If you had an ‘academically’ bright preschooler, did they continue to be smart as they got older or does everyone catch up in the end and they are just regular for their age? Just wondering.

[luckycat888]

Stupid question really but basically wondering if being (somewhat) advanced now (I think) is an indication of being smart when they are older. DC very normal socially and is confident, gets in with others, happy to participate etc so no worries there.

@smartarsey- I think your bush ranger child got it right. He’s doing what makes him happy. High earners are usually not the happiest!

Do a bit of both.

Follow her interests. But also expose her to new stuff that she doesn't know about yet.

In my experience the kids who were precocious readers or gifted at maths were diagnosed with autism as older kids/teens.

I agree what PPs are saying about reading. DD has dyslexia and was slow to learn to read and was borderline behind in the first 2/3 of primary. She's in top sets now at secondary. DS learnt reading easily very early and was and still is ahead as it has given him an advantage, but I suspect he will slow down in secondary.

This is what happened with mine.

Absolutely! He will probably be living his life just following his interests and as a Mum I am happy with that!! We live in a different world now from when I was young.

It’s interesting, because we thought that DD might be dyslexic (dyslexia runs in DH’s family) as she took a while to read fluently-but once she did, she progressed very quickly and was in advanced classes throughout high school. Now she’s doing a STEM degree with a high dropout rate as it’s so difficult.

She was always confident and outgoing, but probably didn’t seem as academic as she’s turned out to be.

One of mine was very bright before she started school. I'd say she's naturally gifted, but she was always very organised with her studying as she got older.

She was in top sets where applicable. She got excellent GCSE and A level results, then got a 1st at university. She's very strategic and does a lot of research. At the age of 15, she was looking at the payscales online with the NHS for her chosen profession.

I can't say we did anything to encourage or push her, except buy books to read. Oh... and I used to buy workbooks and print things out, but I did that for my other child too, along with my nieces.

It's natural for her. She's maintained her academic ability and it comes through watching quiz shows (like the 1% club) as well. I don't know how she figures the answers out on 30 seconds.

I was getting a tutor for her older sister in primary school and thought she should join as well, as I didn't want it to seem like the older one needed it more. The tutor did an initial assessment and said she was 3/4 years above her reading age and she didn't need tuition as it would be a waste of my money.

I agree with the reading part. Reading is everything. I also think intelligent is largely genetic, you either have it or you don't. And motivation plays a big part too. I think teachers in particular say it all evens out/comes out in the wash which of course isn't true or else all adults would be the same. Also to add, teachers play a large part too because at any age if you're left behind/ not nutured it's hard to catch up.

I wasn't aware of what level my DCs were at in preschool. DC1 is however academically gifted - they graduated from a top uni with a 1st in a STEM subject.

Yes, the two who read at 3 were objectively extremely bright all through school and university, and have been very successful in their careers.

The areas where dd truly excelled as a preschooler, she still excels as an older teen.

We have evidence with this with her language studies. We aren’t in the uk. Where we are, dd has the opportunity to take an annual exam for the 2nd language the student is studying. She has been getting scores that are far ahead of anything she should be able to achieve with the vocabulary and level of instruction she has encountered. Her teacher contacted us the first year because the results were so shocking. She doesn’t practice the language anywhere outside of the classroom or even study for that class. She just has a knack for language in general.

@dizzydizzydizzy Yes, I wonder whether ability in Maths and the Sciences gradually becomes obvious as the child is exposed to more difficult concepts?

Yes although they are still young, one is a teenager. One is very driven and motivated to do well. The other is intensely curious. Reads constantly and absorbs knowledge like a sponge.
We have always exposed them to stuff. And we would have done that whether they were bright or not. But I have also worked at home with them everyday doing little bits and bobs including over the summer. Sometimes following an interest, sometimes extending something they might be doing in school, sometimes teaching them something new.
But also getting them into a reasonable habit of being able to work independently for later in life.

And one of mine if very science oriented while the other is more of an all rounder.

(Also since I have two boys they have been taught to cook, Hoover, do the recyling, empty the dishwasher, do the laundry- academic excellence doesn’t mean they get a free pass on being functioning responsible young men!)

