The catch phrase “a gifted child” has become common in education today, raising parental concerns about recognizing a child’s giftedness even before he or she starts a formal education. A few parents even believe that they can “create” a gifted child if they provide a rich enough environment.

Gifted children come in all shapes and sizes. But how many of us as parents even know what “giftedness” is, or how to best support our children if they are indeed gifted?

Though most children aren’t identified as gifted until they begin formal school, some show signs of being gifted at a very early age. If you can identify the gifted child at early age then there are chances of giving more appropriate nurturing from then. Identifying a gifted child at the earliest possible age is key in providing the optimal stimulation the toddler needs to realize his or her potential.

It must be noted that more and more children are showing signs of early advancement due to parental awareness that leads to the right coaching and nurturance. Hence, to be placed in gifted programs today, the criteria are much tougher than it has ever been in the past and competition is rather stiff. However, regardless on whether a child shows signs early or later, all children deserve an opportunity to develop themselves to the fullest and at a tender age, parents are the best teachers/educators.

Now let us check out the typical behaviour patterns for identifying giftedness in the child. Let us break the first 4 years of child’s birth in 2 spans – from birth to 2 year old and from 2 to 4 year old.

Birth to 2 years – The following checklist is a rough indication of what you may want to look out for after your child is born up to 2 years of age.

• Early expressions (e.g. smiling)
• Unusual alertness
• Interest in books (turning pages of books before 1 year of age and paying attention when read to within 6 months)
• Interest in computers
• Unusually active and high levels of energy (but not hyperactive)
• Ability of recognize carers early (within a few months after birth)
• Playing with shape sorters by about 11 months.
• Ability to form two word phrases by 14 months
• Ability to understand instructions by 18 months
• Ability to say and understand many words before 18 months
• Could stay still and enjoy a TV programs by the age of 1
• Has favorite TV shows/VCD/DVDs by age 1
• Appears to require less sleep (yet not sleepy or irritable due to lack of sleep)
• Recognition of letters/alphabets by age 2
• Recognition and rote counting of numbers 1 ? 10 or higher by age 2
• Recognition of colors by age 2
• Recognition of first word by age 2
• Interest in puzzles by age 2
• Has long attention span in interest areas by age 2
• Ability to form at least 3 word sentence by age 2
• Interest in time by age 2

2 to 4 years – The following includes all/most skills in the checklist above.

• Early and Superior Language Skills – This child has advanced language development, such as an extensive vocabulary or the ability to speak in sentences much earlier than other children his age. Very often, this child will learn to read at a very young age, sometimes before twelve or eighteen months. They often love books and will use vivid imagination cues to fill in the blanks where they are unable to read more complex words and phrases. The child does things better, faster, earlier and differently as an accepted formula for identifying the child in this category.
• Unending Curiosity  - This child has extreme curiosity and asks many questions. Interaction with the world around her and testing behavior is a typical action for the gifted child. Whether she is dismantling a tower of building blocks or dissecting the inside of a daisy, she is meticulously learning about her environment in a tireless way.
• Excessive Energy – More than just random hyperactive movement, the gifted child has a purpose to his energies and tends to be very tenacious in opening containers and figuring out rudimentary puzzles. He will not give up on trying different techniques and will be very upset if you interrupt his activities in this regard. Is unusually active, though not hyperactive. While hyperactive children often have a short attention span, gifted children can concentrate on one task for long periods of time and are passionate about their interests.
• Vivid imagination – Gifted children often create a vast and intricate network of imaginary friends with whom they become very involved.
• Challenges Authority - Saying no to a gifted toddler often results in testing behavior parameters. Telling the child not to pull your hair will often result in the opposite effect, sometimes including a humor response. The child sees your reaction to negative behavior and may be amused by the increased attention, raised voice or emotional response.
• Extraordinary feats of memory – This gifted child Is able to memorize facts easily and can recall arcane information that he learns from television shows, movies, or books.
• Emotionally Advanced – He may be very sensitive to emotional reactions from others and will tend to develop a compassionate response much earlier than his peers. He will understand the concept of pain early and will learn pain avoidance very easily. This child is likely to develop a compassionate way of interacting with others as well as pets and animals.
• Specific talent (if any), such as artistic ability or an unusual facility for numbers – becomes more apparent by age 4. For example, children who draw unusually realistic pictures or who can manipulate numbers in their head may be gifted.
• Ability to memorize and recall facts easily
• Early development of a sense of humour
• Ability to do one-to-one counting for small quantities by age 3
• Recognition of simple signs and own written name by age 3
• Ability to write letters, numbers, words, and their names between 3 and 4 years
• Ability to read easy readers by age 4
• Rather independent on the computer by age 4
• Demonstration of musical aptitude just after 2
• Ability to do simple addition and subtraction by age 4
• High degrees of mathematical understanding by age 4
• Reaches developmental milestones well ahead of peers.
• Interest in computers (not video games)
• Ability to solve a 20-piece puzzle by age 3

The above checklist is at best regarded as a rough guide and bear in mind that not all of the skills and age guide mentioned is absolute. Some children may demonstrate these abilities at a younger age and some may be older and yet classified as advanced learners. However, this can be a good guide to look out for signs of early advanced development in children and provide the necessary platform for them to flourish.

