What’s gifted at 2?

[Ellie2015]

Many of you mummies have talked about their kids being gifted on this forum. Just curious to know what could your DD’s do (gross/fine motor, speech, social etc) at age 2 to call them gifted..? (Obviously I have a 2 yr old DD and I am under no delusion to call her gifted :))
Thanks xx

This is interesting about the moods and sensitivities. DS (2) is happy go lucky but he's very aware of moods, emotions and feelings of others even when they are subtle . At 18 months he would point to pictures of book characters and say 'he's sad / angry / crying ' and he was accurate even when it was a very subtle expression.

The thing to bare in mind is that someone can be gifted for a two year old but that doesn't mean that they are gifted in general. True giftedness is revealed when they make a scientific breakthrough or write a truly magnificent piece of music etc. No two year olds are doing those things. They can be gifted for their age but that is all. Sometimes early giftedness for their age will indicate real giftedness (mozart was by all accounts a child prodigy) or it may not/they will be normal or slow for their age then suddenly blossom (William pit the younger wasn't even talking at the age of three yet he was making a dresses at the age of six and went on to be one of the greatest orators of all time).

I have known many people who taught themselves to read at an early age yet developed no literary talent (or taste) in adulthood. Conversely I know people who didn't learn to read until late primary school but then because gifted writers. A lot of it has to do with passion and drive as well.

someone can be gifted for a two year old but that doesn't mean that they are gifted in general. True giftedness is revealed when they make a scientific breakthrough or write a truly magnificent piece of music

That’s not the kind of “gifted” being discussed above. In that sense there’s no, “gifted for a two year old” - you can’t stop being gifted. Some may seem more advanced at two, but see prior conversation about high achievers.

Truly gifted individuals may never be revealed at all, and they certainly don’t have to do anything as show-stopping as a scientific breakthrough to be revealed.

As a PP said, people are born gifted. They then needs to be nurtured or it may never come out in any useful way.

If you are gifted in this sense then you are born gifted and will die gifted. Gifted isn’t a school thing, it’s a life thing.

This is really interesting! I don't think either of mine are 'gifted' but reading this confirms my thoughts that they are both really quite bright and I must encourage more....!

With DD1 the first sign of her being brighter than average (she is top of class but not IMO 'gifted' at anything specifically) was alertness from birth, she is so on the ball at all times it astonishes me, friends comment on her intensity (needs constant challenge). She's 6 now, can read anything, vocabulary is very extensive and problem solving / logic / lego skills are outstanding! The latter is most definitely not from me, I struggle with the puzzles etc she now does.

DD2 is just 3 and also showing similar signs...knew all colours and letters by 2, can now read numbers up to 200. I literally don't know how she can do this, she's taught herself. Starting to read by herself now which is fab.

Interestingly both of mine have had slight speech problems despite being very literate and early readers.

Ds just never made a mistake, sat straight up unsupported at 19 weeks, never wobbled, never toppled over. Crawled (fast and accurately) at 6 months, walked with no trips, safe on stairs ect 10 months. He never made an error with tenses or pronouns and got all his irregular verbs quickley ( before 18 months) he also had his colours around then. His sister was born when he was 30 months old and I remember asking him to get me a nappy for the baby, he turned around and said "you are always asking me to do things for you, get it yourself "!

IQ is a spectrum. I do not know the cut off line below which you are not gifted and above which you are, but education does increase IQ. So theoretically a child just below the line could be increased to just above it by education.

Also, it is really difficult to get an accurate IQ for two year olds.
Any two year old who teaches themselves to read with no adult input of reading to them, finding a teaching programme for them or sitting them in front of Cbeebies, in my book, is a genius. However, this does not happen. The amounts of input may differ, but it is there. However "my dc taught themselves to read", does sound impressive, if a little ridiculous.

Just, I agree about IQ testing and I think some aspects of this conversation will depend on your definition. I think this is why people need more information than just the IQ to say it’s giftedness, like certain personality traits and the sensitivities which are a common feature. Ultimately it’s not so much what they know but how they get there.

I do wonder though in young children if they’ve just been brought up being constantly read to, taught maths or whatever, if they would have a higher IQ score, but I think it may be that you could hothouse a non-gifted child and they would do well, but you don’t have to hothouse a gifted child - they just get it first time and they really have a passion to learn more.

I also think the “taught themselves to read” is quite misleading. No matter how naturally smart a child is they couldn’t make heads or tails of a book if they had never seen one before. Of course someone has sat down and read to them. That said, reading most things independently at only two is impressive no matter how they got there.

My DD knew all her colours at 15 months and was stringing full sentences together. She could do puzzles for over 3 year olds, and sort things into categories from 12 months. She had an unbelievable memory, and remembered everything to the finest detail. She could draw things very articulately and write her name from 18 months, and say hello in 7 languages. She was also acutely aware of other peoples emotions.
However, she was not particularly good at counting, which I found bizarre!

Would be interested yto hear your opinions on [https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gifted_and_talented/3329005-Does-this-look-like-giftedness-or-besotted-mother-with-too-much-time-to-notice-stuff this] (apols to those who may have already commented). I got good advice but am interested in any further views, becuse a friend who used to run the local G&T program has strongly encouraged me to start looking at what might be possible to extend DS (other than letting him be a normal toddler!)

sorry for link failure. Can't see how to do html on phone!

With respect to "early speech and literacy don't automatically mean literary talent" - no, of course not. But they allow a child to interact with the world in far greater detail, and hyperlexic-like early literacy often heralds great facility in learning languages.

DS from about 8ms old was really good at mimicking expressions and gestures and now at 2 is also starting to imitate voices very well. DH has this weird and totally useless 'gift (?)' of absorbing any film that runs in the background while he reads/watches something totally different and he then can basically (for the rest of his life) rewind the entire film, the entire dialogue, word for word while perfectly imitating all voices and accents. If it's a musical, he even can re-sing the songs (creeply, if it happens to be a princess movie he can sing the song with a perfect immitation of the princess's voice). Weirdly enough when I say something it doesn't register... Definitely seems like my toddler comes after dh!

Discussing the different types of infinity with a five year old.

Watching his YouTube lectures at double speed so he can get more in...

On a different note my son was riding a bike at 22 months...