Talented Toddlers

Identifying and Enriching the Gifted Toddler

By Kelly Burgess

Every parent thinks his or her child is the smartest, most talented child on earth. And they're all correct, of course, but some kids really are intellectually gifted. Experts in giftedness are beginning to understand that above-average intelligence can be identified as early as infancy. Understanding early on that your child is gifted gives parents the ability to tailor their parenting style to their child's intellectual needs from a very young age.

Wendy Skinner, author of Infinity & Zebra Stripes (Great Potential Press, 2007), says she recognized early on that her children were gifted, but she says it's not all about I.Q. at that young of an age.

"I think a high intellect starts to show as early as when the child is born," Skinner says. "That may seem hard to identify, but it's not if you look at the big picture of intelligence. There's a certain way we tend to think of intelligence, which is more of a logical way, but there's also social smarts and a social element that probably shows up before the intellectual component."

Skinner says that social/emotional component can manifest in infants via an exceptionally strong emotional connection to the mother and father, and in an early ability to mimic. This then can evolve into unusually complex imaginary and creative play in toddlerhood.

Dr. Deborah L. Ruf, author of Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind (Great Potential Press, 2005) gives these tips for identifying the very gifted young child:

One year to 18 months:

• Interest in competence; likes to do it him/herself.
• Long attention span.
• Interest in letters, numbers, books and talking.
• Good eye-hand coordination for shape sorters, putting things in and taking things out.
• Uses puzzles and toys that are beyond stated age level.


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Want to see more?

• Levels of Giftedness: How Smart Is My Child?
• Encouraging Genius: What's Best for the Gifted Child?
• Revenge of the Toddler: Empowering Your Spirited Child
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