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Talk to other parents about parenting a gifted child on this forum.

1 2 3 4

Talk to other parents about parenting a gifted child on this forum.

Gifted and talented

How did you find out your DC was G&T?

92 replies

BeenThereTooSEL · 08/07/2016 21:55

My DD is 1y and we think she may be bright or possibly G&T.

How would we find out? Who did you speak to?

And what were your DCs like at 1y?

OP posts:

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hownottofuckup · 08/07/2016 23:39

But what did the HV actually say ?
1 is a but young really to be classed as G&T, if she's picked up as being G&T it's likely to be once she starts school.

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BeenThereTooSEL · 08/07/2016 23:39

Hence why I said traditional learning activities

It's not a joke but I'll just request the thread to be deleted.

OP posts:

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BeamMeUpScottie · 08/07/2016 23:40

And by the way I was identified as clever at a very young age. And it was the worst thing that people could have done. I cruised through school assuming I didn't have to work, ever. And I got a really horrible shock when my very arrogant little self got into an Oxbridge college and I had literally no idea how to work, and i crashed and burned. Instead of asking if your child is clever, assume they are normal, treat them thus, and make sure instead your kid is a grafter. It will stand them in good stead

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hownottofuckup · 08/07/2016 23:41

Ah sorry x post, so the HV suggested it? Well maybe contact the HV for further advice.

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TheUnsullied · 08/07/2016 23:44

Sounds like you've got a gushing HV if I'm honest. Tantrums and sleep issues are part for the course at a year old, as are the beginnings of language acquisition. Don't take that as a dig though...I really don't mean it as one. We just don't need to label their abilities this young, and nor should we.

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TheUnsullied · 08/07/2016 23:44

*par

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MachiKoro · 08/07/2016 23:52

AH, HVs. Yes, mine said 'Oh, I've never been unable to get a baby off to sleep'.
Then she tried mine

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AnecdotalEvidence · 08/07/2016 23:57

When my one year old taught himself baby sign I got an inkling.
How does a 1 year old teach themselves baby signing? Did he read it in a book or did he learn because you taught him.

G&T is completely meaningless at that age - just play with them and talk to them.

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Diamogs · 08/07/2016 23:59

I have one that would be considered advanced at 1yo (walked early, talked early etc), at 13 months he regressed s on the autistic spectrum), struggled all the way through school, in spite of being a real trier.

The other one was late to walk, crawl, talk etc and is generally lazy and has a CBA attitude to everything. School identified her as G&T in Y5.

All children are different and 1yo is probably too early to be worrying about such things,

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user789653241 · 09/07/2016 06:40

Mine enjoyed puzzles, magnetic numbers and letters, Larger Lego(I forgot the name...duplo?), train set, dolls house, teaching clocks, abacus, musical instruments, etc.
I wouldn't worry about the actual label at this age, but just feed her interest.

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user789653241 · 09/07/2016 06:46

Oh, and about sleeping, he had no sleep during the day. It meant he slept through during the night from quite early on, which was great.
My ds's HV commented about his alertness, concentration and response.

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PlugUgly · 09/07/2016 06:49

I don't know why some people are so irritated by the OP's question ,
Yes I think the tantrums can be linked, one of my daughters is extremely bright and had the most godawful tantrums until she decided to stop one day (said in a very matter of fact voice on her third birthday)

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ShanghaiDiva · 09/07/2016 06:53

We live outside the UK so my Ds has never been formally identified as g&t. He is pretty smart and took AS maths when he was 15. He was adding 3 digit numbers together when he was 5 and we just encouraged his interest in maths and science - books, wooden puzzles etc. school moved him up 2 years in maths when he was 8. School approached us about this.
We have never done anything formal - lots of reading together, family games and think fun puzzles. As previous posters have suggested at age one it is too early to tell, but games, puzzles and lots of reading and discussions will be beneficial whether g&t or not.

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lenibose · 09/07/2016 06:55

I don't think tantrums and sleep are linked to brightness. My very bright 4 year old has always been a decent sleeper and is a very calm child.
He wasn't doing anything special at 1.
By 18 months he could count to 50. And knew all his colours.
By 2 he could do basic addition and subtraction. He could read at 3. Is a 'free reader' at 4. Can effortlessly do maths papers meant for 7 year olds etc.
He is also quite obsessed with his violin. I have no musical talent and can't sing a note. Pestered me to get a violin AND a piano. We said we could afford just the one instrument. He started 6 months ago and now teaches himself new tunes from his books.
Other than academic stuff he is generally bright and curious about the world. I am an academic so I discuss history, politics with him. DH is a medic/scientist so discusses that stuff with him.

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SoTheySentMeA · 09/07/2016 06:55

Why are people being so rude to the OP? She was just asking. She didn't say she planned to do anything in particular about it, just wanted to know how others new because **

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lenibose · 09/07/2016 06:57

At 1 we just read to him. All the time. Even now he can listen to stories for 2 hours at a stretch. We just read and talked to him about stuff. Our house is overflowing with books. He alone has over a 1000 books in his room!

