Post by karinothing on Sept 16, 2014 9:00:13 GMT -5
In some things but not others. Like he has a friend that can draw stuff that looks like stuff, he can not do that yet. But he has a very large vocabulary and good fine and gross motor skills
This thread is giving me a complex. Knowing letters by 18 months is REALLY, REALLY advanced, right? RIGHT?
It was a post like this last year that made me think, huh, I don't even know what letters she knows. I got out the bath foam letters, and we started playing with them in the tub, and she knew most of them. And then it gave me a good way to interact with her in the tub, instead if just "now I'm washing your hair! Let's wash your ears! Etc."
No. I have my kids to be uneven. They excel in some things and lag in others. My older kid was tested for G&T and was placed in the 80th percentile which seems about right to me.
This thread is giving me a complex. Knowing letters by 18 months is REALLY, REALLY advanced, right? RIGHT?
Yes. Also, development up until about age 8 is super bursty. Like, kids will go from being a bit behind to being way ahead, or whatever.
Before age 4 you're mostly just seeing how intensely the parents and/or DC are trying to teach the kids to do tricks.
See this I kinda disagree with... I am like the LAZIEST parent of all time. My kid watches plenty of TV & I buy goldfish in bulk.
DS was just kinda BORN precocious. He was less than 24 hours old in the NICU and picked his head up off my shoulder to follow the sound of the midwife's voice when she came in.The midwife actually yelled " HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT"
He has always just done his own thing and picked up whatever was thrown at him ( So letters, signs, logos, colors etc). I am sure at some point it will average out. Maybe he will have behavioral issues from being " bored" or something.
But I know for sure I didn't teach him like 95 percent of what he knows
Post by redpenmama on Sept 16, 2014 9:15:02 GMT -5
I think DD is advanced verbally -- I don't know anything about what is technically "gifted" but she is ahead of her peers in many areas. She counted/knew her ABCs early and was speaking in full sentences well ahead of her peers. She picks up on nuances and subtle humor in conversation, asks probing questions, and has an expansive vocabulary for a 3-year-old, IMO (so says her biased mother). That said, she is not exactly skilled physically. She refuses to learn how to ride a tricycle or her balance bike and still has not figured out how to move in the Cozy Coupe, which she's had since she was 18m. So, it's a balance.
DS -- I'm not sure. He has been ahead of the curve physically: sitting up at 4m, pulling to stand before 6m. But he is also the size of many 1-year-olds, so I have always just figured his early movement is because he's so big. He seems to be on track for all of the developmental milestones like DD was, but nothing stands out as "advanced" at this point.
So, I think I have kids that are balanced, probably like most, who excel in some areas and are average (or even behind the curve) in others.
I think DS is awesome, and he stands a pretty good chance at succeeding academically given his parents, but I can't really get to excited about his advanced three year old skills. I have a medal from my advanced university skills and it's gotten me jackshit in life. I think we'll focus on trying to make him a decent human with lots of empathy and that will probably get him further than flash cards.
So far it's not going well. He has a habit of walking by his sister and smacking her head for no reason.
DD1 I think is smart but not crazy precocious. She turned 4 in July and has all her letter sounds down. She is learning to sound out words right now.
DD2 is pretty freaking precocious language wise. She has 59 words at 15 months (I only began keeping count because her first word was "hi" at 8 months old and I thought I was hearing things). She picks up new words every day. I was the same way as a baby.
Yes, but we think it's DC/school related. He talks a LOT for his age. They offer French and a music class has been integrated this month that I know DS adores.
He can count to 20. That blew me away. I know it's because his new room does this, but he was holding his dada's hand climbing down the stairs the other day saying 'elevennnnnn, twelllve, firteen, fourteeeen, fifteen....' I was like "when did they teach you THAT?!"
DH stayed up way too late on Sat night playing his new video game and was stumbling around looking for his glasses. He asked DS "have you seen dada's glasses?" and DS said "behind the couch!" I couldn't believe he A: knew where they were, and B: articulated it so well.
When we drive in to downtown there are signs for TBS and TNT everywhere because Turner is based out of ATL. He'll yell out "TNT! That's TNT, Mama!" and TBS he'll yell out "Big BANG theory!" (we watch it every night before we go to bed) I'm like yeeeeeeeeep. And there's a huge advertising 'tv' screen on the connector. He'll go "THAT'S W!!! W, Mama!" (for the hotel chain) or "Teddy Bear! RAAAAAWR!" for the Coca-Cola advert. And there's a GA Aquarium one with a big ol shark but it's like that 'Bodies' exhibit so they're ummm.... inside out (we toured it. Kinda fascinating and gross) and he'll go "Fish!!" I'm like "yeah, that's a fish!" (I'm assuming school taught him that one too)
Yes, we do flash card. He knows the difference between a hexagon, pentagon, and octogon now. There's little 'slow down/STOP' signs in front of his school entrance and he'll stop at each one in the morning and go "OctoGON".
His gross motor skills are really good. He holds a crayon like a pencil sometimes. He's good at climbing, running, skipping (very new, and adorable). Last week he started walking heel to toe so I assume they did some balance beam stuff that week. The school offers a sports clinic type of extracurricular/playtime and he can join that at 2 1/2 in Jan.
I have no clue if he'd be able to do all of these things without his school.
He was grasping things at 3m1w and has a pretty good pincer grasp now. He was sitting at 4m3w but wouldn't roll until 6m. He started crawling at 7m2w. He's pretty great at his yelling skills, lol.
