Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about giftedness in early childhood

Kita

When is psychodiagnostic assessment recommended?

Psychological assessment is only useful if there is a specific question that can be answered by means of psychological testing. Only under these conditions can the appropriate assessment tools be selected and the child’s results in the tests be meaningfully evaluated in terms of the pending decision or question.

For example, if the question of early school enrollment or skipping the first grade for direct placement in the second grade arises, psychological testing is useful and supports the decision-making process. An intelligence test can be used to compare a child’s cognitive development with that of his or her age group and, by means of an ability profile, helps to clarify whether the child is equally well developed in all the cognitive subskills that are necessary for coping with challenges at school.

Psychological assessment can also be used to evaluate other characteristics of the child (e.g., attention, concentration, anxiety) or the experience of his or her social relationships (family, peers, Kita).

However, the question of how to provide individual support in the daily Kita routine can hardly be answered by means of psychological assessment. To determine the individual learning needs and interests of a child and to react to them appropriately in the Kita, methods of observation and documentation can be used.

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