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Talented Toddlers
Identifying and Enriching the Gifted Toddler
By Kelly Burgess
However, Dr. Ruf cautions that gifted or not, you can't teach a child something she is not yet ready to learn. For example, even a gifted child cannot be "taught" to read; she will naturally learn as part of her innate ability to understand the nuances of language.
Skinner's suggestion is to follow your child's lead but expose him to opportunities to discover things in which he is interested. At this age, find as many enrichment activities as possible where you as the parent are also involved. Don't just rely on the old standards like museums, the zoo and aquariums. Try the not-so-usual, such as work places, places where they have hands-on art or other act ivies and places where things get made. And don't forget the library.
"When my children were young we went to the library often and left with bags of books," Skinner says. "We checked out anything that looked visually stimulating, regardless of the subject matter."
And both Skinner and Dr. Ruf agree that at the core of the gifted child's education is the family, which can nurture that child's intelligence and potential far beyond what schools can often provide. In fact, Dr. Ruf jokes that the best thing a parent can give a gifted child is a sibling, since giftedness does tend to run in families, and gifted children often find other gifted children to be better companions.
"It's very good for mothers and fathers to encourage play groups and have your child interact with other children," Dr. Ruf says. "But depending upon the level of giftedness he or she may not have anything in common with those kids and can be perceived as bossy or standoffish. What a gifted child really appreciates is other children who understand him, whether that's an adult or a child."
