To think my friend's toddler is a genius

[flowerpowerr]

I went to visit a friend yesterday. I was shocked and impressed to hear her 26 month old DD already counting to 20 and identifying different colours! Is that normal at such an early age or is the child a genius? My friend and her DH are both bright.

P.s. at first we thought he was just reciting but he does count objects too he will say while pointing to his book ‘1 butterfly, 2 butterflies etc etc’

From my training in giftedness all I can remember is 'The bright child knows the answers, the gifted child asks the questions'. Back to Sheldon Cooper again.

Apparently I could walk at 9 months. Still proud

But did that lead to a first from a Russell Group University Suomynona?

Totally normal - my eldest DS could read fairly well before he was 3. He’s 21 now and at uni but nothing special, not gifted. Some kids are just early starters, often social children because they live to interact and mimic.
No, she’s not a genius.

I think that’s so true about asking questions. You can tell a good absorber to a good thinker. If a child is asking questions off the back of what they are being shown then they are gifted or at least very sharp

One of my BiLs barely uttered until he was past 3. My MiL told me she's been getting rather worried.
He later won a scholarship to Cambridge.

Presumably the nursery staff who think it's normal work in privileged areas. My mum is a primary head in a poor area. Only about 3 children leave reception knowing how to read. In response to the OP, it is not normal but it probably is to the privileged of MN.

Normal in my household and with my friends children. My ds was also doing shapes.

I’m not privileged by a long shot. I have always read to my ds and he takes a great interest in learning new things. Not privilege just a little effort at home 🤷🏻‍♀️

Mine had a degree in quantum physics by that age, just saying...

By the age of 3 my brother had an understanding of chemistry. He could do chemical reaction equations. By the age of 11 he had jumped two years in school and by 17 he was studying medicine. He’s was one of the youngest medical professors in our country of origin and he’s heavily involved in various medical innovations and studies.
We come from a fairly intelligent background but nothing like this. He shown signs really early, especially when he would correct my maths homework at the age of 6 while I was in Y4.

Mine had a degree in quantum physics by that age, just saying...

My one friend who was an actual genius picked up a newspaper at 2 and started reading out loud the complete article. His mom had no clue he even knew letters. He was later tested and had an IQ of 182.

There are less than 350 people world wide with an IQ above 180. It's unlikely to the point of incredible that his mother wouldn't have noticed his intelligence in many other ways, including his knowing letters.

There are many more people who claim to be over 180 than there are actual people with an IQ that high.

Not saying your friend isn't gifted or clever, but the number is very likely to have been exaggerated.

26 months? Surely you mean 2 year old?

Boysgrownbutstillathome maybe read the first 10 pages first? There's a MASSIVE difference between a 24 month old and a 35 month old despite them both being 2. The exact age of the child has huge relevance in this thread. A 24 month old recognising letters and numbers is far more unusual than an almost 3 year old.

Fairly average child.

Normal

Ha! My daughter was ridiculously advanced in the early days. While my friend was really worried about her son who was the last of our cohort to crawl, walk, talk etc.

My daughter evened out, and my friend's son caught her up in primary school, raced past her in secondary, has a PhD, and is an international authority in his area of science.

It does sound within the realms of “normal”, which is very wide. If her parents are both smart there’s a good chance she will be too though

Ds1 at 2 and 1/2 could dribble a football at his feet right up and down a pitch. At 6 he did 500 keep upys.

My not quite two year old twin granddaughters know most colours, can count, know their abc and have an extensive vocabulary. One said an eight word sentence last week, ‘mummy, I’ve got crocodile and sisters got duck’ 😂

They can state what they would like for lunch and say ‘Mmm, delicious’. Say please and thank you (mostly) without prompting.
Are they geniuses? No, it’s just what we have modelled and words we have repeated often.

Probably a bit more advanced than average, but well within the normal range.

My friend's DS was reading pretty fluently at age 2 1/2 but wasn't potty trained until age 3 1/2. They all develop according to their own schedule!

Just average for that age.

Not one to comment normally but my three year old had her abc’s and 123’s down at 2 ...but still shat on my new rug ... just saying 😂