Not every sign must be evident in order for the child to be gifted. In the very young child, the giftedness commonalities may become evident at different times and phases in the child’s development. Enriching the child’s environment with more complex stimulation will be advantageous, whether or not the child is ultimately deemed to be gifted by commonly established criteria or not.

Once a child has been labeled with the gifted tag, the parents take on the important responsibility of ensuring that this child receives proper nurturing and stimulation to develop his potential. Visit your local library for a wealth of information from the educational experts on this topic. Enrichment and varied stimuli including educational toys and books are readily available.

Other signs of giftedness may be a little harder to discern. By age 3 or 4, for example, some gifted children begin to realize that they are “different” from their peers. This can make them feel isolated and withdrawn; it may also make them likely targets for bullying.

They may begin to experience intense frustration because they can think more rapidly than they can express themselves, verbally or physically. If your child appears unusually angry or frustrated, you may want to consult a mental health professional.

A gifted child often…

• Reasons well (is a good thinker )
• Is a perfectionist
• Is an intense personality
• Is morally sensitive
• Has a wide range of interests
• Prefers older companions or adults
• Is concerned with justice, fairness
• Has a long attention span
• Shows mature judgment for age at times
• Is a keen observer and is highly creative

Testing your preschooler for giftedness

Though you may want to know if your preschooler is gifted, most children don’t need to be tested for giftedness before entering elementary school. However, consultations with a mental health professional may be appropriate if your preschooler appears to be unusually bored in school or shows any signs of emotional or social problems.

If your child is enrolled in preschool, speak to the teacher or school director to find out if the school is affiliated with any mental health professionals who specialize in working with gifted children. If your child is not in school or the school isn’t being receptive to your concerns, ask your paediatrician to refer you to a child psychologist who conducts tests for giftedness.

When giftedness is hard to diagnose

You might be surprised to learn that a child can be both gifted and learning disabled. In most cases, the disability is recognized while giftedness goes undetected. Giftedness in children from ethnic minorities and disadvantaged backgrounds, and in those for whom English is a second language, is often overlooked as well. If your child falls into any of these categories, it’s best to find a psychologist who is sensitive to these issues. It is also important to ask your child’s teacher to observe him and look for talents that conventional tests cannot detect.

Finally yet importantly, you may want to check out the following website (The National Association for Gifted Children, UK) that provides an online questionnaire, which will give you an indicator about your child’s level of development. Please bear in mind that this questionnaire is a rough indicator only is by no means an assessment.

How to nurture gifted child

Don’t worry too much; feed the natural curiosity and love of learning in your child. Share many enriching experiences and expose him to culture, the arts, text, and the outdoors. Be patient with her probing questions and know that you are nurturing a child’s special gifts when you do that.

If your child has fun in these types of activities, then you know you are on the right track. If she seems bored or unhappy, step back and try something else. There is no possibility of over-stimulating your child.

Another common issue among parents of gifted preschoolers is achieving the right balance between stimulation and too much pressure. Many gifted children already exhibit perfectionist tendencies, and creating a stress-filled environment under the guise of “helping them reach their potential” can backfire.

In our achievement-oriented society, this is most important. It’s OK to have your child tested as a beginning benchmark but not as a license to turn him into a little adult. Results at this age are not always as reliable as with school age children. Keep his interests and natural abilities in mind.

Here are three simple tips for parents of gifted preschoolers:

• Let the child take the lead. Gifts will be encouraged, not squandered, if allowed to develop in a warm, loving environment during this time of exploration and rapid brain growth.
• Respect the child. Children become manipulative without power. Does that mean you let a child run the household? Absolutely not. However, you do want to avoid seeing your child simply as an extension of yourself; he is his own person. Part of this too is learning to take your child at his own merit, not comparing him to others.
• Keep the lines of communication open. Talk with your child. Don’t get caught up in doing so much directing and correcting that you never have real conversations. Find out what her fears and concerns are. Listen to her, understand her, and give her the chance to communicate as one human being to another. You want a relationship that will last.

One last piece of advice on interaction with teachers about your gifted child: “Don’t go in with the attitude: ‘What are you going to do for my child?’ You are much more likely to build cooperation if you have a pro-active meeting early in the year to discuss how you and the school will partner to address the child’s needs. Show your willingness and interest in having your child be challenged. Offer, if you can, to help out in the classroom (there may be others besides your child who need the intervention or different strategies). Don’t be satisfied with your child simply receiving extra work.

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