I suspected when DS seemed to be able to apply what he learned. For instance, he recognized the letters of the alphabet at 18 months, but he would point the letters out on signs or in a book.
I also suspected when he seemed to grasp fundamental math concepts early. He was able to move seamlessly from counting out objects to understanding math in equation format before his 4th birthday. DS accelerated quickly in math and was able to do simple multiplication, division and understand concepts like fractions, add-ins (solving for x in simple equations) and negative numbers well before kindergarten.
There are other signs that we didn't look for but may have been more meaningful. DS was highly creative, he had an obsession with certain topics (usual suspects- weather, dinosaurs, ocean life, etc.). He was reading chapter books in kindergarten and accelerated quickly from the Magic Treehouse to Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, etc.
I didn't *know* until we had an IQ done- we did the IQ test at the end of kindergarten and another at the end of 2nd grade when he was diagnosed with ADHD. Both showed that he was exceptionally/profoundly gifted.
What I would say if people are looking for advice on this topic is that 1) every kid is different--we know a highly gifted child who did everything on or behind schedule while he worked out his physical energy and sensory issues- then just accelerated rapidly in intellectual pursuits and 2) it may not be what a child knows (alphabet, shapes, etc) but whether they can apply that information outside of the specific learning context. (e.g. an 18 month old knows the shape in the puzzle, would he notice it on the street sign?) 3) curiosity was huge in our house. I could not do one thing (run the vacuum, turn on the sprinkler, lock a door, etc) without a young toddler getting in the mix and trying to figure out how it "works."
Last edited by cammom; 09/01/17 08:21 AM.
