IQ of a Child: How to Determine It in a Playful Way 0 15

The IQ, which reflects the ratio of mental age to chronological age, was first applied in 1916. It is considered that a normal IQ for a developing child is 100. If the IQ reaches 120-135, the child is considered gifted, and if it exceeds 160, they are already a prodigy.

In the 1920s, American scientists began experiments that identified nearly one and a half thousand highly gifted children. They were observed throughout their lives, and it turned out that over the years, prodigies became less distinguishable from their peers. This led to the conclusion that the reliability of such tests is questionable, and long-term predictions about children's giftedness cannot be made based on them.

Consulting psychologist Marina Medvedeva emphasizes: “IQ tests do not objectively show either the degree of giftedness or the potential for intellectual development of a person. They are a set of averaged tasks for a certain age, and their selection depends on the personality of the test creator. The results are related to the child's life experience, their social environment, and the family they grew up in.” Tests are criticized because children from “ordinary” families often show lower results, not due to a lack of potential, but because of a lower level of awareness in their families.

The tasks of the test mainly reveal verbal-logical and abstract thinking, but some children may have a more developed practical intelligence. IQ tests do not take into account that a child who thinks unconventionally may provide an answer that is considered incorrect from a traditional point of view. Emotional tension that children experience during testing is also not taken into account.

Therefore, it is unreasonable to place a “black mark” based on testing. The test lasts only a few minutes, and a deep analysis of the reasons why a child did not answer a particular question is not conducted. Psychologists believe that conducting such tests in regular schools in the middle of the year is inappropriate. It is better to do this in lyceums and gymnasiums during entrance interviews, where the goal of testing is to select children of approximately the same social level and awareness.

Nevertheless, many specialists also doubt the appropriateness of testing when children enter school. Professor Marianna Bezrukikh, director of the Institute of Age Physiology of the Russian Academy of Education, believes that:

There are few reliable tests. Expert assessment methods are more often used, and one specialist is almost always subjective. To be frank, such testing is a way to select “convenient” students. And the school should teach everyone.

Returning to the topic of children's giftedness, it can be said that there are no ungifted children. How much a child's giftedness is revealed primarily depends on upbringing.

Being a prodigy is not always pleasant. Outpacing “average” children in many parameters, gifted children develop unevenly. Often their intellectual development (especially verbal) significantly exceeds their emotional-personal development.

For unique abilities, children sometimes have to “pay a high price.” The fame of many prodigies is often short-lived, and they disappear from sight, failing to meet expectations. Often, parents, hoping for their children's successes, overload them, leaving no time for the joys of childhood, which can lead to physical and mental ailments.

Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor Diana Bogoyavlenskaya believes:

Working with talented children resembles sports competitions: whoever finishes school faster will receive a prestigious award, whoever produces more such students... Some parents drive their children to nervous breakdowns, believing that exhausting activities will help develop their gift.

By forcing a child to live under increased loads, parents may inadvertently hinder the development of their personality and gifts.

There is an opinion that each person is allotted a certain resource of opportunities. Prodigies sometimes squander their talents in childhood and become ordinary people by the age of twenty, which can lead to severe psychological trauma.

Parents should consider whether it is worth depriving a child of a happy childhood for the sake of presumed future achievements. Perhaps it is better to love them as they are and rejoice in any, even the smallest, achievements?

The test proposed below, compiled by psychologists for children aged 7-13, will help determine the degree of your child's talent.

Do not be upset if the test results do not meet expectations, as the little one is changing, and they still have a long way to go. And do not consider them special if the results turn out to be high.

The test creators warn: this test is half-game, half-joke.

Test “Who Tells You Dreams?”

Answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions, then count the points. Each “yes” answer is worth 1 point.

1. Does the child sometimes find unusual uses for any object?

2. Does he change his inclinations?

3. Does he like to draw abstract pictures?

4. Does he like to draw imaginary objects?

5. Does he enjoy fantastic stories?

6. Does he compose stories or poems?

7. Does he like to cut out intricate figures?

8. Has he ever done something he didn’t know about, or something that doesn’t exist?

9. Does he often wish to redo something to his taste?

10. Is he afraid of the dark?

11. Has he ever invented a new word?

12. Did he consider this word understandable without explanations?

13. Has he tried to rearrange furniture according to his own reasoning?

14. Was this idea successful?

15. Has he ever used an item for a purpose other than its intended use?

16. Could your child, when very small, guess the purpose of different objects?

17. Is he independent in choosing clothes and hairstyle?

18. Does he have his own inner world that is inaccessible to others?

19. Does he seek explanations for things he does not yet understand?

20. Does he often ask for explanations of phenomena around him?

21. Does he like to read books without illustrations?

22. Does he invent his own games or entertainments?

23. Does he remember and recount his dreams or experiences?

Results

From 20 to 23 points: the child is very clever, capable of having their own point of view on the surrounding world.

From 15 to 19: the child does not always discover their abilities. They are resourceful and clever only when interested in something.

From 9 to 14: considerable cleverness, sufficient for many fields of knowledge where a personal viewpoint is not essential. However, much is lacking for engaging in creative activities.

From 4 to 8: your child shows creative thinking only when achieving an important goal for them; they are more inclined towards practical activities.

Less than 4 points: the child lacks inventiveness, but they can achieve success as a good performer even in complex professions.