I was looking at toys yesterday and the were stacking cups that are for 6 month olds. I don't feel like he could use those or would be able to or have any interest in stacking blocks.
He's only 8 months. I'm trying to not obsess about that stuff yet.
I think he's slightly below average to average on fine and gross motor skills. He is pretty clumsy, not great with crayons and utensils, etc.
I do think he's above average intelligence wise. He knows all his letters and numbers 1-10, shapes, colors, animals, body parts and has a crazy vocabulary. He is also very intelligible for his age, I think--a stranger could probably understand at least 75% of what has saying, and he speaks in 2-3 word sentences most of the time.
He blows my kid out of the water. He can't identify a single shape, number, or color.
He'll point to body parts on himself, and animals in books. He has said a few animals/imitated animal sounds, and will point to many objects when commanded to, and follow "orders" like sitting down on the couch when he's standing, or throwing something away when I hand it to him. But counting and saying the alphabet? That's in the distant, distant future, lol.
I think he's slightly below average to average on fine and gross motor skills. He is pretty clumsy, not great with crayons and utensils, etc.
I do think he's above average intelligence wise. He knows all his letters and numbers 1-10, shapes, colors, animals, body parts and has a crazy vocabulary. He is also very intelligible for his age, I think--a stranger could probably understand at least 75% of what has saying, and he speaks in 2-3 word sentences most of the time.
He blows my kid out of the water. He can't identify a single shape, number, or color.
He'll point to body parts on himself, and animals in books. He has said a few animals/imitated animal sounds, and will point to many objects when commanded to, and follow "orders" like sitting down on the couch when he's standing, or throwing something away when I hand it to him. But counting and saying the alphabet? That's in the distant, distant future, lol.
C is 6 months older than S though. All of these skills have emerged in the last 6 months, mostly the last 3. There's a huuuuge difference between 18-24 months.
Post by ginkgoleaf on Sept 16, 2014 9:55:21 GMT -5
At 2 he was speaking on a 4yo level, but I think his peers are catching up with him now at 3.5yo. He has always been a little behind with physical stuff, like jumping, but he's catching up with that now and is probably average.
Post by quickstepstar on Sept 16, 2014 9:57:08 GMT -5
A&A are very advanced in reading and math. They are in 1st grade now, and they are reading at 3rd+ grade level, and dong 2nd/3rd grade math (double diggit addition/subtraction for big numbers with carry and renaming) and multiplication. We are starting division. Sports not so much. You could also say they are advanced in music, but truthfully I don't think they are particularly gifted in that of anything, but we do practice with them for ~45min-1 hour per day, and that certainly shows. They also started at 4.5, younger than most of their peers.
K is average She is more physical though. That kid is amazing on bars and balance beam! She will be 3 in November and knows only like 5 letters and just now learned to count to 10...
I think they'll both be smart (I mean, I married a physicist. An actual Sheldon Cooper)
My DD was very behind on speech but could do 24 piece puzzles by herself before two and 100 piece puzzles at four. At five I think she's on par to what she'll need to know for Kindergarten. She impresses me more with her logical thinking and understanding of things than academic skills.
Now DS has two words he uses purposefully at six months. Sometimes together as a sentence. Twy sentra genius alert. I'm just hoping this means I don't have to pay for speech therapy again lol.
Well my kids are older so I have a better gage. I'll say I've never really encouraged memorization with my children & they've never seen a flash card in their lives before school. They play with toys their first 3-4yrs & not much else. Not judging, it's just not my thing.
DD1 is gifted artistically (music, fine art, drama) & it's pretty obvious she's way above average and has been since about turning 3. She's also advanced athletically compared to peers. She's low-average at language arts...as a diagnosed dyslexic that is no surprise. At the end of K she was intelligence tested & her range was 0-K (lowest possible) to mid-year 8th grade. She's not average really at all...extreme highs & lows. She's had intense tutoring & now scores 85-99% in everything but it took extreme effort to get there. Memorizing letters, words, etc was very hard...but complicated puzzles & problem solving comes naturally.
DD2 was advanced verbally but that's averaged out. Her personality interferes with academics as an extreme perfectionist. But I'd say she gets math very easily & most things come easy to her. I'd say not advanced, just high average in most areas...including art & athletics.
DD3 was delayed motor skills. She's a seems to get reading & academics easily but she just started K. She's obsessed with designing & building. She's very unique in interests compared to her sisters but I'd guess still average. She is absolutely hilarious though. Her 1 liners can get a room of adults rolling. That can't be taught .
DD4 is 18mo & hasn't even had a shape or letter pointed out to her much less know any. She average from what I can tell except her interest in dogs, cats, breast feeding & men seem above average. Lol. She plays all day she's not eating or sleeping. She's above average in her ability to take a fall & not cry. That kid is tough.
I think most kids will pick things up on their own if given the opportunity. DD can identify all of her letters and numbers up to about 20 thanks to Super Why and Sesame Street. I certainly don't do flashcards with her and we do sing the ABCs and whatnot a lot, but mostly because she's obsessed and it captures her attention.
On the flip side, she loves to sit on the potty but won't actually do anything while on it anymore. Most kids develop unevenly so I'm not too concerned about it.
No, in all seriousness, I just think it is very difficult to say whether a child has above (or below) average athletic or intellectual ability as a child. Especially at the age of two.