Sorry. I should have specified better.
The CAAT I was speaking of is a series of tests, with an A, B, C and D level. C is highschool, and D is College/university. They are aptitude tests of a sort, and as part of a vocational assessment I took the C level. I recall taking the A and B in school as well.
In the lower grades, I was exceptional in my spelling/written language skills. In fact, my grade 6 teacher told me I had college level spelling skills. I always assumed it was her personal opinion though(although I knew them to be strong). After, but starting in grade nine, I began skipping school, and later dropped out before graduating. Oddly, my choice of destination was the public library!
17 years later or so, I find myself having taken the CAAT C tests, and was delighted to have been told that I scored exceptionally well on the language and problem solving, and fairly well on the math. Well enough, it seems that they had me do the D level tests, and, If I am not mistaken, I have done quite well on them too. I wont know til the first week of feb 2007 however.
I dont think scoring that high during grade 6 would be considered precocious. I recall learning to read in grade 1. The teacher explained it to the class, and then sat down with each student and within a few minutes I had my "a-ha!"; an epiphany.
After that, I was off and running and dont recall ever needing any assistance. I suspect that I gained a few years edge every year after that. In grade 6, I was consistantly at the top in spelling tests while not actually studying. I only became aware of the importance of this because the over achiever girls not so subtly suggested that I must be cheating. Ha! Sour grapes.
In hind sight, I started getting into trouble in grade 2 because I would not perform my school work. I was forbidden from taking recess because of this, and again, punished in a similar fashion in grade 5. I've told that story in here though; one million times.
I often wonder if I had some latent mild savantry earlier, and simply never was exposed to the right stimulus to evoke it. I also regret that I have let my skills and practice slacken over the years.
Anyway. Back to the point. CAAT C felt like Elementary school, and D felt only slightly harder. I've always heard people freting over their SAT scores, so I wonder: would they really be so hard? Are they, or could they be that much more sophisticated than what I took?
01 Feb 2007, 6:58 pm
