I found the Ruf's book fascinating, but I take it with a huge grain of salt. Comparing kids can be interesting, but not always that insightful.
Disclaimer: I've been a horrible mother in terms of writing down milestones. TERRIBLE. So the following are to the best of my memory... and memory isn't so good these days.
My 3-year-old was accepted at a gifted pre-K and a psychologist (and pediatrician) have said he is clearly very highly gifted. Just how gifted, it's too early to know. But he was reading by age 2, putting together 50 piece puzzles at 2, loves to make up silly songs and tell jokes. He's great at math, seemingly intuitive about it. He obsessed with space right now and knows more about planets and stars than most adults. He also still wets his pants.
He is also incredibly stubborn and generally intense.
My 24 month old is a more laid back and easy-going kind of kid ( so far ). She started (seemingly spontaneously) reading at around 19 or 20 months. Actually reading - as in picking up a book she hasn't seen before (an easy reader, but still...) and being able to read all the words and even take a stab a big words by knowing the sounds the letters make. THAT was a surprise to see, especially since we never "work with" her on anything. We read books to her, of course... but she decoded things herself. She is extremely verbal, starting putting together two words at 12 months and longer sentences by 15 months. She knew many colors, the alphabet, and other such things before the age of one. Could count to 20 (and also backwards from 10) shortly after her first birthday. (We believe her big brother taught her that "trick") It seems likely she'll be very gifted. But as a barely 2-year-old she is really still just a baby. But she definitely gets a lot of looks in public, and I always feel like I need to protect her from being a sideshow.
(Personal side note: I talk very openly on this forum about my kids, but no where else. Still... I feel
weird just disclosing the above even though this is basically anonymous. Anyone else feel uncomfortable sometimes talking about these things, even in an accepting and understanding environment like this?)
Anyway, if the Ruf's levels based on milestones were to be believed, both of my kids are likely up there at level 4 or 5... but I really really really have a hard time believing that for some reason. (Maybe it's just the statistics giving me doubts. I mean... what are the odds?) So much can change. Maybe they are both just early bloomers and things will level out a bit in a few years.