My experience as a former teacher is that they mostly level out, as being “advanced” early on usually just means they have a very good memory and others do catch up with that. They often stay bright and in the higher ability groups at school, but they don’t stay far enough ahead that people continue to remark on it or they require specialist teaching.

My son’s math skills at the moment are unusually good, to be the point people are amazed. I imagine he will remain better than average at maths if he keeps his interest in it, but I doubt he will remain that much ahead of his peers that it’s worth commenting on.

Mine was above at pre school. And has slowly gone to being academically average.

I've heard it argued that it's the school system itself that levels out these kids, not that they couldn't remain more advanced outside of that if given the opportunity to learn freely and at their own pace.

Yes my DD was considered G & T throughout nursery and primary school - up to Year 5.
Then her level spiralled into mediocrity! Completely failed the 11+
I think her v early love of reading and the knowledge of the world etc from this helped carry her through secondary school (she stopped reading in Year 9)
Looking back I wonder if labelling her academically gifted was wrong - instead she was confident, curious and quick and a ‘leader’.
She remains completely confident in everything though (now 19!)

1 g&t and identified at nursery/preschool. 1 not - but August birthday boy. Both got same a level results (A*AA). Both quite driven to achieve in different ways. We have always rewarded effort not results and have never believed the are /aren't bright labels.

I had a similar 4yr old, I don’t know about long term but I found that she actually started to really enjoy artsy stuff after 5 and a half. She had zero interest up to that point (it was commented on by nursery). I think because she had learned to read early and found reception maths easy it became less interesting to her (she loved worksheets) she shifted her focus to glitter. So I wouldn’t worry.

We do have a table and shelf set up though with glitter glue, paper, colouring pens and paper, stickers, scissors etc. so she could use whatever she wanted whenever she wanted and she eventually took more interest over time snd would settle herself down to do something creative first thing in the morning or when she’s watching TV. I think if you leave stuff out for them they often eventually have a go.

Exactly the same here. Dd1 talking in sentences early, drawing full on recognisable pictures aged 2, starting to read at preschool. DD2 taught herself phonics aged 2, reading by 3. Both were towards the top of the class through junior school. In grammar school they were middle of the road. Both got good GCSEs (grades 5-7) but not the all 9s some of their friends got.

Our DS was very advanced before starting school as we’d taught him to read and do basic maths ourselves. He was around the top of his classes throughout primary school and we continued to help him learn by lots of educational stimulation at home. He went to an excellent secondary school where it was the norm to be challenged rather than coast and would informally compete with class mates in homework, tests, etc. Got a full suite of grades 8 & 9 at GCSE then A* in all his A levels, then a First in his Maths degree at Uni, and now has a very good job as an actuary. It was all about starting early and keeping the interest & enthusiasm in learning with end goals and targets so that he pushed himself once he was too old for us to push him!

My very bright toddler has stayed academically comfortably above average, but it has levelled out a lot over the years.

We had a blip in motivation towards the end of primary due to frustration, enthusiasm picked up with starting secondary, now in GCSE years and noticing the same, just getting a bit fed up with the curriculum, finding things moving a bit slowly, feeling she wants to explore things in much more depth when they interest her, but having to stick to the GCSE syllabus. Which leads to loss of motivation and enthusiasm,

I expect it might have a slight impact on grades, though she can be quite driven to achieve the highest mark. Hoping A levels will reignite the excitement again.

ds also very bright from an early age, talked early and read early. He was on the gifted and talented pathway and got 13 GCSEs at A*. He lost his way a bit with a levels but has done a science degree and research masters. We read lot as a family, we discussed current affairs, we travelled a bit, he did music lessons and extra curriculum things as well as sport. He is naturally interested in life and the world, he is curious. We just supported that curiosity at every opportunity.

DD was ridiculously bright from nursery age. But while she's very bright, the higher you go, the more of them there are. Miles ahead in primary, best marks in GCSE and A Levels in the school. But at a RG uni with 4 A* behind her and getting 1:1 on every exam ... she's now just one of the others. (Although she's now much happier that she's got people who understand her.)