My almost 2 year old son exceeded what I know about dinosaurs in less than 30 seconds.

He got an early birthday present of a dinosaur puzzle and the set of Hape wooden dinosaurs. Knowing they are "dinosaurs" are not enough and knowing what some of them are called is not enough.

I had to go check out several dinosaur books but I think I've finally got them all figured out. My son seems so tiny to be exclaiming: Parasaurolophus standing on the Ankylosaurus!

The bigger picture of this post is my son seems to have a very high need to use very precise vocabulary to describe his world. I admit I struggle to keep up. He loves construction, trucks, farm equipment, trains, and now dinosaurs and his vocabulary in these areas and requests for new vocab often sends me to the library because I'm pretty sure he knows more than me already in these areas.

Is this typical? Is it a toddler thing or does it keep going? What really makes my jaw hit the floor is his fast he picks up these huge and very technical words. He can add up to 6 technical dinosaur names in a day! I can't remember this much about dinosaurs. Ha!

I'm happy to give my son all the new vocabulary he wants but once again I feel pretty alone on this parenting journey. My kid is really starting to stick out at this point.

I don't feel qualified to say what's typical, but I went into parenting with some vague understanding that toddlers would do things like call all four-legged animals 'dog' or 'horse' and not be able to differentiate all the animals for quite some time, but mine were way ahead on that (as well as things like naming colors and counting). My DS was also very particular about using the specific name for a species of dinosaur or other animal, insect, critter, etc. Enjoy learning all the stuff you never knew! :-)

I had this same notion about toddlers and language. At the least I thought I had more time with my son as a cute little baby/toddler. His language makes him seem so much older.

It's typical for here, but not for the world in general.

Do keep that "his language makes him seem older" thing in mind as he goes on. It becomes quite a disconnect when you start thinking, "how can you read everything in the house but can't tie your shoes?" or "how can you know your multiplication tables but not ride a bicycle?" You have to stop and realize he's only 2, or 4 or 5, and just because he sounds like an adult, that doesn't mean he won't throw a hissy fit if he gets a drop of water on his shirt, or his blocks are out of order, or he doesn't want the ketchup touching anything else.

However, a child who sounds like this and keeps sounding like this in front of other people is much more likely to get accommodations in school than one who keeps it to himself. It makes it hard not to notice that he's quite different.

It is not that typical for a 2 year old but dinosaur names seem to be a 'thing' for. 4 year olds.

His almost obsession with exact vocabulary extends into anything he likes, dinosaurs just happen to be the newest topic with the biggest words. He is never satisfied knowing something like "train engine." He wants to know if it's a steam engine or a Diesel engine. It's the same with anything construction related. Do you know how many types of excavators there are? Lots! I had no idea. Same with tractors, he knows about all kinds of attachments for tractors. Once he gets on a topic and starts asking I'm usually out of answers fairly quickly because I'm not precise enough.

I'm hoping this eventually lets up. Or maybe he will learn to read in a few years and then he can find out himself.

The other big one is naming all the muppets. He has never even seen an episode of Sesame Street or the Muppets but we see books and toys everywhere and I let him watch some you tube clips when he showed an interest. He wants to know every name, even the really obscure puppets. Google is my friend.

DS9 was/is very much like this. Parasaurolophus was his favorite for years and he was always mad that it wasn't one of the popular ones for shirts and toys.

Google saved me. Once he started reading that also helped a LOT. His need for precision and knowing EVERYTHING is pretty much endless. The most memorable one for me was his absolute NEED to know EVERYTHING about where babies come from. We managed to keep it sort of vague until 4 or 5 and then gave in to the relentless questioning and covered pretty much everything. Even then he still wasn't completely satisfied when we refused to "show me!" lol

Meant to add some favorite shows
- Dinosaur Train
- Jurassic Fight Club (History Channel) - I'm not a huge fan of this but DH introduced it and it was a huge hit with DS (he still watches this). I would wait until he's older though.
- Dino Dan

There is a youtube video of the Dinosaur Train song "Dinosaurs A to Z". It is a fun one to do together as kind of a call and response:
"A!"
"Apatosaurus!"
"B!"
"Brachiosaurus"

etc. etc. all the way to Z.

