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Home::Frank Gerace -
Intelligence Issues in Children
Author : Debbie Cluff
Our society is captivated by the notion of intelligence and
measuring intelligence levels. What does this measurement
indicate? For the past hundred years intelligence has been
measured by tests. A person's performance on those tests would
indicate their intelligence quotient, or IQ score. IQ scores are
normally thought of as being an indication of a child's ability
and potential and also a possible indicator of how that child
will perform in the future, in school or workforce. However, IQ
scores have been used in research to see if there is any
correlation between the scores and a person's affluence,
longevity, health, and behavior. If there is a link between
these scores and all the above characteristics, then is there
anything that we can do to influence the scores? Some feel IQ
scores are primarily genetic. Some feel that a child's
environment can positively or negatively influence IQ scores.
There are even studies that show that high levels of fluoride in
drinking water caused a decline in IQ scores in children. A lot
of time and energy has been spent on trying to find out how much
of an impact intelligence has on our lives. Are we any closer to
finding out the validity of IQ scores and how much of a role
they play in determining a person's success? There is much
debate over this issue, and compelling arguments for and against
IQ testing. Parents and teachers can use this information to
determine their viewpoint on how they will use the IQ scores to
benefit their education. Many researchers question the benefits
of IQ testing on children. Is this something that a parent
should want for their child? Will it help the child's future?
How can a teacher use this information in the classroom? The IQ
test, sometimes referred to as the norm-referenced, is very
stable and shows how the intelligence of a child is important to
their learning process. IQ scores can help place the child in
the appropriate learning center, whether the child needs to be
placed in a special education classroom or an advanced
classroom. It would be inappropriate to ask a child to work
geometry problems without the proper education and background. A
child's IQ scores can show the level at which child is able to
perform. If a child's IQ scores are within the lower percentile,
then it is logical that the child should be placed in a
classroom that moves at a slower speed so that the child's
learning style can be taken into account. The converse is true
for a child who has a high IQ score. Even when taken repeatedly,
IQ scores tend to be consistent, making it easier to predict
what the child's IQ will be later in their life though the older
the child (Bee, 2000). It really can fairly predict what
accomplishments the parent and the child can expect through
their life. Though this test is based on a solid foundation,
there are still some questions to whether the IQ test should be
considered valid. One thing most psychologists agree on is that
there is no relationship between IQ scores and the career choice
of a child. An example would be, "while it is clear that
successful business executives usually score at least moderately
well on the IQ test, the rate at which they advance and their
ultimate business achievements are only minimally associated
with their specific IQ score" (Feldman, 2000). This means that
there is a way to achieve success, with hard work, in the
workforce even if you are not placed high on the IQ scale. The
test might interfere with the educational plans of children who
might think they are not "smart enough" to accomplish more than
their IQ allows. Helen Bee explains, " Although these scores do
become quite stable in late childhood, individual children can
and do shift in response to especially rich or especially
impoverished environments, or in response to any stress in their
lives" (Bee, 2000). The IQ test really has to be administered
later in the child's life after they have had experience in
life. This brings about the question of whether performance on
IQ tests has to do with the nurturing of a child. Another
problem that researchers have discovered about the IQ test is
that there is a deviance in scores of people of lower
socio-economic classes and underrepresented minority groups. Any
test that has "...an unequal distribution of IQ scores by race,
gender, and ethnic origin" or that is not culturally diverse
should be considered to have a few flaws (Pyryt, 1996). It is
important to have a test that can measure ability within all
cultural classes, and the IQ test may be short in this section.
The children that fit into this category really don't have the
means or resources to score high on the IQ test (Pyryt, 1996).
However, this discrepancy has been rebutted with the fact that
the children in lower socio-economic classes or minority groups
can achieve what their IQ scores predict, with the proper
education and self-esteem (Bee, 2000). What the parent has to
remember is that the child will have to overcome their
environmental obstacles in order to achieve their IQ level.
Even though the IQ test has its shortcomings, it is still
accepted as a valid way to verify a child's ability and to
predict future performance in school and in the workforce. The
IQ test has the potential to help students be successful in
their individual learning styles. IQ scores help educators and
parents place children in classes that will be appropriate for
the child's ability level. There is still some question as to
whether the IQ tests are flawed because they do not accurately
reflect the ability of all cultural and socio-economic groups.
However research shows that environment does have an affect on
the IQ score, supporting the idea that a child can increase
their potential with the proper nurturing environment. IQ tests
can be a useful tool. However, parents and educators need to
recognize that a child's performance on an IQ test is only an
indication of potential and can not predict the child's
willingness to succeed or the environmental obstacles that a
child must overcome in order to fulfill the indication of their
IQ scores.
References: Bee, H. (2000). Child and Adolescent Development
(9th ed.) [e-text]. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing.
Feldmen, R. (2000). Essentials of Understanding Psychology (4th
Ed.). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts. Pyryt, M.
(1996, June). The Bell Curve. Roeper Review, 18 (4), 4.
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