How to tell if a child is gifted?

[deardear07]

kabalevsky:

:? oh, just a side note, why is charlotte's web so popular? :scratchhead:


i've seen this being mentioned several times by different mommies. is this used as some kind of benchmark?

cos though this book sits on our bookshelves at home, my boys have never touched it.
not that they are gifted la, of course. :lol:

hehe...u shud get ur kids to watch the show, then decide if the book is good to read.

when i read it, recently...i didn't wana put it down. my DD watched it and when she saw the book at popular, she herself said she wanted the book to read.

[rosemummy]

Hi deardear


I think the milestones you’ve indicated are the minimum ie the child is considered to have some development delay if they do not achieve that by that age. Most children are ahead of that.

[Kabby]

rosemummy:

Yes, you're right. Some skills like reading ability really depends on exposure and whether the child had been taught.

I don't think we were any less intelligent. It's just that we weren't similarly exposed when we were that age.

:goodpost:
fully agree

[deardear07]

rosemummy:

Hi deardear


I think the milestones you've indicated are the minimum ie the child is considered to have some development delay if they do not achieve that by that age. Most children are ahead of that.

yes, as mentioned earlier in the post...that is the norm and gifted children tend to be way advanced than stated.

but still, i find that list a little outdated...some seem a little too slow for norm...

[Kabby]

rosemummy, you from GEP last time? that was your P4 text?


deardear, we all watched the show together on TV before, and I've read the book last time (the book that's on the bookshelf is mine), but they are not interested lei. but it's ok la, that's just them.

i asked cos different mommies have mentioned this in particular in different threads in different contexts, so was curious.

[2ppaamm]

I gave the ‘IQ’ info in my previous posts as-a-matter-of factly to anyone needing such advice. However… here’s my personal take.


My kids are now much older, and I have one who is already graduating from uni, and one starting uni in a few days. Having journeyed this far, I have come to learn that giftedness means very little in real life. Those IQ tests are academic and I had to do some to help my younger son who was misdiagnosed for ASD. Fortunately, my older kids are really nice people and that really warms my heart everyday. And because they are my older kids, I had no clue how to raise them ‘properly’ like many great mothers here.

It was never important whether they were gifted or not, my job was always to help them discover their passions and steer them to the path that will realize their dreams. To some extent, I feel good looking at them, not because some people call them geniuses, but because they are respectful to me, and they volunteer to iron the cloths and cook a dish or two whenever I am tired. I am proud that they will train hard in their sports despite the fatigue and that they volunteer to train the younger kids. They are ordinary and sweet.

I remember how the journey was when they were young. Some told me my kids will be useless, some told me they will be somebody one day. I only knew, just like other kids, they are unique. I did not look for gifted classes to send them to, or even think they are gifted.

Now 17 and 15, I believe they are sensible and matured and most of all, know what they want and what they want to pursue. If you ask me, I believe that’s the difference between my children and many of their peers. Someone once told me the earlier a person finds his calling, the more successful he will be.

I have another three more to go. I know some of my kids are more gifted than their siblings, but I raise them the same way. We have the same fun, they attend the same classes, have the same food, love the same silly jokes. My job is the same, help them find that special passion, and then find that path that will help that passion blossom. Job of a mother, to a gifted kid or not, it is more or less the same.

If the child is gifted and we can find the correct help, use that resource. I did not seek any help for my older kids. For the younger ones, I had a lot of offer for help. Unfortunately, sometimes I wished I had raised them more normally like the older ones. I already had a system in place and all these sophisticated ‘help’ messed up my simple process. I have learnt no one knows my kids better.

The best enrichment for a child, gifted or not, is the same. The opportunities to find his capabilities, love, friends and passion. Time to develop those. Only parents can offer that kind of enrichment. No enrichment centre, no elite IQ club can. The focus groups make our hearts grow stronger by telling us we are not alone in this journey. Ultimately, the journey still has to be traveled by ourselves, most of the time on foot. If we are fortunate, a donkey comes along and we ride on it a little while, knowing we have to be on foot again. I guess our job as mothers is to keep looking out for donkeys (coaches, teachers, friends, opportunities) and never forgetting we are the real riders together with the kids.