Unfortunately, I don't think the need for precision goes away. With DS7, when I am saying something I have to stop and think if I am using he exact correct names for things - otherwise my point will be derailed into a side discussion of whether I used the correct word or not.

The subject doesn't matter either - could be dinosaurs, astronomy, politics, ...

Heaven help me if I say "get in the car"....instead of "get in the van". Which is what we own. When my son was smaller I used to say "I speak a language called vague and you speak a language called specific....interpret what I mean...you never know if you jump all over me and won't get in the vehicle because I call it a car and not a van that you might be missing out on a trip to the park or getting ice cream or something fun." It only took a few random surprise trips when he was interpreting well for him to get the picture to just be agreeable. Then there is the whole meltdown when the ice cream truck came by and I said he could get an ice cream...but he wanted a popcicle and thought he couldn't get one. Interpret! I said you could get a treat from the truck...I have money...I told you to pick what you want...just because I called it an ice cream...interpret "cold sweet item from the truck of any kind" if it is unclear ask before you melt down...the answer is pick any kind of treat from the menu of the truck. So hard to have different speech and thinking styles than child.

I can turn your DS's bad habit into a revenue stream, because some of my coworkers are so hopelessly bad at communicating their technical issues from constantly misusing vocabulary, unclear pronouns, and vague language in general, and turning your DS loose on the place to teach speech precision would yield significant productivity gains.

This reminds me of what I say about my DS3. "You really shouldn't be reading while you are still not using the potty."

It is normal in our household, too. (If I'm honest, parents as well as kids although we let a lot more go than they do.) I chalk it up to learning the language and wanting to be correct with it. That said, mine don't tend to meltdown over it, I can see how that would get tiring quickly!

Yes, imagine a toddler with a deep inner urge to learn all the body parts... not just arm... or shoulder/elbow/wrist... but the specific muscles and bones. It's great for telling the pediatrician where it hurts.

I think this is a great response for a child with whom there is a shared context, for example the car/van which you own and is parked in front of you.

Depending upon circumstances, there may often be a need to be precise. This may be especially true when individuals' knowledge base may differ (due to age, profession, expertise, SES, region, culture, or any number of other factors). For example: Another example may be discussing what is meant by "differentiation" when advocating. Another example: when applying to colleges, there is a difference between "early action" and "early decision". The list goes on...

Great advice, IMO. Unfortunately seeking clarification may result in some making accusations of being pedantic or "picking on" others.

This matches my experience as well. The goal is to have a mutual understanding.

I remember the dinosaur days. DS was always extremely precise and could tell just about any dinosaur from sight. I could never remember how to pronounce Quetzalcoatlus (which, he was quick to point out, wasn't actually a dinosaur).

The need for precision doesn't go away, at least not by 7. Just about 5 minutes ago, he asked me to choose between three things. Not paying very much attention, I said, "Neither." He said, "That's not a choice. You mean 'none of them'?"

DS is almost 10 and his insistence on precision hasn't gone away at all. It hasn't gotten worse, at least, but I'm not sure that would have been possible. When he was a toddler and asked a question he would add "I want the long answer". It wasn't enough to have exactly the right word, every other scrap of information on the subject was required, as well. I know a lot more now about some very odd topics than I did when he was born.

Cookie, we have exactly the same vague/specific language issues. I have spent hours on conversations like 'yes, I know it's a compact SUV and not a car or SUV, but it's a bit awkward and time-consuming to say compact SUV and really is there anything else in our driveway to which I could be referring?'. I'm going to try your excellent approach.

My DD11 is very much like this (and so am I, to a somewhat lesser extent). I had always assumed that it was part of her autism. Something to keep an eye out for, anyway. I have told her that she will make a great patent lawyer someday.

For DD5, it was a phase. She probably cannot remember most of her anatomy words.

I think something important is to ensure the adults around your DS don't patronize him by infantalizing their speech when interacting with him. It's important for him to feel respected, and use of accurate terminology is a way of conveying respect for your son's interests. Other adults may slip into saccharine over-simplifications. You can run interference or, if your LO is an outspoken firecracker like mine, he will self-advocate forcefully (and mercilessly).

