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Is My Child Gifted?

Student building blocks

There are multiple Qualifying Criteria for THINK! that include:
  • IQ 130 or higher on the Stanford Binet or Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). Referrals for licensed psychologists are available from the District plus parent completion of Thing My Child Likes to Do survey provided by the HUSD Gifted and Talented Education Department. 
  • CogAT scores of 97th percentile or higher on Verbal, Quantitative and NonVerbal and teacher evaluation using the Renzulli Scales for Reading and Mathematics plus parent completion of Things My Child Likes to Do survey provided by the HUSD Gifted and Talented Education Department. 
 
Is my child gifted?

Identifying a young child as gifted is tricky and certainly does not look the same in any two children. We do know however, that parents and caregivers are outstanding resources for schools and can help share behaviors they observe in the children they are raising. While not always present, young gifted children tend to show early signs of their advanced abilities. Below are behaviors commonly found in young gifted children. We encourage families to relate the behaviors below to their child.  

When you think about your child, are they:
 
  • highly inquisitive
  • highly talkative
  • highly curious
  • aware of how others are feeling
  • very interested in books and reading and finding answers there
  • bossy
  • creative
  • cleverly manipulative
  • perfectionistic; even obsessed about developing own skills
  • interested in strategy and application of rules
  • dismissive and annoyed at others who don’t “get it”
  • interested in mature subjects but can be frightened by their own lack of perspective (e.g., natural disasters are both fascinating and frightening)
  • introverted
 
Do they:
 
  • have a long attention span
  • escape into their own imaginary world
  • love to debate and reason or argue
  • need to know “why” before complying?
  • throw a fit or tantrum especially when thwarted in doing something his/her own way to completion
  • understand how to do many things on the computer/iPad/smart phone/video games/keyboarding
  • play games, puzzles, and toys that are state an age range twice their own or more
  • become fearful of what they don’t understand, tend to think ahead and worry
  • show interest in how and why; ask questions and listen to answers unlike most age-mates
  • have intense interests
  • read simple books or even chapter books almost spontaneously before they are five
  • grasp number concepts and mathematical reasoning naturally
  • compete with older children and adults while playing board games or card games
  • have a huge vocabulary or huge memory for facts, events and/or information
  • reason abstractly and love concepts and theorizing
  • feel the need to engage others in meaningful and intelligent conversation about the things that interest them

 Yes! I believe my child fits these traits and I'm ready to apply.