Brain Rules for Baby (John Medina) / quote 35 of 91
IQ tests miss most of intelligence
From exploration, self-control, and creativity to verbal and nonverbal ability, it is clear that the intelligence stew has many ingredients. Standard IQ tests are not capable of measuring most of these elements, even though they play a powerful role in the future success of your children. Given their uniqueness, that’s not surprising. Some are so unexpected as to defy belief (your kid’s chances of being a great entrepreneur are linked to her ability to decode faces?). So you need not be discouraged if your kid isn’t in the 97th percentile on certain tests. She may have many other intellectual aspects in abundance that IQ tests are inherently incapable of detecting. That’s not to say that everyone is a potential Einstein. These gifts are unevenly sprinkled among our children, and most have genetic components. Your autistic child may never have the warmth of a pastor, for example, no matter how hard you try. But as you know, there’s more to intelligence than just seeds.