I have been doing some research and apparently the VCI & PRI are much more indicative of giftedness. Is this true? If so, is her IQ likely closer to 130 than 120? The psychologist who tested her said she was 100% accurate but worked slowly on the coding & symbol search subtests. My daughter is a perfectionist so this does not surprise me. She has many gifted qualities. She also took the Woodcock-Johnson III achievement test; her Academic Knowledge score was 133, placing her in the 99 percentile. Is she bright or gifted? Would it serve any purpose to retest her in a few years?
It is true that the main indicators are the VCI and PRI, but to determine giftedness in general, usually the full scores are used in most programs. In this case, it is hard to determine if her scores would be closer to 130 just by looking at the VCI and PRI. You can retest her after a couple of years once you have worked on her strengths and weaknesses and help her develop her potentials better.
For now, what is important is not whether she is gifted or bright; but to work on her weak areas and help her strengthen her strong areas.
You may also want to take a look at the chart below to see the fine differences between high achievers (bright), gifted learners and creative thinkers. Above average children may fall in any of these categories:
| A High Achiever... |
A Gifted Learner ... |
A Creative Thinker .... |
| Remembers the answers |
Poses unforeseen questions |
Sees exceptions |
| Is interested |
Is curious |
Wonders |
| Is attentive |
Is selectively mentally engaged |
Daydreams; may seem off task |
| Generates advanced ideas |
Generates complex, abstract ideas |
Overflows with ideas, many of which will never be developed |
| Works hard to achieve |
Knows without working hard |
Plays with ideas and concepts |
| Answer the questions in detail |
Ponders with depth and multiple perspectives |
Inject new possibilities |
| Performs at the tops of the group |
Is beyond the group |
Is in own group |
| Responds with interest and opinions |
Exhibits feelings and opinions from multiple perspectives |
Shares bizarre, sometimes conflicting opinions |
| Learns with ease |
Already knows |
Questions: What if.... |
| Needs 6 to 8 repetitions to master |
Needs 1 to 3 repetitions to master |
Questions the need for mastery |
| Enjoys the company of age peers |
Prefers the company of intellectual peers |
Prefers the company of creative peers but often works alone |
| Understands complex, abstract humor |
Creates complex, abstract humor |
Relishes wild, off-the-wall humor |
| Grasps the meaning |
Infers and connects concepts |
Makes mental leaps: Aha! |
| Completes assignments on time |
Initiates projects and extensions of assignments |
Initiates more projects that will ever be completed |
| Is receptive |
Is intense |
Is independent and unconventional |
| Is accurate and complete |
Is original and continually developing |
Is original and continually developing |
| Enjoys school often |
Enjoys self-directed learning |
Enjoys creating |
| Absorbs information |
Manipulates information |
Improvises |
| Is a technician with expertise in a field |
Is an expert who abstracts beyond the field |
Is an inventor and idea generator |
| Memorizes well |
Guesses and infers well |
Creates and brainstorms well |
| Is highly alert and observant |
Anticipates and relates observations |
Is intuitive |
| Is pleased with own learning |
Is self-critical |
Is never finished with possibilities |
| Gets A's |
May not be motivated by grades |
May not be motivated by grades |
| Is able |
Is intellectual |
Is idiosyncratic |
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