My son seems to be talking more than his friends that are his age and even up to 9 months older than him. He picks up on things so quickly. I can read books to him for about an hour before he gets bored. He talks in 4 or 5 word sentences. I don't know if I just think he is smart because he is mine, but lots of people tell me that they are also amazed. If you can tell by my spelling, I am not a genius, but I would like to know if there is a test he can take to see if he is ahead and if he is if there is a program or book I should read to help challenge him. Thanks!
2007-12-27 10:38:24 · 6 answers · asked by Emily H 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
I evaluate babies development for my job. There is no real IQ test that we can give a baby this young. We have some for kids who are turning 3, but they are not even the same thing. Once your child is school aged and you think he's gifted, you can get him tested then. At this age, your child's language is definitely ahead, but it really has no impact on him later on. I've seen kids be way ahead as a toddler, but then be the same as his/her peers by kindergarten. I've also seen some really delayed kids who have caught up by kindergarten.
2007-12-27 10:42:11 · answer #1 · answered by Melissa 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
talk to him, read to him, take him places (grocery store, zoo, park, children's museum, fire station ... doesn't matter where -- just to experience different things!), have him interact with other kids and other adults and especially you. i bet you're already doing all of that which is why he's ahead. keep doing what you're doing! slowly transition to longer or more challenging books, harder puzzles, simple board games, bigger block towers, etc. you know him and will figure out the best way to challenge him. at 18 months you don't need a program ... and he needs to focus mostly on play. it's certainly working for him so far!
don't worry about testing. the only reason to test is when he's school age (and then only if your school system has a gifted and talented program) to make sure hes appropriately challenged. otherwise the test will just show what you already know. no point labeling an 18-month-old, even with a "positive" label.
congratulations on your smart toddler. and your spelling is just fine! ;-)
2007-12-27 19:14:38 · answer #2 · answered by ... 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You don't need a test. Your son is smart for his age. There are no IQ or achievement tests that measure that young. Just keep doing what you are doing . Talk and read to him. Let his curiousitiy take him as far as he can handle. You don't have to be a genius.
My son is also very smart and verbally advanced. I just talk and read to him as much as possible. He is 3 and knows all his letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. We have placemats that have numbers and letters. I have him point to things and talk about it. We count anything we can including wheels, trains, crackers, and blocks. We play a game where we try to think of as many things that start with a letter as we can.
Once your son is in school, he can be tested for GATE and placed appropriately.
2007-12-27 18:48:29 · answer #3 · answered by seatonrsp 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Um, what would testing do to help him? I personally think it's ridiculous to test young children for the purpose of labeling them "gifted." My son was and is very ahead of the game for his age, and I really couldn't care less about slapping a label on him. Just let him be a kid! If he's really that bright, just play with him as you normally would. As long as he isn't behind, there's no need to test him.
2007-12-27 20:31:37 · answer #4 · answered by SoBox 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I see nothing that would indicate your child is any more intelligent than other children. All children develop at their own speed, some devlop certain faster than others but that doesn't make them a genius. I could sit and read to my daughter all day long when she was 18 months old and she woldn't get bored. What bored her was television. She hated programing geared towards younger children. She never watched Sesame' Street or Mr. Rogers, or Barnie when she was young. She did enjoy the painter Bob Ross on PBS though. She was speaking in full sentences before she was two and could conversate on the telephone clearly. She was using sign language by the time she was a year old, could actually spell her full name give her age and sign for dog, cat, horse, bike, stroller, cookie. She was potty trained before she was two and was reading at the age of three. Some attributed it to the fact that she was around mostly adults. I also have a degree in American Sign Language and Deaf Culture, by the time she was in Kindergarten she was alread at a fourth grade reading level, at seven she was reading Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe.
So no your child isn't all that "gifted". Oh by the way my child was tested...yes she is a genius...is a member of MENSA and is almost 22 years old now.
2007-12-28 04:56:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 6⤋
Why bother? IQ tests do nothing but put unrealistic expectations on children and give the parents something to brag about. Your kid is smart. You know it, and everyone else does. Read to him, talk to him, play with him, encourage him gently. But don't push him.
2007-12-27 18:55:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