How to Tell If Your Child Is Gifted

It's important to note that not all gifted children will exhibit all of these traits, and some may show different combinations of characteristics. If you suspect your child might be gifted, consider having them professionally assessed with a standardized gifted children's test for a more definitive evaluation. 

Cognitive Abilities: 

Advanced Language Skills: Gifted children often display exceptional verbal abilities at an early age. They may: 

• Use complex sentences and have extensive vocabularies 
• Engage in mature conversations beyond their years 
• Show early reading abilities, often teaching themselves to read 

Rapid Learning and Memory-Gifted children typically: 

• Learn and process complex information quickly 
• Have excellent memory, recalling details, facts, and events with ease 
• Grasp new concepts faster than their peers, often needing less repetition 

Problem-Solving and Abstract Thinking-Look for: 

• Advanced problem-solving skills using logic and creativity 
• Early ability to reason abstractly 
• Understanding of complex and abstract ideas beyond their age group 

Personality Traits: Intense Curiosity 
Gifted children often exhibit: 

• An insatiable curiosity about the world around them 
• A tendency to ask thoughtful, probing questions 
• Strong interest in exploring subjects in surprising depth 

Focus and Determination-Watch for: 

• Long attention spans, especially for topics of interest 
• Persistence and determination in completing tasks 
• A need to explore subjects thoroughly 

Emotional Sensitivity-Gifted children may display: 

• Heightened emotional sensitivity and empathy 
• Strong reactions to injustices 
• Unusual emotional depth for their age 

Creative and Imaginative Abilities 

Originality-Look for: 

• Creative problem-solving and imaginative expression 
• Ability to generate original ideas and solutions 
• Enjoyment in coming up with new and unusual ways to do things 

Sense of Humor-Gifted children often have: 

• A mature or quirky sense of humor 
• The ability to understand and create complex jokes or puns 

Social and Behavioral Signs 

Interaction with Others -Gifted children might: 

• Prefer interacting with older children or adults 
• Show leadership abilities and independent thinking 
• Struggle to relate to same-age peers due to different interests or maturity levels 

Perfectionism and Competitiveness-Watch for: 

• High expectations of self and others 
• Strong competitiveness 
• Frustration with their own limitations or perceived failures 

Are you wondering if your child might be gifted or bright? While exhibiting some of the common characteristics of gifted children is a good indicator, high achievement in school can also be a first sign. If you observe both of these traits, consider having your child assessed at school or by a psychologist. 

Congratulations! Your child is gifted and may benefit from specialized testing. This guide will help you effectively support their success on common ability tests, including:

• NNAT & OLSAT: These tests assess a range of cognitive abilities, including verbal, quantitative, and reasoning skills.
• CogAT & CAT4: These closely related tests measure fluid reasoning, knowledge, and quantitative skills.
• MAP: This computer-adaptive test measures academic achievement in key areas like reading, math, and language usage.

Key Prep Strategies:How to help prepare them for gifted testing

1. Familiarization is Key:
   • Understand the Tests: Review the specific format and question types for each test your child will be taking.
   • Read the Study Guides (if available): Familiarize yourself and your child with the concepts and skills assessed.
2. Practice Makes Perfect:
   • Utilize Practice Materials: Work through practice questions and simulations (if available) to build familiarity and confidence.
   • Focus on Problem-Solving: Emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving strategies applicable across different test formats.
3. Create a Positive Learning Environment:
   • Short, Focused Study Sessions: Keep study sessions engaging and avoid burnout.
   • Make it Fun: Incorporate games, puzzles, and real-world examples to make learning enjoyable.
   • Build Confidence: Encourage your child and celebrate their progress.

Often, tests will provide more than one type of score for the same test. Naturally, there are differences in these numbers and knowing how to decipher them and understanding what each mean is important and can sometimes be difficult. If you have trouble interpreting your child's scores upon receiving them, check out TestPrep-Online's NNAT score and OLSAT score pages to gain a better understanding of what your child's score means.