Photographic Memory or Gifted ????

[FuntoLearn]

My DD (age 6) has read the first 4 pages of Magic Faraway Tree before school today and when I asked her to tell me about it she told me it pretty much word for word - she also understood the story so far.

Is this normal for a bright child or is this photographic memory of sorts?

Assume its photogra[hic mempry and if so, where do I go from here...

Probably a bit of both (great book by the way, my DD has just finished it and I remember it fondly from my childhood). Dont quite understand what you are asking re; where do I go from here? Do you need to go anywhere? Dont wish to sound flippant BTW,just expose your DD to lots of books and let her enjoy them.

Sorry I was a bit vague - just wondered if she has a photographic memory then are there any blogs or sites that are worth looking at. Any particular books that are good for her etc etc. SHe reads all the time and is ploughing through Roald Dahl at the mo.

So proud of her.

You are right to be proud, all mine love books and I am proud of them too. I havent heard of any particular websites etc, probably when the teachers get home later they would be able to advise you better! My husband ( a teacher) doesnt believe in photographic memories and learning BTW but I wonder about my just 6 year old. Is your child YR1 or YR2 incidentally? Just being nosy there.

She is in Year 1 - yours too?

Yes yr1. How does she perform in class? Have the teachers commented on her abilities?

She is way ahead of the rest of the class.

The teacher thinks she is very very bright and want her to work with a Year 2 child in Year 1 class (but so its not noticable and so that she is not alienated)

She has a fab teacher.

How about your DD?

I think lots of kids do have this sort of memory - I always put it down to them having uncluttered minds!!! Glad she's enjoying her reading.

I think you need to tread very carefully here,speaking from experience although clearly you have a bright child its important that you dont enforce the 'prodigy' label,what tends to happen in year 1 is that inevitably some children are far beyond others in relation to reading and so it can appear that the child is 'gifted' but sooner or later every child 'clicks' with reading and once you can read well the worlds your oyster.

Your comment about where do you go from here? is nowhere except the bookshops and the library encourage your lovely dd to enjoy reading give her a wide variety of books to enjoy and help her to use her imagination to write herself,its not really until a child is a little older do any 'G&T' traits show- and what is 'G&T' anyway ?? my ds was supposedly 'G&T' he loved history and English ....at the end of the day the Dc find their places and shine regardless.

As Dh put it ......in my(his) day the only G&T we had was gin and tonic and it seems we enjoyed that far more than the one you mean.

DD is just the same as all the others in her class but she is also one of the bright ones which is on the other end of the spectrum from when I was at school....

Dont think she is G&T - just bright.
This post was relating to memory rather than anything else

Thanks to you all for the comments.

I think children have brilliant memories for things they enjoy. Think back to the toddler years. When you read a book they enjoyed, seemingly only on the 2nd or 3rd read they are saying it along with you. Then with nursery rhymes, the same thing. They pick up things very quickly indeed and then it extends into subject interest. So I know a 5yr old who can rattle off the kings and queens of England and the periods of history and so on. She has a book and a fascination with history and she just absorbed it like a sponge.

The human memory is infinite and in a child it is positively ripe for information and skills. It's just finding the right thing for them and the right way of inputting it iyswim.

She's bright undoubtedly, but what's more relevant is the sheer pleasure she gains from it and encouraging that. That's all you need to do.

She loves reading and writing - and absorbs it all. I will help her in every way I can by getting her more books and trips to the library.

Children are amazing aren't they!!!

Thank you again eveyone

They're fascinating. DD is only 2.9 and has just started writing and recognising simple words. I'm so excited by the world of reading and writing she has to come.

Fun - going back to the photographic memory question, did you see the article in The Times last Friday about an autistic man who had a 20 min helicopter ride over New York and the drew a detailed scale drawing of what he saw? Now that must be a photographic memory, it was amazing.