... correlation between early milestones and giftedness... correlation between particular early abilities and particular levels of giftedness...
It is my understanding that most studies for correlation with early milestones have involved subjects who were known to be gifted (high IQ) and a methodology of looking back at their early milestones and traits.
Taking the correlations as predictive... applying these correlations in looking at early milestones and traits of other young children, to diagnose giftedness (high IQ) or prognosticate the level of giftedness (high IQ) which may be substantiated on tests when children will be old enough for testing... may not be as accurate.
One possible reason may be that due to limited number of research study subject volunteers, there may not have been control groups in some studies. For example, there may not have been subjects known to have average IQs or low IQs and a methodology of looking back at their developmental milestones and traits... to compare with the results of the gifted.
The closest study I have become aware of which begins with young children and has been shown to have some predictive ability (and has been referenced as guiding intervention and policy) is a Hart-Risley study in the 1960's which came to focus on what is now called a meaningful difference, word gap, word deficit, vocabulary gap, or achievement gap. It is my understanding that neuroscience has more recently explained this gap by revealing that early synapse stimulation provided by hearing conversation from birth (and pre-born?) aids further synaptic and neural development which leads to growth in achievement.
The Hart-Risley conclusions were: talking with and reading to a child from birth stimulates synaptic growth as well as vocabulary growth and understanding. This drives interventions and public policy through educating parents to talk with and read to their children from birth, in order to fuel brain development and maximize later academic and intellectual growth and achievement. (Study overview and book description
here. Book:
Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children. Companion Book:
The Social World of Children Learning to Talk)
A word about possible paucity of study subjects and reluctance for families to participate in studies - it may be that studies will in the future be conducted without parental knowledge or permission, by means of various entities tracking many data points on our children. While some welcome this, others have stated a concern for a growing inclination to refer to labels and various population groups rather than regarding individuals as unique persons having many traits and strengths, and capable of developing more than anyone may predict... by means of adopting a growth mindset.
Here is a brief roundup of free, downloadable
pre-literacy and literacy resources available from the US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)... which appear to back the findings of
Hart-Risley... including:
1)
A Child Becomes a Reader: Birth to Preschool (2006) 36-page PDF, subtitled Proven Ideas from Research for Parents
2)
Put Reading First: Helping Your Child Learn to Read (2001) 8-page PDF, subtitled Helping Your Child Learn to Read, A Parent Guide, Preschool - Grade 3
3)
Shining Stars: Preschoolers Get Ready to Read (2007) 9-page PDF, subtitled How Parents Can Help Get Their Preschoolers Ready to Read
There are also a number of free, downloadable
reports available on literacy research, including:
4)
Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel (2010), 260-page PDF, subtitled A Scientific Synthesis of Early Literacy Development and Implications for Intervention
5)
Child Development and Behavior Branch (CDBB), NICHD, Report to the NACHHD Council (2009) 74-page PDF,
no longer current. NOTE: See page 45 for information foreshadowing a push for Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
6)
Developing Early Literacy: Executive Summary of the National Early Literacy Panel (2010), 11-page PDF, subtitled A Scientific Synthesis of Early Literacy Development and Implications for Intervention
7)
Early Beginnings: Early Literacy Knowledge and Instruction (2010), 20-page PDF, subtitled A Guide for Early Childhood Administrators & Professional Development Providers
