Crafting the Ruf Estimates of Giftedness

In 1999, I created an intake form titled “Developmental Milestones.” Parents who approached my consultancy provided essential insights that helped me understand their children’s unique needs, particularly in educational contexts. Over time, I refined the form, streamlining the questions based on their relevance. A scatterplot design was utilized to analyze the collected data.

Sharing My Discoveries

Through extensive public speaking engagements, I sought methods to summarize my findings, which eventually inspired the creation of this series. While compiling information on the early milestones of gifted children for my first book, I conducted a supplementary study. My research for Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind (2005), now retitled 5 Levels of Gifted: School Issues and Educational Options, involved asking parents a comprehensive set of questions about their families and children.

Understanding the SB-LM

The SBLM originates from the original Binet scales, developed by Terman and Merrill in the early 20th century. This initial assessment used a now-obsolete scale, relying on a formula that compared chronological age with mental age, yielding a ratio IQ score. While this method is outdated, I frequently employed it in my early research, allowing me to compare results against contemporary assessments.

Initiating the Milestones Scatterplots

Using the SBLM IQ test results, which compares mental age to chronological age, I sought to interpret the data through scatterplots. Although my doctoral studies focused on Test & Measurement, my aim was to glean practical insights from primary research. Parents assisted with the statistical analysis, and I ensured the accuracy of the correlations depicted in the scatterplots.

For a foundational understanding of scatterplot interpretation, refer to this PDF from the University of West Georgia: https://www.westga.edu/academics/research/vrc/assets/docs/scatterplots_and_correlation_notes.pdf

The scatterplots illustrate the ages at which parents noted their children reaching specific milestones on the left, with the SBLM IQ scores represented along the bottom.

A quick glance at a scatterplot reveals its correlation: a flat line indicates minimal correlation, a downward slope suggests that higher IQs lead to earlier milestone achievement, while an upward slope indicates that higher IQs may delay certain milestones. I refer to the latter as “stubbornness milestones” — the child is capable but chooses not to comply.

Unexpected Findings on Physical Milestones

Parents often express joy when their children hit common milestones like walking and talking. However, how many of these milestones correlate with intelligence levels? One notable correlation is evident:

Many subjects exhibited strong eye contact from birth. The sample included children whose parents suspected they might be gifted, with SBLM scores ranging from 110 to 250. Many parents reported that medical staff noted the unusual intensity of their newborns' eye contact, with some describing it as almost eerie.

As children approach age two, they generally become more cautious around unfamiliar people, leading to a decline in eye contact and social engagement.

There is only a slight correlation between IQ and the onset of speech; all subjects in the sample spoke before age two.

Regarding walking unassisted, no significant relationship with IQ was observed. My personal experience suggests that firstborn children often take longer to walk due to increased parental attention, while younger siblings typically follow suit more quickly to keep pace with their older siblings.

Insights on Toilet Training

Interestingly, a slight negative correlation with IQ is noted in toilet training, particularly concerning bowel movements. This subject often raises concerns among parents. After my presentations, many parents confided in me that they found comfort in realizing they were not alone in their experiences.

Children with higher IQs tended to resist using the potty for bowel movements, perhaps as a way to exert control. To address this, parents should encourage a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to help manage bowel health and educate their children about the risks of stool compaction.

One child in the sample notably complied with training early on.

Gathering Information

These scatterplots reveal a significant correlation between intelligence and the propensity to gather information. Gifted children often exhibit a natural curiosity that allows them to absorb knowledge from their surroundings, independent of direct instruction. For instance, children who show interest in being read to often express this desire through nonverbal cues long before they can articulate their wishes.

My writings emphasize that some children may already possess reading comprehension skills and a wealth of knowledge prior to formal schooling. They still adhere to the principle of requiring multiple repetitions to learn new concepts, yet traditional educational settings frequently fail to provide them with sufficient new material.

Implications of Early Development

The following scatterplots demonstrate strong correlations between age and IQ.

Children who have regular access to attentive adults and are read to demonstrate higher early skill levels than those who lack such interactions. However, it’s crucial to note that children left alone can also absorb information and may quickly catch up when provided with more enriching environments. Caregivers who engage in conversations with children foster extensive vocabularies, enhancing their learning experiences.

Significance of Early Signs in Education

Children who already read upon entering school benefit from adaptable learning environments and interactions with peers who share similar abilities.

Many gifted children from the Baby Boomer generation were advised against exposing them to excessive reading to avoid confusion at school. My own upbringing, influenced by similar beliefs, led us to view our reading experiences differently. Gifted children typically learn to read through contextual understanding rather than phonics, and their reading skills flourish when they encounter engaging materials.

The Link Between Early Abilities and Intelligence

Memorizing colors tends to be more challenging than counting for many individuals. The distinction lies in counting's modest correlation with intelligence, while color recognition shows a strong correlation.

Recognizing and correctly stating the alphabet is a higher cognitive skill than simply singing the alphabet song, demonstrating a significant intellectual achievement.

Effective keyboarding, crucial in today’s digital age, requires reading and spelling proficiency. This skill shows a strong correlation with intelligence, as evidenced in the scatterplots.

Interest and Engagement

People generally gravitate toward activities that intrigue them, often reflecting initial abilities in those areas.

Interest and proficiency in mazes and jigsaw puzzles indicate strong spatial reasoning abilities, a talent that can be innate but can also be nurtured through practice.

The final scatterplot illustrates a medium to strong correlation between IQ and the age of interest and mastery in gaming. The association between intelligence and gaming skills contributes to the stereotype of gamers as “nerds.”

[i] For further details, see Ruf Estimates of Levels of Giftedness, Part I. Available at: https://open.substack.com/pub/deborahruf/p/ruf-estimates-of-levels-of-giftedness?r=2xq6n&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_showWelcomeOnShare=true

[ii] Purchase from the publisher: https://www.giftedunlimitedllc.com/store/p12/5_Levels_of_Gifted.html; available on Amazon in both print and ebook formats: https://www.amazon.com/Levels-Gifted-School-Educational-Options/dp/0910707987