I remember one library visit when DS was around 18 months old and one librarian was bragging about DS to another within his earshot. He had been talking about paleobatrachuses (+1 in the Dinosaur Train votes!), which she relayed as, "He's talking about a crustacean frog. It's amazing!" To that DS replied, "No, a Cretaceous frog. Frogs are amphibians, not crustaceans."

I prefer precise language but i have found as an adult i have to simplify a lot with most people. I always thought it was one of my random ASD traits. I can now look at something and realise that it isn't supposed to mean what it actually says without freaking out which is good but it still takes me a very long time to adopt slang phrases. I can use cool now but as a child it drove me mad when people said things were cool.

I've struggled to get some family members to speak with him like an "adult." They want to switch into a baby voice or they over simplify their language.

DS is my first child and if I had any clue about parenting I would have realized much earlier that he was really into very precise terms. I remember talking to my husband when BS was 14 or 15 months old because I was running out of body parts to teach him and I thought it was strange for such a young child.

One of my son's favorite games is for me to say as many large words that I can that start with a P. I find it hilarious and challenging at the same time.

DS #2 will be here around the end of the year and I have no idea how I will keep up with DS #1 then. And then what if DS #2 is like DS #1! I can't imagine this intensity with two.

Oh, my goodness, this. DD9 is insistent that it's not 7:30, it's 7:27. It's not blue, it's aquamarine. It drives me insane! I must try your approach, although it may be too late.

Colors and time yes vAgue/specific problem concepts. I started saying I don't know the time. Then I explained to him that I would always give a. VAgue time ansswer (to the nearest 5) and that was just how it was going to be. Or he was going to be on a "what time is it" time out if he corrected me or didn't accept my vague almost or about time answer. We bought him many watches.

For colors and time, sometimes we add the suffix -ish: It's blue-ish, it's 8-ish, etc.
Or, "it's in the blue family", "its somewhere around 8-o'clock".

Precise vocabulary may come in handy when writing compositions; Having a large personal word bank with many synonyms helps avoid being a frequent word-repeater and keeps writing fresh and interesting.

The key may be helping a child see when a penchant for precision is helping communication, relationships, and fostering understanding and when it is not, by considering questions such as "what difference does it make?" or providing level of detail on a need-to-know basis. This may encourage practicing flexible thinking, empowering a child to steer clear of overly rigid thinking.
Some examples of the level of detail which makes a difference and which one needs to know:
- Stopwatches measure to the split second for timing sports, including the Olympics.
- Keeping track of minutes may be important for arriving on time.
- Hours may be the best measurement increment for activities such as sleeping.

Along these same lines, kids may also be taught to consider when vagueness obfuscates an issue. For example, when solving a mystery or a crime, being vague about time could hide the truth by making it difficult to accurately place events in chronological order.

Understanding this about vagueness/preciseness may help kiddos with future self-advocacy, such as identifying needed level of detail on the 5Ws of a gifted program and/or 2e remediation/accommodations, and gathering information to that level of needed detail.

In with that, indigo.

Language is most effective when it is tailored to its specific function.

Communication is actually a theme of many of our conversations about social skills, behavior, clothing styles, etc. That is, choices about language (or eye contact, or table manners, or transparent-outer-garments-that-display-the-exact-color-and-design-of-your-underwear) are made not only with reference to the self-expression or thinking of the individual generating the communication, but also to those of the recipients. Not that self-censorship or blind conformity is encouraged, but that one should consider whether the message received by one's communication partners will be an accurate reflection of that intended to be sent.

Another way of thinking about this, that aligns better with language arts pedagogical terms, would be that one should generate spoken and written communications with due consideration for one's audience.

I'm appalled to admit the age at which "Don't be pedantic" hit the top of our house rules list.

