Gifted traits in 3-year-old?

[Anonymous]

- incredible memory even at age 2
- sees/makes connections/patterns in toys and books that adults are sometimes unable to see/make
- very quirky sense of humour
- taught himself to read with zero guidance or help at age 2.5.

[Anonymous]

RE: DD reading at age 2, slightly before--I have another child, and when I tried to do the same things with her I just got a goofy smile and blank stare. Younger recognized letters at 18 months too, but that was it. Older DD was just ready to read. She's 8 now and reads at a high school level so I think it's just who she is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The vast majority of kids who read before K are coached. The indicator will be how quickly the ones who aren't pick things up.

Pp here who has the 2.5 yo who seems to be pretty bright. I didn't explicitly teach her letters and sounds. She has just picked them up. I explicitly taught my older boys these things (and how to read right before kindergarten). But my 2.5 yo just figures this stuff out. Same with everything. Around a year old I said that I was going to tickle her belly and she reached down to her belly to tickle it. So then I started asking her about other body parts and she knew them all (like elbows and knees). She just seems so different from my boys. Maybe because she is the youngest and learns from the older ones. Maybe because she is a girl. I don't know. But I am interested to see how it all shakes out. Fwiw, she was by far my most difficult child and has been since birth. She needs very little sleep and is constantly talking/wanting me to interact with her. My boys were way more relaxed.

Yeah, the coaching concept is weird. I think most reasonable parents follow their kid's interest. My son had a very early interest in letters. He knew his letter sounds by 22 months. You cant just "learn" those at that age...someone has to teach you. But it was because he was expressing intense interest in it - no one was coaching him per se. But he expressed an interest so, like any parent, we helped him learn. Once he got the letter sounds down, he was able to do basic sounding out and Bob books. This was before his 3rd bday. Now at 4 he can read chapter books. He's also a pretty anxious kid. I haven't gotten him tested...I don't really think there is a need unless there is an issue that arises. If I had to guess, he is super smart. Not sure about gifted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My "gifted" child (I hate that term, but that's what the school system coined it) was reading by age 3, devouring chapter books by age 5, has an incredible memory, and a huge vocabulary (from reading incessantly, I believe). Also has a ton of anxiety. Not that all gifted kids are anxious, but there's a correlation.

anxious as in how specifically? doesn't interact with same-age kids easily?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My "gifted" child (I hate that term, but that's what the school system coined it) was reading by age 3, devouring chapter books by age 5, has an incredible memory, and a huge vocabulary (from reading incessantly, I believe). Also has a ton of anxiety. Not that all gifted kids are anxious, but there's a correlation.

anxious as in how specifically? doesn't interact with same-age kids easily?

I'm not that poster but have a bright and anxious 6 year old (I agree the two are often connected). He's always thinking - we liken it to his mind just spinning. Tons of questions about when things will happen, what time, how long it will take, will the trees fall if there's a big rainstorm, if he doesn't see his teacher on field day what adult can he go to if he needs something, etc. Just a high-strung kid in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My "gifted" child (I hate that term, but that's what the school system coined it) was reading by age 3, devouring chapter books by age 5, has an incredible memory, and a huge vocabulary (from reading incessantly, I believe). Also has a ton of anxiety. Not that all gifted kids are anxious, but there's a correlation.

anxious as in how specifically? doesn't interact with same-age kids easily?

I'm not that poster but have a bright and anxious 6 year old (I agree the two are often connected). He's always thinking - we liken it to his mind just spinning. Tons of questions about when things will happen, what time, how long it will take, will the trees fall if there's a big rainstorm, if he doesn't see his teacher on field day what adult can he go to if he needs something, etc. Just a high-strung kid in general.

I should also add per your question that he's fine socially, athletically, etc. Likes to be in charge (bc then he can control things, I guess).

[Anonymous]

My profoundly gifted son was a slightly late talker and he still has issues with articulation, although he does and always has had an extensive and advanced vocabulary. He started reading at age 4 1/2 and quickly progressed. Now at barely 6 he reads (content appropriate) novels as well as a variety of nonfiction. He loves encyclopedia type books, especially with a medical, science or space focus.

