The reason children are tested for signs of being gifted are obvious. Educators and parents alike want to place the gifted child in the environment that would allow the child to learn, grow, and develop the talents that he or she may have.
Had there been a test developed such as The Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test when Albert Einstein was in grade school and the young Albert administered the test, he would not have had the legacy of being thought of by his instructors as a "slow learner or dull child."
Very few people know this bit of history about Albert Einstein, but its true.
Albert grew into a very intelligent man capable of understanding thoughts and concepts that only a small fraction of people of his day was aware of.
How would have things turned out for the young Albert had there been a test designed to appreciate his gifted mind, his wit and intellect?
A Test such as for screening gifted children?
Would he have excelled in academics at a faster pace?
Would he have acquired more knowledge and tested and validated more theories?
It is possible and very likely he could have. However, we will never no for sure.
"Einstein was slow in learning how to speak. His parents even consulted a doctor. He also had a cheeky rebelliousness toward authority, which led one headmaster to expel him and another to amuse history by saying that he would never amount to much. However, these traits helped make him a genius. His cocky contempt for authority led him to question conventional wisdom. His slow verbal development made him curious about ordinary things - such as space and time - that most adults take for granted. His father gave him a compass at age five, and he puzzled over the nature of a magnetic field for the rest of his life. And he tended to think in pictures rather than words."
What is The Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test Anyway?
The Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test is a screening test to determine if a child is gifted. Once a child passes the exam, the child can be placed in the appropriate academic program for advanced learning or classes for gifted children.
The test is a matrix-reasoning type of test, which is comprised of diagrams and shapes that form patterns. This test is as it states a "Non Verbal Test." Non Verbal Tests are considered "culture fair" or "cultural-fair" and unbiased and can be taken by students who's primary language is not English nor whose ethnic or social background would hinder test results.
The NNAT uses progressive matrices, which are fair for all examinees including minorities, those with hearing impairments, and those with impaired color vision. In addition, it is ideal for children who do not speak English as their first language and requires no reading, writing, or speaking (the child taking the test just point to the answer they believe is correct).
The NNAT requires child to rely on reasoning and problem-solving skills, not verbal skills.
What Is Verbal and Non Verbal Tests?
Verbal and Nonverbal Tests are Two different ways of measuring general ability.
What Is General Ability?
To quote David Wechsler, who developed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), defined general ability as "the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment."
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Nonverbal Test?
Although nonverbal tests are especially useful for children with limited English-language skills, their value is not limited to that group. For example, children whose economic or social circumstances have limited their acquisition of knowledge and verbal skills may best be able to display their knowledge through such a test. They should and will earn good scores on tests of general ability. Taking nonverbal tests of ability will afford them the same opportunity to succeed as other children. Nonverbal tests are also useful for evaluating those with impaired hearing.
In summary, nonverbal tests provide a valid way to measure general ability for all children. Researchers have found that they identify similar proportions of black, white, and Hispanic children as gifted. This suggests that the problem of under representation of minority children in classes for the gifted may be addressed by using such tests. Using nonverbal tests of general ability gives all children an equal opportunity to succeed.
-Jack A. Naglieri, Ph.D.
Is There an Online Version of the NNAT?
To the best of our knowledge, the answer is no. However, The Kids IQ Test Center which is where you are has Kids IQ Tests for the following children's and adult age groups:
