| Parents may be surprised to discover the | | | | for carrying out the tests are often not trained |
| following facts about IQ and IQ testing. | | | | adequately, which may make the results even |
| 1. IQ stands for Intelligence Quotient. But it is | | | | more unreliable. |
| debatable whether IQ tests really measure | | | | 4. The IQ of an individual is not innate or fixed. |
| intelligence (or whatever it is we mean by | | | | Many parents assume that the IQ score is |
| "intelligence" - psychologists have been divided for | | | | something innate to their child, that he or she will |
| years). | | | | have to live with it for the rest of their lives. This |
| IQ tests do not take into account aspects such | | | | is not the case. The IQ can change significantly - |
| as creativity, artistic or musical talent - a child can | | | | either decrease or increase - due largely to |
| most certainly be "gifted" without having a high | | | | environmental factors. It is not fixed at any time. |
| IQ. | | | | 5. Statistics show that the IQ of children is related |
| Nor do IQ tests take into account qualities such | | | | to their environment. Parents can raise their child's |
| as leadership which will have a huge impact on the | | | | IQ by providing the optimum environment and |
| child's life. They cannot be taken as any kind of | | | | stimulating the child in the right way. It is proven |
| indicator of success in future life. | | | | that IQ scores can be significantly raised by |
| It is dubious as to whether IQ scores have any | | | | practising IQ tests, as explained in detail in "How |
| real value of their own outside the educational | | | | to Raise Your Child's IQ" ( ). |
| system. | | | | 6. It is dubious as to whether IQ tests actually |
| 2. However unimportant IQ is in itself, your child's | | | | test any kind of innate intelligence. You can see |
| IQ score will have a serious impact on his or her | | | | this when you examine an IQ test. Much emphasis |
| schooling. It may well determine which class he or | | | | is placed on aspects which are in fact "learnt" |
| she is put in and can therefore have far-reaching | | | | rather than innate - in particular, a heavy |
| effects. | | | | emphasis on verbal expression (vocabulary and |
| It is a fact that children achieve better academic | | | | proverbs) which is commonly taken as a useful |
| results when in a class with more able pupils. It is | | | | intelligence indicator, however depends greatly on |
| therefore in your child's interest that he or she | | | | the kind of environment in which the child has |
| gets a place in the highest class possible for his or | | | | been raised, and what kind of training he or she |
| her abilities. | | | | has received. |
| 3. IQ test results can be very unreliable. Research | | | | Given that the IQ is not innate or fixed, and that |
| has shown that 50% of children will achieve a | | | | such an importance is attached to IQ scores in |
| score varying by 5 points in either direction when | | | | the educational system, it is the responsibility of |
| retested, some as much as 20 points! | | | | the parents to assist their children as much as |
| The most unreliable tests are group tests (rather | | | | they can in achieving as high a score as he or she |
| as individual tests) which are usually the kinds of | | | | is able to reach. The child will most certainly |
| IQ test used in schools. The teachers responsible | | | | benefit. |