Conversation from the weekend:

DH: (says something about to DS7 not walking on the furniture in in-laws living room)
DS7: I am walking on the furniture (he walks on the carpet)
DH: The carpet is not a piece of furniture
DS7: In my language, a carpet is considered furniture

This triggers a long discussion between DH and DS about why we need a common language to understand each other - with DH arguing for this concept, and DS arguing against. (As well as other family members debating whether carpeting can be considered in the category 'furniture').

Me: (tries to quietly read novel while ignoring the chaos)

… and then we get into the spiral of checking and synchronizing all the clocks in the house to ensure it really *is* 7:27 and not 7:28

Stupidly we sort of created this monster, because a little toddler being pedantic is so cute. Now she's 8, I'm more like, "That's enough correcting me now!"

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo Montoya.

()

I resemble this remark.

Oh god, this is my entire life. I kind of thought it was at least partly one of DD's ASD-ish things--but then DS is like this too, and he's really not ASD-ish. I've also realized that I can be like this, and loudly, when I see something stupidly inaccurate in media. ("A spider is not an insect!! Why is it included in this graphic on insects???")

And see I grew up in the south where we say....would you like a coke an the person responds yes, and the first person says what kind and the second person says diet dr pepper. And that is a perfectly legit conversation. I know many other words would be better than coke (cold drink, soda, soft drink, etc. ) but that is the way we talk here. I guess my son isn't from the south.

I'm southern. Makes sense to me. I no longer have the accent (which makes me sad) but I do still use all the phrases. I'm "fixin" to do everything, I ask what kind of coke somebody wants, and I'll never give up double modals. I had really hoped my son embraced some of my speech oddities but he probably won't.

About a month ago my son had an entire week where all he did was throw some major tantrums which is abnormal for him. Then he went back to normal and is demonstrating many huge cognitive leaps, one of which is this insanely rapid acquisition of new vocabulary. I guess his brain was in turmoil going to the next stage? It's fun to watch for sure.

Hah, this thread is my life. You know that Futurama joke "technically correct is the best kind of correct"? That is my 5yo. He is frequently pedantic and needs to know the precise meaning of every new word he hears.

At this point it's close to talking to an adult when you talk to him, so, as others have pointed out, we have to really watch ourselves in terms of letting that make us think that his actual emotional understanding or self-control is more developed than it is. I still fall into that trap quite frequently.

No idea whether DS6 will test as gifted, but there are some things that will likely never change and his need for precision in language is one of them.

I have a really funny anecdote about his psychoed testing that started this week: Dr. A asked him "Is there anything else you're strong at?", to which he responded "You mean is there anything else I'm good at?". She chuckled and said "Well apparently, you're pretty good at grammar." I can't believe he corrected her. I mean, he does that to us ALL THE TIME, but it was so funny that he did that in a testing context!

*

we have 2 of these - ds 3 is deep in dino territory (we love dino dan). I had an argument yesterday with him about whether his new car seat should be sand or beige.

Once when dd was 3 her granny asked her to count all the cars on the street. DD replied there are 4 cars granny, who said no there are 7, oh said DD you mean vehicles right then there are 7 vehicles, they are 4 cars, 1 ute and 2 trucks.....

I don't think it ever goes away.

DD started correcting my language usage when she was two.

She also corrected her ballet teachers' French pronunciation.

She still does the former but not the latter. Thank goodness.

I wouldn't worry too much about exact vocabulary and correcting at the younger ages. It's really a natural compulsion. Barring a medical diagnosis, these behaviors tend to mostly disappear as kids gain maturity and age-appropriate social skills. In the past, I have reminded my kids to not use a bigger word if a smaller one will do just as well but to use the bigger word if it adds significantly to clarity of thought/expression.

I'm just waiting for the day when DS (almost 2) starts talking more reliably. He's already been big into correcting for awhile now. If we use the wrong word, are vague, or use a swear word he says "uh-oh" and keeps saying it until we correct it (or apologize for a swear) and says "there" to let us know we got it right. When he starts using his words more than signs, I can only imagine. My DS hasn't been into TV characters or dinos, but he's obsessed with hinges, switches, levers, pulleys, gears, etc. He will show frustration if he asks "what's that?" and I just generalize the object. I really want to keep my cool and encourage his inquisitiveness and passions.