What is Intelligence?

What is intelligence actually? There are many definitions but let’s use the simple one: “Intelligence is the ability to successfully overcome new situations and challenges”.
Or my favorite, “Intelligence is the thing that intelligence tests measure”. This last definition shows that this term is still the in focus of many debates and there is no one way to define intelligence.

But what everyone agrees on is that the Intelligence is a potential for solving problems and challenges. But that potential is nothing without tendering it and improving it through hard work and developing your skills further.
That’s the reason why it’s important to recognize that potential in your child. To nourish it and to support your child in developing it further.

Difference between Intelligence and “Gift” or Gifted child:

When we talk about Intelligence, we mostly think about general ability – as a potential to be good in everything. In psychology, that is called G factor or General factor of intelligence. It’s the idea that the intelligent person will be good in every challenge you throw at him. This is still mostly used meaning in the everyday talk about intelligence.

 

 

But the truth is, that G factor is actually a collection of different S factors or Specific factors of Intelligence. In other words, we can say that S factor is what we call gift. When we call someone gifted, we say that he has a high Intelligence in that field.
Some theories recognize more than 100 S factors, but to name a few, it can be all from cognitive processing and memory to dancing, playing an instrument or athletic gifts.

18 tips how to recognize if your Child is gifted

1) Memory capacity as a sign of a gifted child

If you notice your child has greater memory capacity than its peers, it could be a sign of a gifted child. Gifted children can often memorize facts and random information to your surprise. If you notice that your child memorizes information like for an example, names of the cities, types of birds, car brands, there is a good chance your child is gifted.You can watch for signs of a superior memory by asking questions like “what did you watch on TV today, what was the book about, and if the answer is long and full of details, you will recognize advanced memory skills that your child possesses.

2) Your child’s reading skills as a sign of a gifted child

If your child starts to read at the early age, and especially if it teaches itself to read and write, congratulations, you can be sure you have a gifted child. Children that are gifted in reading field often start to read before school and tend to read faster or more comprehensive than their peers.

Another sign of developed reading skills is if your child shows great interest for books compared to other things. Also, if your child reads more advanced books for its age, don’t encourage your child to go out and play, cherish the gift of advanced reading skills.

3) Mathematical abilities as a sign of a gifted child

If you notice your child is good with any kind of numbers, and prefers them over words, you may be having child that is gifted in math.

It’s not all about raw mathematics, but if your child likes puzzle solving, logic games and comparing things one to another, it can be a sign of good math skills.

If you notice in your preschool child advanced number handling skills compared to their peers, like counting big numbers, counting backward numbers with 3 or more digits or doing arithmetics, you should encourage it further in math activities.

4) Early development as a sign of a gifted child

Children that are gifted, tend to reach developmental milestones earlier than their peers. If your child is talking full sentences, have a rich vocabulary, tends to engage in conversations and asks many questions – it could be a sign of a gifted child. Just be aware that there are big differences between children development, especially in early stages.

5) Awareness of his/her surroundings as a sign of a gifted child

If your child shows advanced awareness of his/her surroundings, and shows interest in the biological and social world around him, it could be a sign of a gifted child. Gifted children may show interest in politics, world events and ask a lot of questions about the world. Also, if your child asks you a lot about culture, historical events, family history, and so on, those are the characteristics of a gifted child.

6) Advanced vocabulary as a sign of a gifted child

This one is closely connected to the advanced memory. With above average memory, comes a strong vocabulary, which can be a sign of a gifted child. If you notice that your child is using advanced and long words at a young age, as early as 3 or 4, your child may be gifted. Also, if you notice it to be a quick learner of new words and uses them in everyday life, that is also a sign of a gifted child.

7) Child questions as an important sign of a gifted child

Almost all children ask questions, but a gifted child’s questions will be unique. As they have genuine desire to learn, they will ask many questions with a long chain of sub-questions. Sometimes you won’t be able to answer them all, but don’t worry, they don’t expect to get all the answers right away. Gifted children ask questions to gain insight and understanding. They may also show interest in other people’s emotions, questioning why someone is happy, sad or angry.

