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As an early childhood educator, I can tell you that all of the things that you have listed, while very impressive, are definitely developmentally appropriate and are to be expected at around this age.
Where can I read what is developmentally appropriate? I have found lists of milestones for the very minimum or the highly gifted.
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Originally Posted by 2girlsand2boys
All kids have their things that make their parents think they are the smartest creatures on the planet. My son will be 2 next week and he knows how to use the TV, VCR and DVD player. He carries a chair into the living room, opens the DVD player, inserts the disc, skips to the menu and then presses play. He knows how to fast forward through the beginning of the videos too. I won't be signing him up for gifted and talented classes any time soon.
The only reason I mentioned the DVR is because my dh talked to someone at work who was trying to teach her kindergartener how to do those things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2girlsand2boys
Why not just enjoy your reasonably intellegent child and not worry so much about how smart she is. It all evens out eventually anyway, and you won't be able to tell the difference between the kids that were speaking in full sentences at 8 months old and the ones that ate paste until they were 6.
Because she loves learning so much that I want to keep her interested. I do not want her to get bored and lose interest.
I do not believe it evens out. I always felt different in school because I was good in math. I was even pointed at. To compensate I did poorly on other subjects. I think with more parental involvement I would have done better. Of course I do not want to go to the other extreme and be an over-involved parent. I just want to provide the right education opportunities for my kids.
Because she loves learning so much that I want to keep her interested. I do not want her to get bored and lose interest.
I do not believe it evens out. I always felt different in school because I was good in math. I was even pointed at. To compensate I did poorly on other subjects. I think with more parental involvement I would have done better. Of course I do not want to go to the other extreme and be an over-involved parent. I just want to provide the right education opportunities for my kids.
Kids who are truly gifted do NOT lose interest in learning. It can be quite exhausting trying to keep up with what they want to learn. Their appetite for knowledge is truly insatiable and as long as you are interested in helping a gifted child they will INSIST on acquiring knowledge.
Hi Suzie,
I would argue that (a) most parents want to believe and (b) I see the labeling of "gifted" a part of a psuedo-science that has ruined American education.
Though untested, I am sure both my girls would easily test as "gifted." But from what I see both learn very differently. Their potential is really a function of how well they can be educated given their approach to learning, how they think, and their level of maturity. Both are challenged just enough to keep their minds fresh. However, while I don't ever really think of them as "gifted", I do think that all my kids are gifts and deserving of our best efforts.
S
Last edited by Sandpointian; 03-08-2009 at 02:42 PM..
Where can I read what is developmentally appropriate? I have found lists of milestones for the very minimum or the highly gifted.
The only reason I mentioned the DVR is because my dh talked to someone at work who was trying to teach her kindergartener how to do those things.
Because she loves learning so much that I want to keep her interested. I do not want her to get bored and lose interest.
I do not believe it evens out. I always felt different in school because I was good in math. I was even pointed at. To compensate I did poorly on other subjects. I think with more parental involvement I would have done better. Of course I do not want to go to the other extreme and be an over-involved parent. I just want to provide the right education opportunities for my kids.
I'm not knocking you, just don't stress about it too much.
Hi Suzie,
I would argue that (a) most parents want to believe and (b) I see the labeling of "gifted" a part of a psuedo-science that has ruined American education.
When I went to school there was no such a label. I do not care for the label. I grew up in a different country where the standards are higher than here. Students were held back all the time because of it. The OK students got D's and C's, and the great students got the B and A's. Here the OK students get C's or B's. The good students get A's and the great students need special AP or gifted classes. JMHO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2girlsand2boys
I'm not knocking you, just don't stress about it too much.
I did not take it as knocking. You are an expert so I value your opinion. I had lousy parents so as a mom I am over thinking everything.
I didn't realize my oldest was until a teacher pointed it out to me when my child was in 1st grade. I didn't have any other kids to compare this one too. We didn't make a big "deal" about it the teacher worked with us to provide more challenging curriculum.
I do not believe it evens out. I always felt different in school because I was good in math. I was even pointed at. To compensate I did poorly on other subjects. I think with more parental involvement I would have done better. Of course I do not want to go to the other extreme and be an over-involved parent. I just want to provide the right education opportunities for my kids.
I didn't believe that, either, until my own kids had been in school a while. Once a child is reading, there is no way to tell whether s/he started at 4 or at almost 9, like my youngest. She did graduate in the top 10% of her HS class, and has a 3.5+ GPA as a biology major at the University of Colorado.
I have seen "bright" kids burn out, sometimes even before high school. Sometimes this is due to social situations they get into, sometimes from other. less easily determined stuff, like just losing motivation.
A developmental checklist isn't all that helpful in determining whether children are gifted or not since it only covers the typical span of things for a particular age.
A website that might be helpful to those wondering about their own children (from the Texas gifted website as that is where I am) is this :
Parent Resources - What Is Giftedness? | Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (http://www.txgifted.org/parent-pages/what-is-giftedness - broken link)
I didn't believe that, either, until my own kids had been in school a while. Once a child is reading, there is no way to tell whether s/he started at 4 or at almost 9, like my youngest. She did graduate in the top 10% of her HS class, and has a 3.5+ GPA as a biology major at the University of Colorado.
Yes I agree on the reading part. It is like walking they all will do it. It is the level of understanding at an early age that makes a difference. And even in that case a kid can just be precocious.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
I have seen "bright" kids burn out, sometimes even before high school. Sometimes this is due to social situations they get into, sometimes from other. less easily determined stuff, like just losing motivation.
Parental pressure can be a big reason why kids close their minds to new learning.
My MIL is a great example. She came to visit us when my dd was 2 1/2. At that point my dd knew all the letters so she took it upon herself to teach my dd how to read. She didn't care that my dd was showing signs of not wanting to do it anymore. After my MIL left, one time I brought up a letter and she told me she didn't want to do it anymore. It took a year for her to show any interest in letters again. She forgot the all.
I didn't believe that, either, until my own kids had been in school a while. Once a child is reading, there is no way to tell whether s/he started at 4 or at almost 9, like my youngest. She did graduate in the top 10% of her HS class, and has a 3.5+ GPA as a biology major at the University of Colorado.
I have seen "bright" kids burn out, sometimes even before high school. Sometimes this is due to social situations they get into, sometimes from other. less easily determined stuff, like just losing motivation.
Well, but just to be super-clear, burning out is not the same thing as not being gifted. Gifted people lose patience with academics, but it doesn't change their I.Q. -- or their need for genuine differentiation.
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