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SoTheySentMeA · 09/07/2016 06:57

the health visitor mentioned it. If you don't like her question just done answer, there's no need to be nasty.

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user789653241 · 09/07/2016 07:08

"By 18 months he could count to 50. And knew all his colours."

I don't mean to be rude, but my ds was counting backwards in his sleep at age 16 months. " 976, 975, 974..."
Some children can be very different.

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claraschu · 09/07/2016 07:16

I have a son like Shanga's very academically clever, very good at maths and puzzles. I could tell before he was 1 that he was like this. My brother was the same...

My experience is that with some children you can tell quite early, if you know a child well, that they are unusually good at something. Of course there are other children who's particular talents become obvious later on.

My son would spend a long time figuring out how things worked, building little towers, fitting things together, focusing on one thing. He loved nesting toys, shape sorters, wooden bricks, puzzles, bright coloured markers, etc.

I would try to be imaginative about the things that interest your daughter and find lots of creative ways to do them. If she likes tunnels and soft play, maybe get her a giant cardboard box, decorate it and turn it into a temporary play house, with a door and windows. Find interesting places to play- look at some books with ideas about playing outside and engaging with nature in new ways. I think if you notice what your daughter loves and widen her world in that area, you will encourage her, without pushing her.

Your daughter sounds lovely and very bright. People don't like the label of "G and T", as it can be pretty meaningless and unhelpful so are being a bit harsh with you.

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1AngelicFruitCake · 09/07/2016 07:36

The above poster has great ideas. I'd continue to encourage her communication skills, lots of talking, pointing out what she can see etc. Try her with simple jigsaws and other problem solving activities. Enjoy her being a baby and let her lead the way in terms of what she's interested in.

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ApplesinmyPocket · 09/07/2016 07:36

lapsedorienteerer have you noticed this is the Gifted and Talented section of MN? There's no need for the biscuit, is there? what exactly would you expect to find in this section other than questions like the OP's?

OP. both of my children were/are very bright - top of the year/college scholarship at Oxford bright - and it was very obvious from early on. Very articulate toddlers, early readers (one was reading Enid B at 3) quick to work things out and pick things up. I wouldn't say there's anything you need to do academic- wise - I'd say the best thing overall would be to offer her a range of opportunities if you can - particularly consider a musical instrument, as this requires practice for proficiency and a very bright child may be unused to needing to work hard and determinedly at anything much, which is not a good thing.

Both my girls (now grown-up) are pleased they can play; it really does offer an extra dimension to life and lots of opportunities for solitary or group music-making, whatever age you are.

Above all else, social ease, confidence and happiness (a chestnut I know, but so true) matter more.

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datingbarb · 09/07/2016 08:11

My dd was a bright baby HV was shocked at her, she had about 20 words by 1 years.

I have her on Video at 14 months talking in sentence she say " I said no daddy"

She is off to secondary this year and is certainly not gifted at talented she has always stayed about average through school and actually looking at the SATS resulted we got yesterday she only passed the reading at the national average! Maths and English she actually failed!

My other dd on the other hand is two in September and has only has about 3 words, bright girl understand a lot just doesn't talk.

I wouldn't worry just let you dd enjoy being a baby and wait and see if she is doing something amazing when she starts school

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whirlygirly · 09/07/2016 08:29

I could apparently read hundreds of words at 18 months (not joking); everyone thought I was going to be a genius. I was always ok at school, but everyone else had caught me up or overtaken by A level.

I am no great shakes these days although still find it very easy to scan read and visually process language. I think I was actually hyperlexic rather than g and t.

I think we look to label way too early. I didn't benefit from the expectations in me, they were a bit suffocating.

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ReallyTired · 09/07/2016 09:21

Gifted children think differently. With the best will in the world it's impossible to tell how well a one year old thinks.

Dd has been labelled as gifted by her school after she got top marks in her key stage 1 SATs for both Maths and Reading. Her writing is pretty exceptional as well. A seven years old it's easier to see that her concentration, memory and thinking skills are better than her classmates.

As a one year old she has excellent speech, but developmentally she was average. She walked at 14 months and was completely toilet trained at 2 years and seven months. She didn't learn to read before starting school as she had no interest. Development is a journey rather than a race.

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OhTheRoses · 09/07/2016 09:36

I knew ds was by about six weeks. It was something about the eyes and how he seemed to take everything in and seem terribly focussed. He talked very early, his speech was incredibly sophisticated very early and commented on. He never seemed to have to learn to read, excelled musically and at sport too.

He's at Oxford now reading something very academic and predicted a first. His little sister wasn't quite the same but is still predicted A* A Levels and I very musically gifted.

DS needed very little sleep. Neither of my dc ever had a tantrum until they were teenagers. I sometimes found parenting them and keeping up with them very hard. DS can be very intellectually challenging and getting worse and I don't always feel up to it after a long day at work. Fortunately DH has a brain the size if a planet as well and argues points for a living.

OP, I have just typed that on a forum. I have never ever referred to it in rl and suggest you don't either. Other people sometimes comment. I have stock responses "do you think so" "not at tidying" and always try to say something complimentary about their children, often ore-empting any comments.