Recognizing and Working with Gifted Toddlers
I get many questions from parents about their very young children. Is their son or daughter gifted? If so, what should the parents do about it? This is a very difficult and controversial subject to address. There are several of schools of thought on the subject.
- It is very important to identify a child at a very early age. If you do not, you will deprive her of her potential.
- The child may just appear to be gifted because he has been exposed to many experiences at an early age. Other children will eventually catch up to him.
- The child may be going through a developmental spurt when young, but this growth will slow down as she gets older.
In Joan Franklin Smutny’s article,
Identifying Gifted Toddlers, note that she addresses the question: “What do you look for in a
potentially gifted toddler?” She also provides a list titled: “Your toddler
may be gifted if he or she…” I think it’s important to note the words “potentially” and “may.” She is not saying that children who exhibit these characteristics necessarily
are gifted.
While you may not be able to find a program like New Zealand’s
Small Poppies, you can certainly take some of the strategies used in the program to work with your toddler.
The question of when you should conscientiously teach your toddler to learn is addressed in
Carol Bainbridge’s answer to a parent’s question.
I personally think that the easiest way to address this dilemma is twofold. No matter what you think your child's abilities are,
- expose her to a wide variety of experiences in a playful manner. The experiences do not have to cost money. They may involve a walk in the park and noticing the things that nature provides or listening to music on the radio, or playing with plastic containers in the bathtub.
- support your child's interests. If he likes books, go to the library often and read lots of books together. If you he expresses an interest in art, provide paints and paper or play-dough.
If your child has the potential to develop giftedness in a certain area, she will pursue it in earnest for an extended period of time. Above all, talk to your toddler and give him lots of attention and love.