First of all, BellyBelly believes that all children have a gift to share with the world and so believe that every child might be gifted. This article is for those parents that are curious about the academic side.
When you brought that perfect little bundle of joy home from the hospital, you just KNEW you had something special in your arms.
A genius? A child prodigy? The next Mickey Mantle?
As he grew into his own little person, it didn’t really matter how smart or talented he was, because he was perfect, to you, in every way. But what if you were right? What if there IS something special about your child? Here are 5 signs that your child might be gifted:
Child Might Be Gifted #1: Writes And Reads Early
Most kids will dabble in reading or writing before they go to school. The more parents work with kids, the better chance of them reading or writing at an early age. But some kids just seem to “get it”. They pick up on letters and word patterns, begin writing out actual letters rather than scribbles and they exhibit the early signs of reading such as holding the book correctly, reading from left to right across the page and using pictures to help them understand what the story is about. These kids are showing signs of high intelligence and should be encouraged to read and write often.
Child Might Be Gifted #2: Has A Wide Spectrum Of Interests And Excels In All Of Them
Gifted children are curious and interested in many things. They may be completely obsessed with space one month, but then begin memorising statistics from their favourite sport the next. It’s not unusual for a gifted child to maintain several interests at once and do exceptionally well in all of them. The gifted child loves to learn and will soak in new information with a passion.
Child Might Be Gifted #3: Has What Appears To Be A Photographic Memory
The gifted child absorbs and retains information that most people don’t. It’s not unusual for her to visit a museum and then return home and draw a complete diagram of something she saw there. It is also not uncommon for a gifted child to do very well in school from an early age, because she is able to memorise concepts very easily and won’t struggle with things like spelling, math, etc.
Child Might Be Gifted #4: Is Extremely Musically Or Artistically Talented
Kids who show unusual talent in music or art are typically highly intelligent. You might notice early on that your child has perfect pitch, seems to be able to play music from memory or can draw or paint much better than other children his age. Gifted children usually show an interest in art or music that other kids don’t have, such as looking at art books or listening to classical music.
Child Might Be Gifted #5: Has A Keen Eye For Details That Most Kids Miss
Gifted children pay attention to details. They notice things that other children their age do not. For example, he may ask a lot of questions after seeing a presentation or magic show, wanting to know exactly how things work. Generally, he knows all of the answers already, but he is highly curious and eager to discuss new things.
He might remember details about where items are, how to get to a certain location or the steps to complete a difficult task with ease. Where most children tend to forget one thing and move on to the next, the gifted child will continue to talk about those things that caught his interest and want to know all that he can about it.
Child Might Be Gifted #6: Is Highly Critical Of Themselves
The child who is gifted may have very high expectations for himself in all areas. He is a perfectionist. Where most kids tend to be more concerned with what others are doing, the gifted child is focused on his own actions and performance. He will generally not turn in assignments until they have been done and redone, and he will be overly critical his musical talent or athletic ability.
Child Might Be Gifted #7: Understands Concepts Easily
Children who are gifted have the ability to understand complex concepts at an early age. They can think about problems in depth and come up with solutions. They can make connections between literature and real life at an early age, and they tend to use common sense more than the average child would.