A Critical Review of the Technical Characteristics of New and Recently Revised Intelligence Tests for Preschool Children

Abstract

This paper examined the psychometric properties of intelligence tests for preschoolers, including standardization, reliability, test floors, item gradients, and validity. The WPPSI-R, DAS, S-B:IV, WJ-R COG, and BSID-IL were reviewed. The psychometric properties of these instruments are weakest at the lower end of the preschool age range (i.e., 2-6 to 3-6), a finding that is consistent with previous research. The WJ-R COG and BSID-II are among the better instruments for use with very young children because they were rated as technically adequate across most criteria. The psychometric properties were strongest for most instruments at the middle (i.e., 3-6 to 4-6) and upper (i.e., 4-6 to 5-6) levels of the preschool age range. Because all intelligence tests have different strengths and limitations, the technical characteristics of these tests should be considered carefully before one selects an instrument for use with preschoolers. Future research should examine the role of intelligence within a framework of developing abilities in young children, so that its relevance in early educational interventions, as well as diagnosis and classification of preschoolers, can be realized.