If you think your 4 yr old is bright - how can you tell - and shd you encourage or leave?

[MrsPuddleduck]

My 4 yr old son 'seems' very bright. He has excellent language skills and is constantly asking questions (this week's obsession is the difference between villages, towns, counties and countries).

He is starting the nursery unit at the local school next month but the question is - should I be trying to 'bring him on' myself at home (eg I know that if I got out the globe he would sit for ages with it asking questions about countries etc) or should I just leave it to school?

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Nothing wrong with encouraging natural curiosity, IMO.
So yes, get a globe, maps etc.

I think, and this is just my opinion, obv, that problems start when parents then start to pressure their children to learn as a result of that natural curiosity.

It is in the nature of 4yos to be curious about the world about them. It is definitely a good sign, but developmentally it is "normal" rather than exceptional.

I'm assuming you're in Scotland if your ds is starting school yet? And I think that formal education starts later there? Personnally if you have the time then I'd answer his questions, and introduce him to websites etc where he can find more info (though this is obviously easier if he can read?). Boys in particular tend to be interested in factual stuff and you may find that some non-fiction books catch his interest so that he wants to read (and frankly once he's reading then he can discover everything he wants to!).

Not sure what you want to leave to the school?

agree with bubble, if he asks, teach him. there is nothing wrong with encouraging his curiosity. the problems come when you try to push them imo.

Answer questoins as and when asked. DD has had a globe since being tiny and always enjoyed looking at it and talking about p;aces. She has had atlases, reference books, etc. too - and she likes to talk about things in them. Encourage natural, normal, curiousity. Don't worry about pushing them though. Go at their pace and interests.

Ladymuck, sorry I didn't make that very clear he is 4 in two weeks' time. We are in England - he's starting the nursery, not reception so he is a year off proper school yet (Birthday is 5th Sept).

I don't know if I should start actually teaching him things in case I am pushing him too early. Having said that if he is ready to learn now - he is going to have to wait another year for formal eduction.

He'll teach himself to be honest. Get one of those talking globes then he can learn all kinds of mesmerisingly boring information all on his tod.

I think the key here is equiping him with skills to find out what he wants. Can he read? If so, just shove stuff his way and let him work out what he wants to.

I agree, is normal to be interested in the world at this age.

DS was very verbal and articulate from a v early age...just respond naturaly as you would. If he asks to learn to read etc, then start looking at some phonics, but children learn v fast, absporb everything as they go along, he will find all sorts of ne challenges aty nursery, social, play and learning. Don't introduce anything for the sake of it and then oush it. He has years of academic learning ahead, let natural curiosity and conversation make him happy for now.

Sit him down in front of one of Cod's posts, if he can read it first time without any difficulty then we really are dealing with a genius.

Seriously would just echo what B99 said.

Keep chatting to him, answer his questions, show him how books can be used to find things out (you can get some lovely early years atlases etc from Dorling Kindersley or Usborne), read to him - just enjoy his company and his curiosity, which as others say, is a delightful developmental stage for the rising fours. If he is currently interested in geography, how about flags? Ds went through a vivid phase of enjoying matching familiar flags to country names.
Don't focus on "teaching" him though. School will do that
Wait and see how he fares at nursery. A good nursery will be able to provide some activities catering for his readiness to learn, if they feel it appropriate.

I guess it is one of the oddities that comes with having a cut-off age for starting school - if he was a week younger he would be starting reception class in a few weeks! That said nuseries are used to coping with the age range so he shouldn't get bored.

I have to say that I am sometimes guilty of the "you'll have to ask your father that question" approach. Countries and geography are no problem, but a lot of the science type stuff I never quite know the right answer to.

TBH, as ladymuck says, he sounds about right for his age! Don't think there's any need to do more than answer his questions and make sure he has a good range of stimulating and interesting toys and books to look through. Just make sure you do a bit of reading too - they come up with some very tricky and profound questions which can be either factually or philosophically challenging. (Examples being 'Where does God live?', 'When will the world end?', 'Do any dinosaurs other than Triceratops have horns?' and so on and on and on) Enjoy his natural curiosity but it doesn't sound like he needs more than someone to bounce ideas off!

My just-turned-5 yo dd is quite clever (IMO of course!) She started talking early - in fact I feel like I've been chatting to her and explaining things to her forever! Without doing the whole annoyingly smarmy proud mummy thing, she is way ahead of the Early Learning Targets (or whatever they're called).

I never talk down to her - I always try and give her good answers to her questions, and to explain things in words she understands, and each day I teach her four or five new words (okay, so maybe I am a smarmy proud mummy!) and do maths practice (which she loves and asks for) and I quite often write her notes - rather than asking her if she'd like a drink I write it down so that she reads it - and she writes a reply! The thing is that she loves all this 'learnng' as she calls it and she'd feel short-changed if I didn't do all this with her. If she weren't so keen I wouldn't push it on her.

She's sitting watching Ceebeebies atm tho!

Well said Kerry!

Agreed.Follow his lead, lightly push, but never overstep the mark and he'll do fine (according to Vygotsky, that is!). His theory was that actually if you do not encourage children to develop and grow then that could actually harm their self esteem. So go for it!
My DD (3) is interested in sewerage farms at the mo... but I answer all her questions to the best of my ability and explain things about cycles in life etc etc... and she thrives on it! Go for it and your son will too.
HTH