My older son is very bright but is closer to being more regularly gifted if not on the borderline. The early clues for me with my younger son were advanced spatial awareness skills, he could do hundred piece puzzle's by age 2 1/2. Early recognition of shapes, colors, letters and numbers. Advanced sorting skills. And just an overall ability to grasp concepts that wouldn't be interesting to most children his age. He has struggled socially because of this unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: My profoundly gifted son was a slightly late talker and he still has issues with articulation, although he does and always has had an extensive and advanced vocabulary. He started reading at age 4 1/2 and quickly progressed. Now at barely 6 he reads (content appropriate) novels as well as a variety of nonfiction. He loves encyclopedia type books, especially with a medical, science or space focus.

My older son is very bright but is closer to being more regularly gifted if not on the borderline. The early clues for me with my younger son were advanced spatial awareness skills, he could do hundred piece puzzle's by age 2 1/2. Early recognition of shapes, colors, letters and numbers. Advanced sorting skills. And just an overall ability to grasp concepts that wouldn't be interesting to most children his age. He has struggled socially because of this unfortunately.

Interesting! My 5th grader was doing 100 piece puzzles at 18 months. It was like a party trick....but she was a late talker and kindergarten reader.
Now in 5th grade she's a savvy, really mature kid with a lot of friends. Masters material very easily (scores 100% just about all tests) and 99% on each section of the PARCC each year.
But she doesn't strike me as a genius....just a really calm, level-headed, mature-for-her-age kid.
We've never had her IQ tested and honestly don't intend too unless we run into problems in school.

[Anonymous]

My DD reads chapter books at 14 months. Is she gifted, I don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My "gifted" child (I hate that term, but that's what the school system coined it) was reading by age 3, devouring chapter books by age 5, has an incredible memory, and a huge vocabulary (from reading incessantly, I believe). Also has a ton of anxiety. Not that all gifted kids are anxious, but there's a correlation.

anxious as in how specifically? doesn't interact with same-age kids easily?

No, that's not where her anxiety lies--currently she's fine socially. She is scared of a lot of things her friends aren't (amusement park rides, for example), she gets very upset when things aren't what she expected it to be, she overthinks things at bedtime. A lot of little things that add up to generalized anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD reads chapter books at 14 months. Is she gifted, I don't know.

Why is this neccesarry? Gifted kids exist. Their number is vastly overstated but they exist. Someone asking a question about it is no different than asking other developmental questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: My profoundly gifted son was a slightly late talker and he still has issues with articulation, although he does and always has had an extensive and advanced vocabulary. He started reading at age 4 1/2 and quickly progressed. Now at barely 6 he reads (content appropriate) novels as well as a variety of nonfiction. He loves encyclopedia type books, especially with a medical, science or space focus.

My older son is very bright but is closer to being more regularly gifted if not on the borderline. The early clues for me with my younger son were advanced spatial awareness skills, he could do hundred piece puzzle's by age 2 1/2. Early recognition of shapes, colors, letters and numbers. Advanced sorting skills. And just an overall ability to grasp concepts that wouldn't be interesting to most children his age. He has struggled socially because of this unfortunately.

Interesting! My 5th grader was doing 100 piece puzzles at 18 months. It was like a party trick....but she was a late talker and kindergarten reader.
Now in 5th grade she's a savvy, really mature kid with a lot of friends. Masters material very easily (scores 100% just about all tests) and 99% on each section of the PARCC each year.
But she doesn't strike me as a genius....just a really calm, level-headed, mature-for-her-age kid.
We've never had her IQ tested and honestly don't intend too unless we run into problems in school.

I think that is great and would not have pursued testing and a gifted placement (we live outside the DMV) if I thought he could do well in a traditional setting. But I knew for him that half day kindergarten would just not have been great. He IS doing better socially now that he has friends with similar interests. He is funny and friendly but wants to discuss Goldilocks planets and the digestive system along with Lego and Transformers. Kids at the park look at him like he's nuts.

As I said my older child is very bright and possibly gifted as well but we never pursed testing. He did well in a traditional setting an always enjoyed more liberal arts. You have to find what works for each kid.

[Anonymous]

At three, I was taking my child to Childfind to figure out what was wrong. He was behind in language at the time. At 18, he has a profoundly gifted flair for math. It became evident once he got beyond the fundamental memorization of math facts- something that took him longer to master than the average child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My "gifted" child (I hate that term, but that's what the school system coined it) was reading by age 3, devouring chapter books by age 5, has an incredible memory, and a huge vocabulary (from reading incessantly, I believe). Also has a ton of anxiety. Not that all gifted kids are anxious, but there's a correlation.

Yup. I have two adult kids with grown IQ (four children total), and the above PP nailed it...including the anxiety.

[Anonymous]

*genius not grown