Gifted children frequently begin to exhibit traits of giftedness at a very early age, even in infancy. A study out of the Gifted Development Center in Westminster noted that, based on parents’ reports of their children in their first 3 years, gifted children were more likely to:
Be very alert as infants
Have a long attention span
Have excellent memory and be rapid learners
Speak earlier and have advanced vocabulary
Be very observant and curious
Have more than one imaginary companion
Have a vivid imagination and high degree of creativity
Recognize letters and words earlier
Be earlier to show interest in time, counting, and math in general
Be interested in books, math games, puzzles, calculators, and computers at an early age.
In addition, young gifted children also showed personality and social traits of giftedness, such as:
Sophisticated sense of humor
Intense reactions to frustration
Perfectionism
Concern with morality and justice
Highly competitive
Maturity for age
Source: Recognizing Giftedness in Young Children, Rogers and Silverman, 1988.
Helpful articles and websites:
Supporting Gifted Preschoolers, The Davidson Institute
Parenting the Young Gifted Child, by Nancy Robinson
Frequently Asked Questions about Extreme Intelligence in Very Young Children, The Davidson Institute
Early Childhood: Your young child is showing signs of advanced abilities, what do you do next?
Helpful books:
The Gifted Parenting Journey, by Gail Post
Understanding Your Gifted Child from the Inside Out, by James Delisle
Raising Gifted Children, by Catherine Zakoian
A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children, by James Webb
Parenting Gifted Children 101, by Tracy Ford Inman
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