All kids are clever and smart in their own right. But sometimes, a child may show traits that are outside the norm in terms in intelligence.
If your little one is like this, then you just might be parents to a gifted child.
The US-based National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) defines giftedness in children in the following manner:
Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports).
8 traits that make your child extraordinary
Here are 8 traits of a gifted child, as described by family and marriage psychologist Dr Lynn Scoresby, as well as the US National Association for Gifted Children.
1. A gifted child may start school already knowing how to read
Gifted kids are often self-taught readers and writers, developing these skills as early as when they are pre-schoolers. Reading for a gifted child will usually be more about gathering information than for entertainment.
2. A gifted child may start to show differences in very early childhood
More often than not, these kids are highly energetic, have the tendency to ask probing questions, and often prone to not sleeping.
They also usually achieve and progress through developmental milestones at an earlier age than their peers. Gifted children may also show unusual levels of alertness, even in infancy.
3. A gifted child’s vocabulary is vast compared to his/her peers
They are also interested in a wide variety of topics, going beyond the usual curiosity shown by children and taking this to another level of intense curiosity.
Gifted children are information devourers and show an extreme keenness for new information.
So for example, if your child if gifted, he or she may go beyond just liking dinosaurs and instead, learn about the vital statistics of every kind of dinosaur in detail.
4. Gifted children may have difficulty making friends with kids their age
A gifted child might get frustrated with playing with his or her peers due to the difference in intellectual development levels.
Parents may find this a bit challenging as this means you will have to be your child’s primary playmate, or you may need to let your child play with an older kid who is more or less at the same intellectual level.
5. A gifted child has a knack for retaining information
These kids often have photographic memories, giving them the ability to remember even tiny details about events or information that others would most likely miss.
6. Gifted children have the ability to focus, even at a young age
They generally have longer attention spans and show intense concentration in comparison to their peers, and show the ability to creatively solve problems.
But having said this, a gifted child may also selectively focus on only what interests him or her, ignoring the rest.
7. A gifted child might display musical or other artistic talents at a very young age
Again, this trait is keeping with a gifted child’s ability to do something that is beyond his years and with incredible skill and passion.
For example, a musically gifted child is usually able to recognise patterns easily He can also sing on pitch. And, identify when something or someone is out of pitch and is able to sing or play musically, with lots of emotion.
8. A gifted child will often be highly sensitive
Such kids often possess deep, intense feelings and reactions, and are highly sensitive. They also may be very concerned with social and political injustices and issues. And, they may display a strong sense of justice at an early age.
For more on giftedness in children, please read this theAsianparent article.
If you think your child might be gifted and would like to get a professional assessment, you could contact Mensa Singapore, or the Gifted Academy Singapore, for information on how to do this.
Does your child display any of these traits? Do share your thoughts on the topic of gifted children in a comment below.