Gifted child or just had lots of input?
Hi! I’m just curious here, but my little one is incredibly smart. Not just with letters and numbers, but emotionally, socially and physically as well.
She knows her letter sounds a-z and has begun to read basic cvc words by segmenting and blending.
She understands and recognises numbers 1-10, can subsidise up to 3, has started looking at number bonds and has begun to understand basic place value (tens and ones). She knows all basic shapes and understand the properties of some - so if I asked what shape has 2 long straight sides and 2 short straight sides, she knows that that is a rectangle.
Emotionally she is very level headed, very very rarely tantrums as she is really easy to reason with and has a phenomenal understanding of why we may say yes or no to things.
The questions she asks blow my brain sometimes, when the bath was filling up, she asked where water comes from - so we got a book from the library and she is so interested in the water cycle etc.
I am a qualified teacher and have a great understanding of child development but I’m concerned that she’s going to go to school in 12 months time and she’s going to fade into the background because she’s such a good kid.
I just don’t know what to do for the best - like I have no idea if she actually is just a normal 3 year old that just enjoys learning or whether she does have high learning potential and I need to do something about it to make sure it doesn’t cripple her?!
I’ve tried just not doing activities and stuff with her (all through play!) but she makes them up herself 😂 we’ll be walking through town and she’ll be picking out letters and numbers that she can see.
There is so much information out there for children that are ‘behind’ (awful word) the typical traits of a 3 year old but not a great deal on children that are ‘above’.
I feel daft asking for help but I’m not sure where else to go.
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Sorry, I have no advice, but just wanted to say how amazing this sounds! The only things I could think of are joining clubs and a variety of activities for her.
I am sure you already feel proud enough of her, but just think it really does sound like a remarkable achievement at this age! ✨ I was wondering, do you think you've put in a ton of time teaching her all that stuff she knows, or does it all just come very naturally to her?
Whish you and your little one all the best 🫶🏻
I remember a very similar question came up on Reddit a few weeks ago (similar age and giftedness)- I think it was on UkParenting?
Overwhelmingly, the response was just to facilitate play and if learning/ curiosity happens alongside that then great, but not to foster further development through rigid learning or thinking of opportunities to “learn more” specifically. Given your background and profession I’m sure she comes across a multitude of things to explore just organically. The concern is that by the time they start formal education that they are so far advanced that they are bored in school and struggle to bond/make friends with peers. If someone is naturally gifted that will carry them through life, but they also need to learn the inter-personal social skills that are required to work/ have a loving relationship or friendship - and school provides a great grounding for that.
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