[Kabby]

2ppaamm,

wow! and i like the donkey part. haha.

what you said sounds similar to a parenting book I browsed through at the library recently, are you one of the authors/ editors? kekeke

anyway i learnt (and am still learning) a lot of new things everyday here in this forum.

[rosemummy]

kabalevsky:

rosemummy, you from GEP last time? that was your P4 text?


deardear, we all watched the show together on TV before, and I've read the book last time (the book that's on the bookshelf is mine), but they are not interested lei. but it's ok la, that's just them.

i asked cos different mommies have mentioned this in particular in different threads in different contexts, so was curious.

No, during my daughter's time. There weren't such thing as GEP, or even Normal / Express during my time.

Charlotte's Web is a very good children literature text, particularly for the value it espouses.

[rosemummy]

2ppaamm:

I gave the 'IQ' info in my previous posts as-a-matter-of factly to anyone needing such advice. However... here's my personal take.


My kids are now much older, and I have one who is already graduating from uni, and one starting uni in a few days. Having journeyed this far, I have come to learn that giftedness means very little in real life. Those IQ tests are academic and I had to do some to help my younger son who was misdiagnosed for ASD. Fortunately, my older kids are really nice people and that really warms my heart everyday. And because they are my older kids, I had no clue how to raise them 'properly' like many great mothers here.

It was never important whether they were gifted or not, my job was always to help them discover their passions and steer them to the path that will realize their dreams. To some extent, I feel good looking at them, not because some people call them geniuses, but because they are respectful to me, and they volunteer to iron the cloths and cook a dish or two whenever I am tired. I am proud that they will train hard in their sports despite the fatigue and that they volunteer to train the younger kids. They are ordinary and sweet.

I remember how the journey was when they were young. Some told me my kids will be useless, some told me they will be somebody one day. I only knew, just like other kids, they are unique. I did not look for gifted classes to send them to, or even think they are gifted.

Now 17 and 15, I believe they are sensible and matured and most of all, know what they want and what they want to pursue. If you ask me, I believe that's the difference between my children and many of their peers. Someone once told me the earlier a person finds his calling, the more successful he will be.

I have another three more to go. I know some of my kids are more gifted than their siblings, but I raise them the same way. We have the same fun, they attend the same classes, have the same food, love the same silly jokes. My job is the same, help them find that special passion, and then find that path that will help that passion blossom. Job of a mother, to a gifted kid or not, it is more or less the same.

If the child is gifted and we can find the correct help, use that resource. I did not seek any help for my older kids. For the younger ones, I had a lot of offer for help. Unfortunately, sometimes I wished I had raised them more normally like the older ones. I already had a system in place and all these sophisticated 'help' messed up my simple process. I have learnt no one knows my kids better.

The best enrichment for a child, gifted or not, is the same. The opportunities to find his capabilities, love, friends and passion. Time to develop those. Only parents can offer that kind of enrichment. No enrichment centre, no elite IQ club can. The focus groups make our hearts grow stronger by telling us we are not alone in this journey. Ultimately, the journey still has to be traveled by ourselves, most of the time on foot. If we are fortunate, a donkey comes along and we ride on it a little while, knowing we have to be on foot again. I guess our job as mothers is to keep looking out for donkeys (coaches, teachers, friends, opportunities) and never forgetting we are the real riders together with the kids.

:goodpost:

IQ is no guarantee of success or happiness. And what's the point even if they can gain the whole world but lose their soul? It's more important that we raise children who are happy, grounded and who can find joy in loving and giving.

[Pen88n]

rosemummy:

kabalevsky:

rosemummy, you from GEP last time? that was your P4 text?


deardear, we all watched the show together on TV before, and I've read the book last time (the book that's on the bookshelf is mine), but they are not interested lei. but it's ok la, that's just them.

i asked cos different mommies have mentioned this in particular in different threads in different contexts, so was curious.

No, during my daughter's time. There weren't such thing as GEP, or even Normal / Express during my time.

Charlotte's Web is a very good children literature text, particularly for the value it espouses.

My kids doesn't like Charlotte's web either. My gal prefers Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - she has re-read that book at least 3 times.