Gesell testing for kindergarten readiness? - Page 2

[Freeman]

I should also add that when we applied to another school, he was tested using a more academic type test with analogies, etc. (I can't remember the name of the test.) He did really well on the test, and the school pronounced him "ready for kindergarten" based on the results. My point is that I don't find the Gesell test to be absolutely determinative of whether the child will do well in school. That said, if he hadn't been so far ahead academically, I might have given the Gesell test more weight. As I recall, the main issues the Gesell tester noted were talkativeness and pencil grip. Talkativeness will always be an issue with my very extroverted ds, I suspect. As far as the pencil grip, it didn't seem to me to be a good enough reason not to start kindergarten. IMO, you have to take academic readiness into account. Die-hard Gesell test fans will tell you that developmental readiness is more important than academic readiness, but it has to be balanced, IMO. If you have a kindergartner who already knows the "end of the year" K skills and wants to start school, why is it necessarily a better idea not to start school? Good luck to all of you going through the process!

[jackieomy]

Most schools use the Dial/Gessell etc.. entrance exams as ways to see where your child stands among other testers and a WPPSI (psychological/IQ), I am an administrator for a private school and have been giving the Dial for over 7 years.  It makes no sense to just show up and take the test without having worked at least a few practice tests. Your child may know the material inside out and backwards that you taught at home like the alphabet, numbers, colors, concepts, physical/spacial relations etc.. but if the test format confuses your child or makes them feel uncomfortable, they will not do as well as they potentially could. If your child is applying to a competitive school, an excellent test score might be one of the deciding factors in his/her favor.

An app called Smarty Test Prep (Apple store) spells it out for a parent to help the child with a piece by piece practice test otherwise you have to try and get the material from a teacher you know really well or pay in the thousands of dollars to buy the tests from the developers.

[DeniseOT]

Hi dear mothers,

I am a mother as well, but also an occupational therapist. If you have a Gesell test come out low in development, I highly recommend an occupational therapy evaluation from a Pediatric OT.  I can't tell you how much it can help your child. So often behavioral problems as well are not from behavior. There are a myriad of sensory development challenges that many people have, have grown up with, but could have been helped early on to assist in facilitating balancing areas that are not as developed as others. It has nothing to do with intelligence. 

A good book is The Out of Sync Child. Now your child may be minor, may not have major issues, but it is very informative on small things you may notice that can really give you insight.  Also http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/ and there is a checklist. Even if there are a few things, this site will give you information. 

The beautiful thing that some of the treatment includes deep pressure (like big hugs with pressure), exercise with weight-bearing, so trampolines are the BEST!  But way more and ways to do a "sensory diet" which has to do with certain types of activities to help develop the nervous system and assist the child in coping with all the sensory input they experience in the environment from tactile, to auditory to visual to vestibular (really a sense of body in space and positioning).

Light touch on some kids actually "hurts" where they have not developed the pathways of light touch to respond normally.  There are ways to help. And lots of unseen responses of kids to input that you probably won't notice or understand.

It can help and it is awesome.....!!

So don't be upset if they hold him back, but use it as a tool for assisting him, so he has a better life!

All the Best,

Denise Lumiere OTR/L, MA