Wednesday, January 06, 2010

The gifted child


If your 18 month old is talking in 3-4 word sentences...

If your three year old is already reading....

If your five year old is already learning multiplication...

these are strong indications that you are raising a gifted child! But what does that mean exactly and what are other indications that a child might be gifted?

A gifted child is defined as a child whose ability is significantly higher than average. This ability could be related to intellect, but it could also include musical, physical, or other abilities. Here are a few other characteristics of gifted children:


  • Frequently reach developmental milestones early

  • May talk later that their peers, but later language skills are above average

  • Intense interest in reading and asks a lot of questions

  • Seems overly mature intellectually, but might lag behind in other areas of development

  • May show unusual sensitivities or preferences (i.e. food, clothing, sleeping patterns)

  • Very active with a strong desire to explore things

This list is by no means complete, but I wanted to give you a sample of what a gifted child might look like. Perhaps you are in the same place that I was not so many years ago. I found myself wondering, "Is my child just overly strong-willed? Why don't they act like the other children? Is something wrong with them?" I plan to talk about this and more as I write this blog series on the topic of giftedness in children. Please join me in the conversation! I welcome your questions and comments about your own experiences in raising or teaching gifted children.


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