Expert Advice

School and Learning
Nine-Year-Old Retained TwiceOur expert suspects a learning disability in a nine-year-old, and advises the mother to seek an evaluation by the school.
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Twelve-Year-Old Hates SchoolYour daughter cares less than you do about her success in school, and until she cares there really isn't any way for you to change her.
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Fourteen-Year-Old Doesn't Enjoy SchoolAs long as a teen is handing in his homework and not getting into trouble, his parents should be grateful.
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Effective RewardsIt's not enough simply to reward your child for good grades or behavior. Work with him to decide what the rewards should be.
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Can Color Blindness Affect Gifted Testing?An eye-care practitioner can determine what sorts of specific color combinations would be significant for a child with color blindness.
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Thirteen-Year-Old Boy Is Slow to MatureWhen a child is lagging in his academic developmental level, his parents should ask the school to test him for learning disabilities and then devise an educational plan.
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Seventh-Grader Fails to Turn in HomeworkThere are several things you can do to help your child remember to turn in his schoolwork, but he will have to accept the responsibility.
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Testing Bilingual Kids for GiftednessA psychologist or diagnostician must determine the child's preferred language and conduct a language assessment before proceeding with testing for giftedness.
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Testing a Shy Child for GiftednessTesting young children is a challenge, since they are can be less attuned to the demands of the testing situation.
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OLSAT and Gifted ProgramsThe Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) measures abstract thinking and reasoning ability in students between the ages of 5 and 18.
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Kuhlmann-Anderson IQ TestThe Kuhlmann-Anderson Intelligence Test is a standardized group intelligence test that may be given in grades K-12.
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How Can I Get My Child Tested for Giftedness?If your child is enrolled in a public school, contact her teacher or the principal and ask to have her referred for testing by the school psychologist.
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Minimum IQ and Screening for Gifted ProgramUnfortunately, many schools screen for achievement or intelligence, and do further testing only if the child scores at a high level initially.
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Mean TeachersFind out what you can do when several children in a class are brought to tears by the teacher.
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Unprepared for First GradeFind out what to do when your child's teacher for the new school year has higher expectations than his previous teacher.
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Gifted but Underachieving TeenUnderachievement can have many origins, but there are strategies that help to reverse it.
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Gifted Test Too Difficult?A variety of tests may be given to determine a child's giftedness. Assessors sometimes try to test the limits of a child's knowledge.
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SeatworkAsk a school counselor to observe your child's classroom behavior when he has trouble completing seatwork.
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Big Differences in Daughter's Test ScoresA school psychologist can explain the various tests (e.g., what they are designed to measure), discuss your daughter's performance, and comment on how that is relevant to her current performance.
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Should Gifted Daughter Skip into Middle School?Skipping a child a year means that she will always be one of the youngest students in her class, which may be difficult for her.

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