Parent, teacher and researcher assessment in a study of precocious readers.

Abstract

This article reports some of the findings of a study involving 11 New Zealand4-year-old precocious readers (Margrain, 2005). The children, aged between 4:01 and 4:101 had reading ages three to nine years above their chronological age. Assessment of precocious reading abilities is discussed, including how assessment findings are influenced by the beliefs of the assessor, and choices of assessment tools. The study found that there were differences between the practices and beliefs of the researcher and parents compared to early childhood and new entrant teachers. This article provides recommendations for practice, relating toassessment practices and beliefs. These recommendations are pertinent to support working with precocious readers, but also more widely to other gifted learners.