News Herald – Juliann Talkington
There are gifted programs, gifted and talented programs, profoundly intelligent programs…. The key to admission is an intelligence (IQ) test. Many parents fret about getting their young children into these programs and kids feel pressure to perform on the tests. But, is it worth it?
Intelligence testing has been around for years. In the mid-20th century the Stanford-Binet IQ test was in vogue. Individuals who scored well on this test received special accommodations. According to follow-up studies, none of these students went on to claim a Nobel Prize. In fact, William Shockley, the Nobel Prize winning inventor of the transistor and founder of Fairchild Semiconductor, scored too low to be part of a special program for gifted children.
The correlations appear no better today. For example, the College Board, the multimillion dollar organization that designs and administers the SAT test, wants us to believe there is a significant correlation between high scores on their tests and success later in life. We all know people with nearly perfect SAT scores who went on to obscurity and students who struggled on this test and became very successful.
According to Robert Sternberg, former professor of psychology and education at Yale University, traditional intelligence tests assess analytical and verbal skills, but fail to measure creativity, practical knowledge and leadership ability – skills critical for life success.
So what can you do about your child’s education? First, make sure he or she is in an environment with high expectations. The program should provide a broad, well-balanced education, not one that allows a child to stop taking math in the eighth grade, for example, because the child is an “artistic” genius.
Insist on a program that is accelerated. Then be critical of what the program teaches. According to Trends in the International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) test results, the best-educated US children are years behind the most advanced children in Asia and Europe.
Finally, be careful what you communicate. John Messervey, a consultant who counsels families on educational matters, says you should never tell a child he or she is smart. Instead talk about success in terms of hard work. For example, “I’m pleased you worked hard enough to get the best grade on the test.”
In short, seek out the best and broadest education available, remind your child of the importance of hard work, and encourage activities that teach creativity and leadership. Then let the rest happen!