What To Consider Before Testing Your Gifted Child

Homeschooling can be overwhelming for any parent, and having a gifted child might feel like more pressure; however, brainstorming what to consider before testing your gifted child can make the process easier. Figuring out whether your child is gifted doesn’t have to be a stressful guessing game because there are plenty of testing options and resources for any gifted child.

Identifying Giftedness

When you are brainstorming what to consider before testing your gifted child, you probably have some level of uncertainty as to what being gifted means. There isn’t a clear-cut answer to this question because every student has different gifts; however, there are a few indicators that can make recognizing a gifted child easier.

One indicator of giftedness is having strong cognitive skills. This includes having a large vocabulary or strong critical thinking skills. Another indicator of giftedness is creativity, such as having a wide range of interests, openness, flexibility, and independence. Affective traits also signify giftedness, such as empathy to others or heightened self-awareness. There are also behavioral indications of giftedness, such as being highly energetic, curious, or eager. If your child displays any of these traits, you should consider testing them for giftedness.

Reasons To Test Giftedness

There are many reasons to test giftedness, but the main reason is that it will give you a better understanding of your child’s learning needs. Knowing your child’s needs will ultimately make homeschooling your child more valuable because you will know what subjects to spend time on. A benefit of testing your gifted child is that it helps identify their strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, the weaknesses of a gifted child can be overshadowed by their strengths in another area or subject. Testing your gifted child ensures you can identify and improve those weaknesses. Lastly, testing can develop their giftedness into a refined talent or skill.

Ways To Test Giftedness

Finding the right gifted child test is important because you want to get accurate results that will optimize your child’s learning. The MAP Growth test is a great option for gifted students because it is designed for a specific grade range yet presents content that is above and below that range. This way, the student is not taking a test at their arbitrary grade level. Rather, they are tested at the level that is right for them. The MAP test is untimed and has many accommodations to accurately assess your child’s academic abilities.

Homeschool Boss makes testing easy for homeschooling families by providing access to high-quality assessments. Within two business days of taking the test, you will receive a detailed report with RIT scores, percentile ranking, the grade level associated with your child’s score, and a whole lot more. At Homeschool Boss, we care about you and your student. We want you to have a stress-free homeschool testing experience that allows you to maximize your child’s learning.