Do you think your baby or child could be gifted? There are the obvious signs – such as an unusually large vocabulary or ability to learn things very quickly. But there are also several less recognisable characteristics that child prodigies share which may surprise you. High IQ Society Mensa has shared a checklist of qualities that could mean your child is a genius - how does your little one match up?
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AN UNUSUAL MEMORY: Psychologist Joanne Ruthsatz has been studying what she calls the ‘largest sample’ of modern child prodigies on record, and she says that an exceptional working memory is the one consistent factor that they all display. “I think it’s the piece that allows for their abilities,” Ruthsatz told Co.Design.
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PASSING INTELLECTUAL MILESTONES EARLY: Many studies show that gifted children tend to start talking early, although walking early does not seem to be linked to higher intelligence. According to the Davidson Institute, while the average child can be expected to utter her first meaningful word around 12 months, the gifted child begins to speak, on average, some two months earlier. The stages of speech acquisition are also passed through earlier; by 18 months the average child has a vocabulary of 3-50 words, but little attempt is made to link them into short phrases until the age of 2; however, in gifted children, linking words into phrases can commence as early as 12 months.
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READING EARLY: Gifted children may learn to read by the age of 3 or 4, and read for pleasure by the age of 5, whereas the average child will usually not be reading until around 5. Not all geniuses read early though – famously dyslexic geniuses like Stephen Hawking and Einstein apparently didn’t read until the age of 8 and 9 respectively!
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UNUSUAL HOBBIES OR INTEREST OR AN IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF CERTAIN SUBJECTS: Is your little one a world-class expert in dinosaurs, or passionate about outer space? He or she could be gifted…
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INTOLERANCE OF OTHER CHILDREN: There’s a dark side to being a child genius, which can include not being able to relate to other kids your own age, and child prodigies have been shown to be more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.
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AN AWARENESS OF WORLD EVENTS: Many gifted children show evidence of moral sensitivity, according to the Davidson Institute. These children tend to care about others, want to relieve pain and suffering or show advanced ability to think about such abstract ideas as justice and fairness.
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SET THEMSELVES IMPOSSIBLY HIGH STANDARDS: This is another one of the down sides to genius – once you stand out, you set a precedent you always feel bound to achieve.
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MAY BE A HIGH ACHIEVER: Although this might seem obvious, high achievers are not necessarily gifted, although some high achievers are also gifted. High achievers are often externally motivated by the desire to get good grades or praise, whereas some gifted children may be underachievers as they are internally motivated. The great scientific mind of Stephen Hawking didn’t particularly shine in an academic environment and he was self-professedly “lazy” at school.
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LOVES TO TALK: Got a little chatterbox on your hands? Nurture it…
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ASKS QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME: Yes being asked questions all the time may be annoying, but it’s important to encourage that enquiring mind.
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LEARNS EASILY: It’s common for gifted children to be Able to grasp and use sophisticated new understandings quickly and easily
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DEVELOPED SENSE OF HUMOUR: Genius kids often have an exceptionally keen sense of the comical, the bizarre, or the absurd.
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MUSICAL: Child prodigy and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was famously playing songs on the harpsichord by 4 and composing music by 5.
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LIKES TO BE IN CONTROL: Like many children, gifted kids can want to have things done their own way.
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MAKES UP ADDITIONAL RULES FOR GAMES: Gifted children often love complex rules for games, and their ability to see connections between ideas may lead to them making up additional, more complex rules for fun.
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PREFERS TO SPEND TIME WITH ADULTS OR IN SOLITARY PURSUITS: Gifted children are operating at a level well above that of their peers, so they may prefer to spend time with other who are older than them, or on their own.
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INTROVERT/ EXTROVERT: Gifted children may be either introverted or extroverted, but research suggests that introversion occurs at a much higher rate among gifted children.
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