Signs of a gifted child 4 year old: How to tell if your kid is gifted—and how parents can raise smart kids

How to tell if your kid is gifted—and how parents can raise smart kids

Olga Gimaeva | Twenty20

During a child’s early years, parents often look for signs that demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude or competence in an activity, field or topic.

Maybe their kid runs faster than others, or solves advanced math problems with ease, or has a keen sense of music and can sing on key.

Signs your kid may be gifted

High grades or testing scores aren’t necessarily indicators that a child is gifted — and while there is no single formula for identifying a gifted child, researchers and educational psychologists say there are some characteristics that may point to high potential in kids, such as:

• Early ability to read, learn and understand things quickly.
• Can become intensely engrossed in topics of interest while being oblivious to surrounding events.
• Keen observation, curiosity and tendency to ask questions.
• Ability to think abstractly, while showing signs of creativity and inventiveness.
• Early development of motor skills (e.g., balance, coordination and movement).
• Finds joy in discovering new interests or grasping new concepts.
• Early use of advanced vocabulary.
• Retention of a variety of information.
• Shows independence, self-reliance and responsibility in completing tasks.
• Ability to view situations from varying perspectives and explore alternative approaches.

How to create an environment that nurtures your kid’s talent

So what should you do when you notice early potential in your kid? How can you help nurture their talents without creating unhealthy pressure?

Having spent years studying people who are in the top 1% of performers in their fields, I’ve found that the most important step parents can take is to create an environment where their kids can develop a positive relationship with their interests.

1. Find creative ways to expose them to the activity

Exposing your kid to their interests is vital for talent development. If they enjoy science, for example, visiting children’s science museums can offer hands-on educational experience. You can also provide materials for creative play, e.g., give them egg cartons, cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls.

When the father of multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran realized that music was the single most important thing in his son’s life, he took initiative and drove him to concerts every week, hoping his son would find his calling.

And professional golfer Tony Finau’s family could not afford to go to a driving range for practice, so his dad paid $2 for one golf club and a bag of golf balls from the Salvation Army, which Finau used to practice swinging balls into a mattress.

2. Surround them with talented, like-minded people

Studies show that children’s skill development grows at a faster rate when they’re interacting with, learning from or feeling inspired by others with similar talents.

Iten, a small town on the edge of a plateau on Kenya’s Rift Valley, is home to many of the best runners in the world. “You see your neighbor run and win, and it motivates you to run and win,” coach Bernard Ouma, who trains elite Kenyan runners, said in a CNN interview.

When kids see people around them shine in an activity, they are motivated to raise the bar and be even better.

3. Find the right influencers

No one achieves greatness alone. Sometimes, parents must look beyond themselves to meet the needs of their child — by finding an outside mentor. It’s important to talk with your kid, though, and make sure that everyone is on the same page and committed to a mentoring relationship.

It doesn’t have to be someone who is much more experienced. Surprisingly, research finds that your kid’s most significant influencers are very likely their friends.

The relationship between Beatles band members John Lennon and Paul McCartney, for example, demonstrates the brilliance of creative pairs. Each provided mentoring, coaching, support and encouragement to the other.

They wrote songs together, and each helped fill the musical voids that the other left open. While both were immensely gifted individually, neither probably would have been as successful alone as they were together.

4. Build encouraging family values

Family values provide a foundation of guidance and acceptance, and research shows that when kids have a strong sense of support and belonging, they are more able to reach their full potential.

A few types of values that will help create an environment for your kid to thrive:

• Respectful values: Show that you respect their uniqueness, opinions, ideas and dreams. Spend time together as a family, provide unstructured play time and allow each family member to pursue their interests.
• Work values: For kids, this includes how they approach school and their education. Modeling positive behaviors yourself — e.g., persistence, always doing your best work, not giving up when things don’t go as planned — is one of the most effective ways to teach children these values.
• Social values: This is key to raising kind and caring kids who look out for others and want to better the community. Encourage and praise them when they are respectful and courteous in their interactions, participate in teamwork and volunteer their skills.

Keep in mind, however, that placing too much pressure on children can be harmful. When kids feel like each homework assignment is going to make or break their future or that each soccer game could determine if they get a college scholarship, that pressure can have negative consequences.

