Clever toddler - any hints?

[madamez]

DS is 2.4 and very talkative and bright - OK, I'm his mum so of course I think he's the best boy in the world, but lots of people have commented on his speech being 'advanced'. Now he can recognize most if not all the letters of the alphabet - and announce that a W, for instance, is an "upside down M", he recognizes numbers from 0-9 and knows most colours and shapes.
I'm not a hothousing mum by any means, we go to playgroups, walk in the park and have books at bedtime, but I also let him watch Cbeebies while I check my emails/read the paper/cook a meal or whatever.
Now his nursery staff have been saying how bright he is and are impressed about the letter-recognition etc (I rather thought that it was their efforts that had got him so far). Anyone else with a bright kid can offer any hints on keeping him happy/fulfilled without overdoing it?

Just follow his lead. I got similar comments about dd when she was little, but I never really did anything deliberate to develop her ability. She drove it all.

She is now in Y1, and (I think) ahead of most of the class academically. However, she struggles a bit socially - I think it's easy for the bright ones to set themselves apart a bit - and I still concentrate more on her social skills than her academic ones.

I got that a lot about DS1. I had assumed that all toddlers were like him. I decided that assessment etc was a long downhill road. It was more important that he was able to socialise with others and just enjoy being a child.

I agree... follow his lead. DS1 is still a very bright boy who goes to a state selective school and has many many friends (everywhere he goes). hth

Thanks, that's kind of how I feel about it as well. Don't want him singled out and labelled as anything much while he's so young - he seems to enjoy both nursery and various toddler groups so I'll just carry on as we are

I have the same with my 2 year old, who was 2 at the end of last month and already talks as well as or better than most three year olds. Her prblem solving ability, reading and recognition is almost better than mine!

Am tempted to put her in school early but although I think she'd do fine and is dying to go, I think she'd be too tired.

Hi, If your little angel is as bright as you think he is, it could get expensive!! My daughter did not fit into state primary, despite trying to find a school appropiate to her needs... We had to switch to private ed. to cope with her IQ, (turns out to be 150 -200 by school tests)This has caused us masive economic restucturing as a family, as it takes 1/3 of our income just to cope with the fees. There is no help with gifted & talented children from state or any foundation or charity I can find...Unless from deprived, single parent, physically handicapped, etc. Parents of gifted are on their own....Maybe a parents website with numbers might persude the govenment othewise about the lost talent they are not supporting... what do you think?

DS was similar at this age, however as he has grown up it is causing his nursery a great deal of concern. His vocabulary and language is way beyond his peers at 4.5 and he is bored rigid at nursery to the point where he will not sit still during group time etc. Sticking glittery shaped doesn't hold his concentration, unfortunately he would rather make up elaborate stories about visiting the moons of Jupiter etc etc.

Like purpleturtle's dd, he finds social interaction with his peers a bit difficult - most don't have his grasp of language and would rather be knocking lumps out of each other. He spends a lot of nursery asking children "I'm sorry, what did you say? Are you using proper words?" Maybe that comment should be on Pruni's thread

I've tried to do normal stuff with him as he grows up, but no matter what he would always rather have one to one time with me and a book and it's getting him into deep water at nursery atm.

Hello bobsmum. have a similar situation with dd. now very bored with nursery, and has to wait until september for 'big school' (october baby). used words like 'runcible' and 'appropriate' and 'not negotiable' at 2 (caused havoc amongst unsuspecting adults). creating many challenges for montessori teachers. am reluctant to go 'private' route but not wanting to inhibit dd's current enthusiasm for learning. fortunately, dd has very good social skills, but is impatient with those 'who do not understand' (her words: 'they are not realising me' [means acknowledging]. resorts to sign language in frustration. considering HE but very reluctantly so.

Message withdrawn

summersmum- can your child read?

They are more trouble than it is worth >

Always need the attention and can be disruptive because of boredom.

