Should I be doing more for a very bright Year 2 child?

[lemoncurdcupcake]

Posting here for traffic.

DS7 has been repeatedly described as bright. I've not really thought too much of it before but today a new neighbour whose child joined DS's class this week said 'I told the head I lived on your road, I hear you have a very clever boy, I almost got the impression he's too clever for the teachers!'. I didn't know what to say 🫣 But it got me to wondering if I should be taking more notice and perhaps doing something about it?

I think when I was a child he'd have been described as precocious. Not sure that's a term used often anymore. He's mature for his age, articulate, logical, LOVES reading and goes through books faster than we can find them. He's interested in an array of topics and I match/encourage/facilitate his interests with books, games, podcasts, he loves the horrible history and other non-fiction yoto cards, nature and space documentaries, that sort of thing. None of it feels forced or chore-like, we just both enjoy discovering new things and chatting about what we've learned.

He questions everything (which can be absolutely exhausting both for us as parents and sometimes I think his teacher 😅) and has an incredible memory for detail. I feel like I'm living with a mini barrister. But being my eldest child I just thought this was normal for his age.

I guess my question is, should I be doing something with this?! Or are we fine to just continue as we are doing, keep providing him with resources and information for the topics he's interested in etc. He loves a trip to the library as much as skateboarding or climbing trees in the park and that feels right considering he's only 7.

I don't think we're talking 'gifted' (though honestly how would I know unless someone put it in those terms?). I just think he's quite a logical, articulate little boy with a good memory and interested in a lot of different topics. However, I am someone who isn't particularly ambitious and I don't want to inadvertently let him down by coasting along if I should be doing something additional with the information that he's particularly bright?

YABU: you should be doing more (if this, then what should we be doing?)

YANBU: he's 7, let him discover the world at his own pace without making it too serious.

@Juliadiesalone 100%! Zero consistency 😂

Focus on them building friendships, being clever is great being lonely is not!

He sounds like he could be ND. Watch out for burnout x

It is interesting that people focus on what their child reads, my brother was 6 years older than me and a voracious reader; I read everything after him from the age of 5. I remember this quite sadly because I also had comics delivered and mum used to read them to me; around about then she said I could read them for myself, which I did but really wasn't the point

Oh @Tumbler777 that is sad :( I'm sorry! DS often chooses to read to himself at night these days rather than have me read to him and I'm already missing it. I'll be sure to keep the option of being read a story open as long as possible. DH and I have been known to enjoy reading a book out loud to eachother one chapter each, the joys of hearing a story read aloud shouldn't be removed just because you can read to yourself :(

This is so true. DH is reading DD the impossible creatures books at the moment. She could read them to herself but it's lovely being read to and I often sit and listen too! Fortunately she still likes us to read to her, I'd be sad if she didn't.

In my experience, the children who read HP at an early age often miss a lot of the richness and nuance of the text.

really work on social skills at this age, it really makes a difference to children like this when they get older and other children become less forgiving. Sounds like the academic stuff will just take care of itself naturally and if he’s also good at sport get him into a football and rugby team if he’s not already to learn about being a team player. He sounds very clever but that can only take you so far if you don’t have adequate social skills. I’ve seen this within my own family, the “gifted” 7 year old is now unable to get a job and the above average child who everyone likes is working at a city bank.

And he's only 7.

So cringe

If I had my time again with a precocious child I would absolutely focus on the emotional parts of life, the ADHD and then autism diagnosis came in early adulthood and I just wish I could have seen then what I see so clearly now. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing.

Platforms like chess.com allow you to play against a specific person, so if your dad's online that might work?

I would also say that kids often tend to level out a bit by year 6, so I'd just focus on social skills and things that enrich and challenge him.

The HT does sound a bit unprofessional.