Inquiry re Resources for Gifted Toddlers (Decatur: how much, homes, buying)

[LovelySummer]

Everyone,

We would appreciate knowing about any resources for gifted toddlers. We know of testing that is performed on children ages 4 and up. Is there any testing for children as young as 2? We would like to understand better how to continue to enrich our child who has been working with his nanny/teacher in our home. Does anyone recommend particular schools, programs and/or other resources for very young gifted children? At 18 months, he had covered subject matter and concepts generally for 3-4 year olds and has just turned two and is moving into preschool and pre-K materials.

We are having difficulty finding information about resources for children his age.

Thanks in advance,
LS

[arjay57]

That's pretty durn smart. One of our grandbabies is 2 and I thought he was smart, although he is more into stuff like running around, dancing, throwing rocks in the pond, and so forth. He does know his colors and letters and can count to 10 but that's about it as far as academics.

I still have high hopes for him.

[deacongirl]

Check out the Hoagies Gifted page. There is also a Gifted Homeschoolers forum that might have some useful ideas. Montessori worked well for my daughters--but is not a good match for some gifted kids. If you are interested in an eval., I would suggest speaking with Spomenka Newman. But it might make sense to wait until child is 6 and can take WISC.

[LovelySummer]

Thanks Arjay. Your grandson sounds like a smartypants too. I love that he likes to run and dance and knows his "stuff" too!

Originally Posted by arjay57

That's pretty durn smart. One of our grandbabies is 2 and I thought he was smart, although he is more into stuff like running around, dancing, throwing rocks in the pond, and so forth. He does know his colors and letters and can count to 10 but that's about it as far as academics.

I still have high hopes for him.

[LovelySummer]

Deacongirl,

I briefly scanned the page and it has a wealth of information. It looks great!! The referral to Dr. Newman is also great!! Thanks so much!

We'd looked at Montessori as we knew that this could be a way that he could work at different levels given the age range. I was very impressed with Montessori and we've been buying Montessori materials offline for about a year now for our child's playroom/schoolroom. The materials are awesome also.

We decided against Montessori for a few reasons: (1) large class sizes (I know why that takes place but we still wanted him to be in a smaller class - the average class size that we found was 25-30); (2) emphasis on not having teacher-led instruction (because we see how much and how fast our child understands and learns when he has teacher-led instruction); and (3) some of the AMI schools don't praise and we believe in praising to the extent that our son claps when he is proud of himself (so I was concerned about putting him into an environment that didn't offer praise to children for job well done - it didn't feel natural to me). My grandmother (a former preschool teacher) also seemed to think that there was a large emphasis on perfection and completion in the Montessori framework as the tools only allow for one way of providing a solution. Anyway, I think that Montessori is great in general (especially for children that are either advanced or working at a level less than what would be typical for age) but it just wasn't for us.

Thanks again for the awesome information!

Originally Posted by deacongirl

Check out the Hoagies Gifted page. There is also a Gifted Homeschoolers forum that might have some useful ideas. Montessori worked well for my daughters--but is not a good match for some gifted kids. If you are interested in an eval., I would suggest speaking with Spomenka Newman. But it might make sense to wait until child is 6 and can take WISC.

[deacongirl]

Food for thought re: praise.

The Power (and Peril) of Praising Your Kids -- New York Magazine

Educational Leadership:Early Intervention at Every Age:The Perils and Promises of Praise

Bing Times Online » Blog Archive » Carol Dweck: Praising Intelligence: Costs to Children

"But it turns out even well-intended praise for children’s talents and abilities can backfire. In May, developmental and social psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck addressed the Bing community in the 2007 Distinguished Lecture to explain why and how praise can drain a child’s self-esteem and sap motivation."

[katekilla]

I'd point out what Deacongirl did above, and also mention that most experts in education/child development/child psychology do NOT think that early teacher-led instruction is the best way for a two-year-old to learn. Yes, in the short term they may acquire some very impressive skills. In the long run, however, they may lag in critical thinking, curiosity, creativity, and inner-directed drive to learn.

Here's one site that offers some food for thought, and links to some studies: Why Homeschool: Early Academics vs Developmental Approach

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by arjay57

That's pretty durn smart. One of our grandbabies is 2 and I thought he was smart, although he is more into stuff like running around, dancing, throwing rocks in the pond, and so forth. He does know his colors and letters and can count to 10 but that's about it as far as academics.

I still have high hopes for him.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by arjay57

That's pretty durn smart. One of our grandbabies is 2 and I thought he was smart, although he is more into stuff like running around, dancing, throwing rocks in the pond, and so forth. He does know his colors and letters and can count to 10 but that's about it as far as academics.

I still have high hopes for him.

As you should, Ariay. But, thought you knew. EVERYONES child is gifted these days. One of my nieces has harped on this since they were born, and frankly I find them all as dumb as as a box of rocks.

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

EVERYONES child is gifted these days. One of my nieces has harped on this since they were born, and frankly I find them all as dumb as as a box of rocks.