About Carol Bainbridge Expertise I can answer most questions on parenting gifted children, from infants on. Questions can be about parenting, advocacy, and support and I can provide suggestions for toys and books gifted children love. I can even help you determine whether your child is gifted or bright, and I can point you to more information you might need. I can answer some questions about programs for gifted children, but can`t help much with information on colleges. Visitors wanting to know if their children are gifted might want to read the article "Is My Child Gifted?" before asking a question.
Experience I am the parent of a gifted child and have been working with other parents of gifted children for 13 years, helping them find support and providing them with information. I founded a local gifted organization and helped organize a parent day for a national gifted conference. I have been an active member of my state's gifted association since 1999 and created and maintain their Web site. In addition, I have created a website for parents of gifted children who are looking for toys and books for their children: www.giftsforlearning.com.
I am also the Guide About.com Gifted Children Site.
Education/Credentials I have a bachelor's degree in psychology, an MA in English, and completing a PhD in linguistics with a focus on verbally gifted children. I have been helping parents of gifted children for nearly 20 years and am currently the guide to gifted children on About.com
Question I've had this suspicion now for quite some time that I have an unique little boy in my hands. I would like some input from you, please.
At the hospital, he pushed himself up with his own legs when my husband tried to sit him down. Within month one or two, he figured out how to make his little aquarium fish turn on by hitting the button. He was never that newborn peacefully sleeping while he was out and about. Always looking around and whining if he didn't get his way. If I propped at page of a board book at 3 months, he would turn it. He has always been obsessed with books. He started sitting up around 5 months but only became super solid sitting at 6 months. He had a sense of humor at an early age...very entertaining to watch. He started pulling himself up around 6 months and walked at 8.5 months. He started feeding himself with a spoon at 10 months. He could walk and kick a ball at 10-11 months. He only had about 15 words at 15 months, then jumped to 70 words at 17 months, then a HUGE explosion. At 18 months, there was no possible way to count them. Probably over 1,000. He knew the vast majority of his letters at 18 months, could count to ten. He has known some colors since 11 months. With the colors, he is not very consistent tho'. He has been stacking 10 plus blocks since 15 months. Today, at 21 months, there is no much he CAN'T say. We have had comments from his daycare teachers about how much he talks and how he talks so much more than the other kids in his class and he is one of the youngest ones there. The others are 3-4 months older than he is. He can put 4-5 words together now. He has been using adjectives to describe things for at least 3 months now and they all make sense. I put on a dress and he says "pretty" or we stack blocks and he says "tall" "high"...he knows the difference between little and big. He has books and songs memorized. I speak another language and there are about 3 songs that I sing to him in this other language and one day I was singing it and I would stop at certain parts of the song and he would complete them. (I don't teach him this language yet, I only sing these songs at this point. I plan on teaching him when he gets to be about 2.5 years old). He is a very intense child. He is also very loving and still has a sense of humor that seems very ahead for his age. We all wonder how he can be so sarcastic with his actions at such a young age. He has been able to point to anything you ask him in a book since 11 months and now at 21 months, you can ask him ANYTHING and he will name the object or action. He is very specific about his needs and wants. One day about a month ago he said: Sit here mama. (i sat down). Turn around (i did). Play cards. (i started to play). Right there (he pointed where he wanted me to put the cards). Sometimes he uses some language that I think it's unique for his age like "see him" (how did he figure out "him"?). I wish I could remember other interesting examples. I really could go on and on. He has been able to name all his friends from school since about 17-18 months. Oh, he also has known all of his shapes since at least 18 months. He points out letters and shapes when we are out sometimes. He has been fascinated with music too. He can watch someone play the guitar at a restaurant for 5-10 minutes straight. He can count to 20 now.
What I want to know is...could he potentially be gifted? I walked in school this week and I watched the teacher pointing to this book and naming objects like shoes, apple...and I'm thinking...that is not challenging for my son at all! How can i get him into something a little more challenging at this age? I know there are gifted schools but I'm thinking they don't join until they are 5 years of age or so so I feel bad that he won't be challenged a little bit more than he is in school until many, many years from now, in case he does turn out to be gifted. Although, I was never tested (I was born in a country where gifted testing wasn't something that was really done), I believe I am gifted. My husband is not tho'.
I really look forward to your answer. I guess I'm looking for an explanation for all of this interesting behavior that happens around here on a daily basis. Thank you!!
Your walk in school has introduced you to the problem gifted kids have in school. It can be very difficult to get them in an appropriate academic environment, especially highly gifted kids. Your son is not even two years old and you can see how his abilities compare to those of other children. You can look at what teachers do in classrooms and recognize instantly that your son will be bored silly. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to convince school officials. This is one of the reasons parents of gifted children opt to homeschool when they can manage it. If I were you, I'd start investigating schooling options, including early entry into kindergarten.
