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.