Kumar Mehta, Ph.D., is the author of “The Exceptionals” and “The Innovation Biome,” and founder of Bridges Insight, a think tank focused on researching sustained excellence and innovation. Mehta is also a senior research fellow at the Center for the Digital Future and a board member for the Committee for Children, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the well-being of children through social-emotional learning and development. Follow him on Twitter @mehtakumar.

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Preschool Behaviors in Gifted Children

By Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D.

When very young children demonstrate precocious behaviors, such as seeming to understand words and adult conversations that are beyond their years, or strong interest in things and topics that generally interest older children, their parents may wonder if their baby or preschool child might be gifted. Below are some guidelines to help you know if you have a gifted child. The earlier any of the behaviors are exhibited, the more likely the child may be highly to exceptionally gifted. These lists are merely guidelines; not all behaviors need to be present to indicate probable gifted-level intellect.

Birth to 4 months

• Makes eye contact soon after birth and continues this interaction and awareness of others
• Makes eye contact while nursing
• Does not like to be left in infant seat
• Almost always wants someone in the room interacting with him or her
• Very alert; others notice and comment

4 months to one year

• Seldom “mouths” toys
• Shows purpose with toys, seldom destructive or arbitrary
• Pays attention when read to or watching TV
• Plays pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo
• Waves bye-bye, says ma-ma, da-da, and bye-bye
• Follows directions, doesn’t miss a thing, knows what’s next in routine

One year to 18 months

• Obvious interest in competence; has “fits” when not permitted to do it himself (or herself)
• Long attention span
• Obvious interest in letters, numbers, books, and talking
• Surprisingly good eye-hand coordination for shape sorters, putting things in and taking things out
• Uses puzzles and toys that are beyond stated age level
• Does not chew on or tear books
• Tries hard to please; feelings easily hurt

18 months to 2 years

• Talking, clear understanding of others’ talk
• Knows many letters, colors, and numbers. The brightest gifted children often know how to count and organize by quantities, know many colors and shades, and know the alphabet in order or isolation. This is at their insistence, not parental drill.
• Tenacity; needs to do it own way and not done until they are done
• Not easily distracted from what they want to do; don’t even try tricking them with distraction
• Can sing a song with you, knows all the words and melody
• Clearly exhibits a sense of humor beyond typical “bathroom humor”
• Although active, activity is usually very purposeful and important to the child
• Interested in activities, machinery, and implements that are complex and maybe delicate, e.g., CD player, computer. Can handle them well, if allowed.
• Bossy; quickly loses interest in any children who cannot do what they want to do.
• Grandparents or other family members may have started to complain that your child is willful and perhaps spoiled
• Draws and identifies what they’ve drawn
• Stacks block towers of 6 blocks or more
• Recognizes basic shapes and pointing them out elsewhere
• Notices beauty in nature
• Pays attention to the feelings of others
• Needs to know “why” before complying

Two to three years

• Excellent attention for favorite TV or videos
• Shows tremendous interest in printing letters and numbers
• Will catch your mistakes, hold you to your word, and not forget promises or changes of plans.
• Frustrated with own lack of ability, seems to obsess on some things
• People outside the family start to comment on how smart your child is
• Has trouble playing with other children same age, prefers adults or much older children but is not a lot of fun for them because child is still too immature
• Throws fits or tantrums especially when thwarted in doing something his or her own way to completion
• Can play with games, puzzles, and toys that state an age range twice their own or more
• Early reading, e.g. know most store and street signs, recognize many names, labels and words in print
• Most tantrums precipitated by lack of adult respect or understanding; child is more likely to cooperate than simply comply with adult demands
• Highly competitive

Three to four years

• Highly inquisitive
• Highly talkative
• Increasing interest in books and reading and finding answers there
• Loves to debate and reason and argue
• Can do many things on the computer
• May become fearful of what they don’t understand, tend to think ahead and worry
• Show interest in how and why; ask questions and listen to answers unlike most age-mates
• Interested in strategy and application of rules; dismissive and annoyed at others who don’t “get it”
• Bossy
• Creative
• Cleverly manipulative
• Perfectionistic, even obsessive about developing own skills

