Is my child unusually clever?

[Cursingtheboobytum]

Hi,

Just wondering whether my 18 month old is just a bit smart or unusually clever. Purely out of interest at this stage.

So here goes

She's 18 months old and has a large and wide vocabulary (haven't counted but pretty sure we're talking in the hundreds here). For example, she knows all her animals, wild and domestic and what sounds they make. Can recognise a lot of objects and name them from puzzles to jugs, toothbrushes, cars, sofa, bowl, spoon, fork, door window etc.... Speaks three word sentences in two languages and knows when to use each language. Knows up and down, in and out, on and under, in front and behind. Knows her colours and can count to 5 in two languages. Can understand complex instructions (e.g. can be given an instruction with more than one step in it). Does things like using her place mat to 'fish' for things out of her reach on the table, has tried to take apart her bike with an alan key and will use chairs and steps to reach door handles etc..... Seems to be playing at pretending things sometimes, like being asleep ir eating with her play food.

What are your thoughts? Do I have a kid who's a bit smart or is she unusually clever? I don't really have any other child to compare her too.

I have my reasons for asking so don't flame me. And I'm definitely NOT a pushy parent.

Thanks for reading

I don't think you could make a wrong decision in this case. It would be a case of weighing up how much you can expose her to at home (your own time /ingenuity resources) versus your financial resources and do what is best for your family overall.

She does sound pretty fab - streets ahead of my ds. :)

My DD was like that except her sentences were looong....such as "What's that in your bag? Is it for me?" to the HV and "I don't like it when Granny kisses me, her lip is hairy."

Charmer.

She's 7 now and distinctly average except in art and spelling. Go figure.

Unless the international school is exceptional, I think you can probably give her everything she needs at home.

She sounds very clever to me. My ds hardly has a word and is the same age. I think he is very clever too though!

D0G :) I think we may have totally opposite children - mine isn't fussed about music, hates getting dirt on his hands but loves his books. They would probably be great mates if they met - opposites attract.

She sounds above average but i boredom is a good thing so I wouldn't make that your main concern.

Sounds interesting. I'm wondering how my 2 1/2yr old is going to in school - I'm trying to work out if he's above average or just copying his big brother so appears to be a year ahead of himself. He does have his name down for a private school for various reasons, small class size mainly.
He's more than happy pottering about at home all day every day and talking, talking, talking, talking...

And my youngest would also love being out getting dirty with your son DOG, as his favorite game of all is to collect bugs from leaves!!

Children develop at such different rates, very few things are outside "normal".

I was wondering what selective Miriam was.

Hi Cursing. Your DD sounds very like mine, she's also 18 months and has a lotof words and of course I think she is absolutely brilliant :)

Am also in a starting school at 6 country but don't see anything to be worried about as regards that. I have no wish to hothouse my daughter but if she is enjoying learning letters and so on at the moment I'm happy to let her get on with it. I imagine what might happen is that she'll probably learn to read or near enough in English at home at some point but when she starts school she'll be in more or less the same place as all the other children for learning "proper" reading and writing in German, so she'll have no need to be bored either at home or at school.

At the moment my DD goes to creche 4 hours a day so she brings home German words from there and also babbles away in English to the carers at the Kindergarten. It's all good.

Is there any reason why it has to be an international school or can she not go to any local form of preschool or childcare earlier than 6?

sorry quick thread hijack...

I dream of closed mouth kisses - my ds looks like he is going to eat you.... still love his kisses tho'.

My DD1 was the same and still is now by the time she was 4 I longed for quiet

By the way, we also joke that watching the baby is far more entertaining than watching television - but as we only have German television it would be true even if she weren't my PFB :)

yes

give her a small country to run

Baby Goo goes in for a closed mouth kiss and then slips you the tongue.

She's very advanced

Ah I shall have to downgrade my girl on the closed mouth kiss test, she's definitely a looming in with mouth determinedly agape one. Must try harder.

My nephew is really clever(he's 5 mths older than my dd-but it may as well be years).

He had an assesment at around that age and drew a face with a neck and this by all accounts is a marker if you like. He is a smart child, he asks the most profound questions.

His mum and dad are both clever, so genes and enviromental factors i guess.

But yes, your DD sounds ahead to me. My dd couldn't do half those things still can't.

Thanks again. I guess only time will tell. We will continue doing what we're doing as she's a very happy little girl at the moment. Not sure about the time aspect of some of your answers with regard to activities at home as we also have a wee 5 month old too.

Your children all sound lovely. Thank you for sharing all your experiences. I also dream of baby kisses but i guess I'll have to see if baby number 2 is more obliging. number 1 is always far too busy!

My nephew is very bright and at nearly 5 has been in reception at school since September. However, despite being acknowledged as very capable academically (streets ahead on counting, reading etc for his age) he's been statemented for behavioural problems - he's lovely at home and with the family but just can't sit at a desk all day - he gets bored and kicks the other children.
I'm only saying this because just because a child is bright, it doesn't mean a formal school environment is right for them, especially when they are still little. She might be just as well having extra time at home with you where you can be responsive to her progress and provide a perfectly tailored environment for her.
She does sound advanced - my 26 month DD is at about the same stage or maybe a little behind (but of course I think she's ever so bright )

Surely the age they reach a developmental milestone doesn't indicate cleverness or otherwise. It's certainly fair to say she is ADVANCED in this particular skill for her age but this does not necessarily mean she is CLEVERER than her peers.

OP, your DD certainly sounds bright, but please don't think this means early school is the way to go!

IME, as a parent of 3 academically very bright teen DS (18-14yo) - the eldest DS is actually genius level (school insisted on testing him at age 5.5), and one has Asperger's (and very academic). School was hell, really awful, until they were about 13 or 14, at this level of ability, it cuts them off from other kids socially. Keep your DD out of school as long as possible! She will learn more at home!

All 3 walked before 10.5 months, all had unusually good head control at birth, and all talked early. One of them was talking in sentences before his 1st birthday, and counting objects into and out of cups - we have a video of him doing this........ so I think early milestones MAY mean an academic child later on.

DS4 (16months) is currently developing as his brothers did, and we are now considering home schooling him because of our very negative experiences of education and trying to get their needs met.

I have worked in childcare for many years so have experience of dozens of children in her age bracket. Her language sounds incredibly advanced indeed. Using a chair to reach things and fishing with her place mat sounds fairly normal, my own DS does these things at 12 months as well as running about and using a push along bike. Using an alan key sounds slightly advanced but not massively so.

Well her talking sounds very advanced to me, my older two dcs were quite late talkers and weren't at the stage your daughter is now for months yet. My 17 month old only knows about 10 words.