Gifted programs: Dover, Wellesley, etc.?

[Whatsnext75]

So basically an average person may not even know their IQ score?

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

So basically an average person may not even know their IQ score?

That's right.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

So basically an average person may not even know their IQ score?

The typical person has no real need to know what their IQ is. Beyond age 18 it's pretty much pointless.

In younger kids, it's mostly used as a tool to identify children with intellectual disabilities, of those with above average intelligence that should be exposed to gifted programs. It's really just a guide, but doesn't really paint a picture of how "intelligent" a person is. I went through the testing as a kid, which got me into gifted programs, but as an adult, I have no idea what my IQ is, and frankly don't care.

What good is a high IQ if the person lacks ambition and drive and just loafs around in life?

[miu]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

Mui is basically referring to black people.

Parents in high income areas might also be too busy working to help their kids with school work. Just because they have money to throw at the school system and give their child the best education doesn't mean they are actually taking the time to sit down with their kid and help them. They might be depending on teachers for this as well.

Wrong. Actually I am referring to low income people of ALL races and cultures. Children look to their parents and those in the media spotlight as their role models. So for those children of low income parents, they just don't understand why they need to work on their academic skills. And many of macho cultures, the AA and Hispanic communities in particular, just aren't impressed with geeks and nerds, but they are impressed with those who are very good looking, well dressed and living large.

Up in NH, one of our neighbors is a white family where only the dad works, and both parents are drunk at home, and their oldest son is basically without any career direction. He's failed to graduate from high school twice and has gotten his girlfriend pregnant, he was working at the local Hannafords, but gave up. I'd say that more money thrown by the taxpayers towards his schooling would be money thrown away. Again, this is a white family.

And parents in high income areas may be too busy to spend time with their children's homework, but their kids can see how having a great education will open the doors to great well paying careers. So a brain surgeon might be working long hours at their hospital, but their children will most likely want to emulate them and go into medicine. Just as police work runs in some families.

[Whatsnext75]

Ok. Mui loves rich people and thinks poor people are ruining the earth.

[Whatsnext75]

There are all different scenarios. My cousin is married to a guy who is an only child and his dad left the mother and him when he was very young, he was never in the picture again after leaving, his mom is crazy, never had much of a career yet he still went to Penn and then MIT for grad school. He has 4 kids, is an amazing dad and it's surprising that he turned out as well as he did considering his upbringing. History doesn't always repeat itself....and not all kids are doomed if their parents arent perfect.

[porterhouse]

When I was in elementary school, back in the 70s-80s, IQ testing was often part of standardized testing.

[Whatsnext75]

Bottom line is this OP is really taking it seriously that her kid was found to have an above average IQ and you know she is going to be thinking about this high IQ for the rest of the kid's life. Why someone living in wellesley cant use wellesley schools is beyond me also.

[johngolf]

The OP's little Einstein going to school with the public riff raff is not acceptable.