Four to five years

• Many start reading simple books then chapter books almost spontaneously before they are five
• Interested in mature subjects but can be frightened by their own lack of perspective (e. g., natural disasters are both fascinating and frightening)
• Intuitive grasp of numerical concepts and mathematic reasoning; many can effectively compete with older children and adults in board and card games
• May start to question the meaning of life, their own worth, etc.
• Huge vocabulary, huge memory for facts, events, and information
• Increasingly facility with computers and keyboarding, video games
• Obvious abstract reasoning ability, love of concepts and theorizing; philosophical and speculative
• Great need to engage others in meaningful and intelligent conversation about the things that interest them (the children, not necessarily the adults)

Summary: Gifted preschool children tend to initiate their own learning. In fact, their curiosity is one hallmark of their high intelligence. Although strong parental or preschool involvement and instruction can support any child’s acquisition of academic skills, highly intelligent children will gain those skills, and more, at a noticeably faster rate than children who are less intelligent.

(Dr. Ruf is a member of MCGT, formerly on the state Board, and author of Five Levels of Gifted, published by Great Potential Press. As a result of her experience with her own now-adult gifted children, she works as a high intelligence specialist in the Twin Cities.)

(This article was printed in the July/August, 2009 issue of Outlook, a publication of the MN Council for the Gifted and Talented [MCGT].)

Do you have a bright or talented kid between the ages of 1 and 5?  Come to MCGT’s monthly discussion group, Talented Tots, to discuss all the hilarity, exasperation, and joy of raising bright young kids with other parents who get it!  This supportive parent community is a place to ask questions, share stories, meet new friends, and exchange tips and ideas. 

Talented Tots meets from 8-9pm the first Thursday of the month, MCGT membership is not required, all are welcome. Find all the details and the Zoom link on our Discussion Group page.

The Minnesota Council for the Gifted & Talented (MCGT) supports families of gifted & talented students and promotes their educational and social emotional needs in Minnesota by providing an annual conference, mini-conferences, national speakers, legislative advocacy, scholarships, opportunities to connect with other gifted families through chapters and parent groups, and more.

Learn more about the benefits of an MCGT membership

We hope that you’ll join us on this journey! JOIN MCGT TODAY!

How to identify a gifted child – features of work and education of gifted children, development of giftedness

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Who are gifted children

Gifted children have a high potential in any field of activity. American psychologist Joseph Renzulli believes that giftedness lies at the intersection of ability to do something, creativity and motivation.

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Gifted children are often called “ geeks “( from the German “wonder child” ), but these concepts should be distinguished.

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Gifted children are distinguished by a high rate of development , that is, by a potential that can develop into talent or die out. Every fiftieth child is considered gifted in one area or another.

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Geeks, on the other hand, are ahead of developmental norms from an early age and demonstrate culturally significant achievements. For example, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart created his first piano works at the age of five, and the mathematician Blaise Pascal wrote a scientific treatise at nine. A child prodigy is born one in a million people. nine0003

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Giftedness is a set of abilities that can be applied to the interests of the child. By developing only one skill, you can not assume that you are improving the giftedness.

Elena Petrusenko, Psychologist “Home School of Foxford”

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Types of gifted

Unified Classification, but most often psychologists distinguish five types of giftedness:

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• intellectual rewards0010 is characterized by increased observation, concentration and the ability to analyze information. These children have high IQs, strong critical thinking, and tend to excel in one subject.
• Academic talent means excellent memory. Such children easily learn school material, they can learn on their own, because the learning process brings them pleasure. As a rule, they are able to complete the program of several classes in one academic year. nine0056
• ‍ Creative giftedness can manifest itself in a rich imagination and out-of-the-box thinking. A special case is creative talent, that is, children’s propensity for drawing, dancing, music, versification, acting and other arts.
• Social giftedness of lies in the presence of leadership qualities, a high level of empathy, intuition, and bright charisma. Such children can communicate easily with people of different ages and often have innate emotional intelligence – a receptivity to the feelings of others. nine0056
• Psychomotor giftedness implies physical development ahead of age. Such children from an early age show interest in outdoor games and sports.