how to develop very bright toddler

[Cornberry]

I know this is a controversial topic but my 20 month old is very bright and apparently advanced (what we keep being told as she is our first) and I just want to to know what to do to make sure she is getting the stimulation she needs to make the most of her ability. She attends a wonderful nursery where she receives a lot of attention and they target activities at her level, which is fantastic. I just want to know what you do with a gifted child. She can speak well already, count to ten, say the alphabet, understands most things, has a remarkable memory, picks things up very fast and startles us daily by using words we're sure she's only heard once. She started walking at about ten months and has always been big for her age. Today at nursery they said she was recognising names of animals on flash cards. Should I be doing something to help her?! I don't want to inflate her achievements and I wouldn't have thought much of it having no frame of reference, but the nursery stuff make such a fuss that I want to do right by her and help her potential to be realised. Thanks for advice!

[user789653241]

At that age only thing you really need to do is follow her interest and provide her with opportunity/resources to explore them.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Don't do anything formal, just follow where she leads. Throw anything and everything at her in terms of activities and see what sticks. Ignore what ages things are supposed to be - let her do stuff that is too young for her as well as stuff that is too old.
Ime they are best stretched by their own interests rather than things planned for them by other people. So for example I have a 7 year old who is obsessed by penguins and will read books at any level if they have penguins in them; his handwriting and pen skills weren't great until he started drawing penguins and writing penguin facts constantly which effectively meant hours of pen practice a day (apart from providing the books and paper and pencils I had no hand in this - as far as I was concerned I had left him in front of the TV watching dvds and would come in to find the floor littered with penguinalia.)
In contrast I have a 10yo who was marked out as very bright at a younger age but has big issues with resilience and all he wants to do is play Pokemon these days so I have no doubt the 7yo will overtake him academically, because the 7yo spends hours learning off his own bat. They do change.
And I would echo what other people have said - if you have an academically oriented child pay particular attention to social skills. Put lots of effort into finding them kids to play with that they find congenial (doesn't have to be the same age or learning type, just ones they get on with) because if they are feeling not-normal in the classroom it is all the more important for them to feel comfortable with other kids outside it.
The one thing that made me concerned in your posts was this lovely nursery that makes a lot of fuss about her ability - this can be a double edged sword ime because if they don't continue down the path of high achievement it doesn't help for them to have been marked out early on. I am hoping this is just one of those nice places that is good at making every parent feel their child is special.
But honestly, you don't need any special skills or knowledge to stimulate a bright toddler - just follow your instincts with her and do whatever works.

[HomityBabbityPie]

Kids of that age are stimulated just by having a nice walk.

My 13 month old doesn't have any recognisable words yet. I still point out the names of things (not flowers as don't even know what most flowers are called myself) and talk to him as though we are having a proper conversation. It really makes no difference. I was speaking, well, at age one. My brother said literally not a word until he was two, whereupon he got up one day and just suddenly started speaking in full sentences.

I very much doubt my mum did anything different with either of us.

[JustRichmal]

And I take the point that kids tend to even out in terms of ability

They do not. Some will leave school with a string of A*s, others will struggle to get 5 Cs.

It will partly be genetic intelligence and partly education. The first cannot be altered, the second can. You can for instance teach maths through the medium of cooking, but teaching maths through the medium of maths will also help. Not every child will be a self starter from the age of one month, but most will really enjoy following what mummy is telling them, especially if mummy is making it fun.

There are plenty of ideas on the Ceebeebies website.

[user789653241]

I agree with Richmal, that ability doesn't even out. Also agree that able children still needs guidance, and how you cater for them as a parent makes a difference.

[farfarawayfromhome]

So the cousin can't speak yet/is speech delayed and you're assuming she's stupid? How lovely.

[Atenco]

Similar here, MiaowTheCat, but a different generation. My brother is now a major intellectual in his field and I've managed to survive.