Suitable Program for a Gifted Child
By Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D
Q:
I have an eight year old daughter who is very well spoken
and enjoys learning. She is not very active she much rather
have her nose in a book. She is very creative and is
consistently asking questions about everything. I am
concerned because I have been trying to make the schools
realize that she is bright and needs to be challenged but no
one seems to understand that. She was in second grade
reading on a fifth grade level, her math skills are
advanced, and almost every test she has taken she has
received a perfect score. Her spelling is so far ahead that
last year I was getting her spelling words out of the
Dictionary for her. She does not really fit in to class
because the kids pick on her because she is so smart. I have
tried everything and I wanted to find out how to go about
getting her IQ tested so that someone would find the right
place for her in the educational system.
A: Your daughter does sound
gifted and it's such a shame that she is not fitting well in
her class. This is such a typical case of a bright kid in a
dull classroom. Other kids are picking on her simply because
they may see her as being different from them and may not
understand her nature and needs.
It is quite strange that the school is not doing anything
especially if she is performing way ahead of her peers.
Perhaps, the school may not even understand what giftedness
is – which is not surprising since awareness may not be as
wide spread as expected and schools tend to deal with the
majority rather than the minority.
I believe the first step is to get her tested to see her IQ
level. You would need to see an educational psychologist in
your area who does intelligence testing who would be able to
suggest a suitable test. For her age group, she could be
tested on the WISC-IV or the Standford-Binet series. The
scores would give you an indication on where she stands on a
standardized IQ test and the psychologist may be able to
help identify her strengths and weaknesses and advice on
what could be best for her educational needs. Perhaps, with
the scores (especially with high scores), you may be able to
approach the school as well. It is also likely that the
school may not be able to cater for the needs of such
students; so you may need to look around for other schools
that are more suitable.
If there isn't a suitable program in your area, and moving
is not possible, you, as a parent, would need to put in a
lot of effort in helping her advance further. Look around
for gifted association in your area or parents support
network. It is amazing how much help you can get from others
who may be experiencing similar concerns. To better equip
yourself, there is a host of materials on the internet for
you to read and understand. Hope that helps a little. Here's
wishing you all the best!
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