I found out tonight at parents evening that my ds had been deliberatly answering questions incorrectly to confuse his classmates, how contriving is that. Btw his is just 5 and in reception

Message withdrawn

There is little point in having tests done at this stage (privately) they are expensive and soul destroying. Whilst they confirm your notions of having a bright child the system cant cope with it.

My local authority wouldnt advance him a year early into school regardless of the evidence produced.

If in main stream schooling they will only assess once they are in year 1. (so I have been told)

So Ive put my feet up and let it ride but it is hard work for the reception teacher to keep up with him

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

cod you're a stirrer!

I wouldn't read too much into this at this age tbh. DS1 could do all this at 2.5- trapezium was his favourite shape (and he could bloody say it!), he thought that M/W, 7/L, 3/E upside down back to front pairs were hilarious. They'd have him in fits of laughter. Lots of comments on how bright he seemed. He could hear a tune once and sing it back perfectly in tune- he still does have perfect pitch. Fastforward 5 years and he has severe learning difficulties, needs 24 hour care and attends a special school. Which I think goes to show that its not reallly a reliable indicator. Some children showing this ability will be bright, some middling average joes, and some more like ds1. Play with him, take him out, talk to him and enjoy him. Bright 2.5 year olds can be stimulated by a trip to the farm, there are plenty of years of schooling to come.

Agree with cod, let him get on with it. School/life is about far more than academic achievement, it's also about learning to socialise with people with less ability/greater ability/different kinds of ability.

its no big deal - many kids can do all that - chill

With my boy I have always tried to do things other than what he does/would do in class - whether pre-school or school, preciesly to try to avoid the clever-dick/bored disrupter scenarios.

A couple of ideas from what I have done with ds1:

Make sure that your language is rich and precise. Call things by their proper names, rather tahn simplifications. Talk about things that you see an experience, and expand upon them. Create stories eg about where the fire engine might be going, who rides it, what the had for breakfast, what it might be like to be a fireman, other things they might do, but allow the child to drive the story - you just help keep the momentum.

Go to museums, not just child-friendly type museums, but also places like art galleries. When we lived in London I used to take ds1 to the National Gallery from time to time. Each visit was rarely more than 45min long to make sure that he wasn't bored. Once he spent the whole visit crawling over a the mosaic floor on a staircase landing, fascinated by the images and how they were made. Another time he chose a picture on a map and navigated us through the building until he found the picture.

My second son has done everything early and although just 3 could easily start school. He is bright but not exceptionally so he is just good at copying his brother (just 5). He goes to nursery 1 day and is about to start a pre school 2 afternoons. I would suggest looking for a pre school/ nursery class at a school as they have qualified teachers who will be able to give you ideas especially if you feel the nursery staff will not be able to keep up with a bright child, but don't get ahead of yourself he is still only 2 and ultimately just wants to be with you and have fun. Also from 3 - 3 1/2 he will start making particular friends and that is far more important than formal learning at that age. I spoke to my older son's teacher and she just suggested lots of games eg from ELC based on letters / numbers, looking at books, jigsaws etc but to keep it play based. My son also loves Vtech toys particularly the ones that teach to draw shapes etc and the alphabet. Its likely the physical skills eg holding a pen will still be a way off if he is only 2. There are lots of other skills to learn eg riding a bike, swimming etc so don't just concetrate on the academic. The best way you can help him be ready for school is to encourage him to be confident and independent. Perhaps go and look round some pre schools and chat to the staff about it

I had 2 like that, one taught herself to read age 3, loved school and the social side and got 10 A* gcses. The other loved school even more (social side) and got 10A-C gcse's. Both as bright as each other (same IQ when tested at school). They both did local playgroup and the only input I had was to read to them and help them learn to love books

I don't understand why people are so concerned with education for little ones......at the end of the day, they ALL sit the same exams and the highest they can get is A* gcse. Better to be steady and paced over the years of education and loving the social side as much as the learning side.