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Talented Toddlers
Identifying and Enriching the Gifted Toddler
By Kelly Burgess
18 months to 2 years:
- Talking, clear understanding of others' talk.
- Knows many letters, colors and numbers. The brightest, without a parental drill, can often count and organize by quantities, know many colors and shades, and know the alphabet in order or isolation.
- Tenacity; needs to do it own way and not done until they are done.
- Not easily distracted.
- Can sing a song, knowing words and melody.
- Exhibits a sense of humor beyond typical "bathroom humor."
- Activity is purposeful and important to the child.
- Interest in activities, machinery and implements that are complex and maybe delicate (e.g., CD player, computer).
- Bossy; loses interest in any children who cannot do what they want to do.
- Grandparents may complain that child is willful or spoiled.
- Drawing and identifying what they've drawn.
- Stacking block towers of six blocks or more.
- Recognizing basic shapes and pointing them out elsewhere.
- Noticing beauty in nature.
- Attention to the feelings of others.
- Need to know "why" before complying.
Dr. Ruf notes that these are guidelines, and that children who exhibit these behaviors even earlier may be even more highly gifted.
Encouraging Giftedness
If you do think your child is gifted, says Dr. Ruf, it's important for the parents to do some learning of their own to understand their child's personality to better match activities and toys to the child's interests. This includes not only interests, but gender differences, learning differences and personality differences.
"The enriched environment follows rather than precedes the gifted child," Dr. Ruf says. "Parents of gifted children face the challenge of keeping this gifted, inquisitive child busy."