists do not encourage revealing IQ scores to children, unless there is a good reason to, which is not very common apart from perhaps curiosity on the child's part...... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Revealing IQ scores.

Error in IQ Test Scores

Q: Our daughter took the WPPSI at age 4 years and 6 mos. She is now 9 years 5 months. What is the percentage of error in the test scores? Does an individual IQ score change? Why do school districts not recognize IQ as an appropriate measure of giftedness? Any information would be helpful.

A: Usually, the percentage of error in standardized tests is taken into account in the percentile band. The error of measurement here refers to the amount by which the score that is actually observed differs from a hypothetical true score ... See Dr. Sandhu's complete answer on Error in IQ test scores

High IQ: Dealing with Perfectionism

Q: My son is 8 years old and tested in the 99th percentile on the Slosson Intelligence test. He was a late talker. I believe that he does not want to attempt something unless he knows he will do it well. This is becoming apparent in school... If the task in front of him is easy, he willingly sits down and completes it quickly. If the task is difficult, he procrastinates, won't focus, complains and cries. I don't know what to do to help him and I feel he needs to get past this now as it will become more and more difficult for him in the future.

A: Looks like you have a real tough one here! This is actually quite commonly associated with perfectionism among gifted children, which can actually be a good thing up to a certain extent. However, the downside is totally not wanting to do a task if the child feels that s/he is not able to complete the task as well as expected... See Dr. Sandhu's answer on High IQ with perfectionism.

IQ Tests: What other options are there?

Q: My son scored 9.9 on all of the topics on the Terra Nova except for Language. His overall approximate IQ was listed at 141. Can you recommend another type of test so that we can be sure of these numbers? If these numbers are correct, should we will look into the gifted program in our school system as it has been recommended.

A: There are intelligence tests (Terra Nova is an achievement test) such as the WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) which is an excellent IQ test, but it has a general ceiling level for scoring in the 150 IQ range. A WISC is made up of individual subtests. However, it is often recommended that a Stanford-Binet L-M (another very good IQ test) be conducted ... See Dr. Sandhu's complete answer on IQ Tests: What other options are there?

Different IQ Score

Q: My child has achievement score higher than the IQ score. She is classified mentally disabled due to her IQ score. The achievement for Wechsler were: composite scale math 74, written language 89, oral language 88. The Kaufman Assessment Battery achievement composite was 76 (on the brief form it was 81). Her IQ score was lower: verbal 66, performance 68 and full scale of 64 for Wechsler. Is this a significant discrepancy? I think she may have dyslexia. Is that possible?

A: It would not be fair to assume anything without seeing the full report. Different tests may indicate different scores and these scores should not be compared with one another as they may test different abilities. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children is a standardized test that assesses intelligence and achievement in children ... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Different IQ Score here.

Perceptual Reasoning component of the WISC IV

Q: My son scored in the 99.8th percentile on the Perceptual Reasoning component of the WISC IV. What does this mean from a practical standpoint? Are there certain subjects that he will be able to better understand than others? What careers may be suited for someone with this innate ability? Does this mean he is better suited to one learning style over another?

A: The Perceptual Reasoning component of the WISC IV requires visual perception, organization and reasoning with visually presented, nonverbal material to solve the kinds of problems that are not typically taught at school. The PR Index (PRI) accounts of 45% of variance in general intelligence.... See Dr. Sandhu's complete answer on Perceptual Reasoning Component of the WISC IV

Low IQ scores Vs High Average Achievement Scores

Q: What are your thoughts regarding low IQ scores (as determined by the WISC-IV) and solid average achievement scores (as determined by the WJ-III)?

A: It is very hard to determine what may cause high discrepancies in scores without looking at the subset of scores. Most tests vary in their content, appropriateness with different populations, and usefulness as a basis for educational requests. Therefore, it is important that tests (especially individualized) are conducted by a trained and experienced tester who would be able to document the strengths, relative weaknesses and advise on the suitability of a program to cater for the educational needs of the child... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Low IQ scores Vs High Average Achievement Scores here.

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