How to Tell if Your Child is a Genius
It is not always easy to tell if your child is exhibiting signs of above average intelligence or special talents as not all abilities will show up on standard tests but there are several signs to watch for that may be indications of a budding genius. Children tend to excel in one particular field although the most intelligent and gifted individuals often find a wide variety of hobbies and activities come easily to them.
Clever children cannot be stopped from fast tracking their learning so it is important to identify special abilities and above average intelligence from a young age in order to create a support network that can stimulate and encourage them to continue to advance. Don’t focus simply on academic pursuits, it is essential that intelligent children be given an environment focused on improving social and emotional skills as well. Many intelligent children find it hard to interact with children of their own age so it is important to provide good social outlets that will help them learn strong interaction skills. Gifted children will often prefer the company of older children or adults so consider signing your child up for an extracurricular activity which includes children from a variety of age groups.
Logic and Math Skills
Strong logic and math skills at a young age are often good indicators of above average intelligence. This can include an understanding of finances and the concept of saving their money, the ability to experiment in order to solve problems, and an enjoyment of puzzles, mazes, and mathematical problems. A powerful concentration and flexibility in thinking patterns as well as a willingness to accept complexity are also good indicators. Young children who are good with numbers often demonstrate a power of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis not common among their peers as well as a preference for structure, order, and consistency.
Problem Solving
Resourcefulness can often be an early indicator of strong creative problem solving skills and an ability to think outside the box and find simple solutions to complex problems. Being perceptive and open to their environment as well as asking a lot of questions about their surroundings, and particularly how things work, can demonstrate intellectual curiosity as well as an understanding of cause and effect. These children will likely be easily bored and must be provided with challenging and interesting puzzler to solve in order to keep them entertained and focused. More likely to challenge authority at a younger age, intelligent children with good problem solving skills can be precocious at times as they learn that older does not necessarily mean wiser.
Creativity and Emotional Maturity
Some children simply love to tell stories and play make-believe. With their wild imagination and large vocabulary these children often show an unusual interest in words and read frequently and independently. They will likely have a well-developed sense of humor as well as interest or talent in musical endeavors. Like their more logical counterparts they will meet developmental milestones early and require little outside control.
Another common sign of above average intelligence in children is emotional maturity. This can be demonstrated by an awareness of world events, a sensitivity to the emotions of others, compassion for people and animals, and a preference for older playmates. Extremely social children will often have excellent verbal abilities and language skills as well as some understanding of social pressures. They will often like to be in control and make up new rules for their games demonstrating leadership skills from a young age.
Mensa
While Mensa does not test children under the age of 10, parents can seek testing through an educational psychologist if they wish although this can be expensive under the age of 6. In fact, there have been more than a few primary school or younger children accepted to Mensa including one 4 year old with an IQ of 159. Speaking in complete sentences by age 1 and reading primary school books by age 2, there was never any doubt that Heidi Hankins was a gifted child.
Schooling
Unfortunately standard schooling is not always equipped to properly teach and inspire gifted children and parents must find alternative schools or educational child care programs that will encourage your child to develop their abilities rather than simply coasting.
“Some parents often think if they have a piece of paper that their child has a specific IQ that their school will therefore feel they must meet their child’s needs and have the resources to do so,” says Julie Taplin, the deputy chief executive of the National Association for Gifted Children. Unfortunately this is not always the case. If your child shows signs of above average intelligence, research gifted programs and specialized schools in your area.
Featured images:
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.shutterstock.com
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.shutterstock.com
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.shutterstock.com
Jenny Clerk is a child carer and a home maker. She believes that caring of children is truly a rewarding experience and she took pride in it as it’s her passion. She is well suited for advice on child caring, child health so on. You can reach her on Twitter.