8) Way of participating in adult conversation as a sign of a gifted child

Gifted children have extraordinary ability to converse. They can, and will, participate in the conversation by asking questions, discuss the topic, and will easily pick up double-meanings. Gifted children will also switch tone between conversations. You will notice that your child uses a different vocabulary and speaking style when talking to an adult than when talking to someone their own age.

9) Speaking speed as a sign of a gifted child

Gifted children often have a tendency to speak more quickly. They tend to talk about stuff that interests them at a faster pace, and may switch topics to ones of their liking. To an untrained eye, that may seem rude, but it’s actually a sign your child having many interests.

10) Ability to follow directions

If your child can follow multi-step directions without trouble, it can be a sign that it is gifted. For example, if you tell your child: “Turn off TV and go to your room, take the Harry Potter book from your table, come to the living room, put the book on the table, clean your toys and then we will read the book”, and your child is able to follow all of the instructions, it is a good indication of a gifted child.

11) Unique interests as a sign of a gifted child

If your child has unique and passionate interests from an early age, and concentrates on them highly, it could mean that it is gifted. The main difference between interests of the gifted children is that they are particularly knowledgeable about the topic of interest.

12) Fluid thinking as a sign of a gifted child

Above average fluid thinking and problem-solving skills are a good indicator of a gifted child. Gifted children tend to be fluent thinkers and are able to “think outside of a box”, and find alternative solutions and ideas. For example, gifted children may find a loophole in the rules of a game, and spice up an already existing game to make it more interesting. A gifted child may be also posing “what if” questions to try and figure out a solution to an existing problem.They tend to see multiple solutions. Because of that, it is not uncommon for them to perform better at essay tests in school than on “only one right answer” questions.

13) Imagination as a sign of a gifted child

Gifted children have a strong imagination by nature. They love to play, pretend, and to fantasize. They may create unique fantasy characters, worlds or even languages. Imagination of a gifted child is vivid and full of details, with little to no plot holes or missing fragments. Daydreaming is also common in a gifted child’s everyday play.

14) Look for unique gifts in form of art

Many gifted children have a unique skill for some kind of an art. If your child likes to express itself through some kind of art form, like painting or music, and appreciates that art more than average, it can be that it is gifted in that field. Observe how your child reacts to music, drama and other kinds of art. They may draw or write as a hobby and enjoy it more than other activities. They may also tell vivid stories, enjoy activities like music and drama, because they have a need to express themselves artistically.

15) Social interactions as a sign of a gifted child

Gifted children can be highly empathic and have highly developed social skills.They may be sensitive to other people’s emotions and can easily recognize if someone is sad or happy. Also, they show interest for a reason of that emotion. Gifted children are most of the times genuinely concerned for the well-being of those around them. Due to their advanced knowledge, gifted children have no problems in talking to adults, older children and peers because of their highly adaptable nature.

16) Leadership skills as a sign of a gifted child

Is your child a natural leader? Does it have a great ability to motivate and to encourage others? If you notice that your child is generally the leader in a group of friends or it easily comes up with the ideas that others follow, it can be a sign of an above average leadership skills.

17) Alone time behavior as a sign of a gifted child

Although gifted children enjoy spending time with others, they will not mind being alone. Gifted children won’t become bored or lost if they have to spend time alone. They don’t have problems with solitary activities, like reading or writing, and they may prefer, from time to time, to spend time alone rather than with other people. They will rarely complain of boredom as they are perfectly capable of finding activities that will mentally occupy them.

18) Mental disabilities and giftedness are not mutually exclusive

If your child has an condition like autism or ADHD it doesn’t mean that it is not gifted!

You may have heard about term savant syndrome which means that someone with a mental disability can be highly gifted in a particular field. For example with autism, there are many cases where people have tremendous memory capacity and can memorize things that no other person can. Or with ADHD, where children typically struggle with concentration and learning, we must pay special attention to recognize their gifts.

And there you have it; 18 signs of a gifted child. We hope it will help you recognize the specific gifts of your child.  But just remember – giftedness is just a small part in achieving greatness. It is just a potential. Without hard work, and stimulating environment, that potential will fade. So don’t let it go to the waste and encourage a child in the field it is good at.

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