Gifted Characteristics in Young Children

I understand that all parents think their kids are smart. But I was wondering if there is any way to tell if my five-year-old son is gifted. He understands difficult concepts, he is excellent at problem solving, and already has a very off the wall sense of humor. Also, he is learning things now that I didn't expect him to learn until first grade or higher. I don't even have to push him at all. If he is gifted, should I be teaching him differently?

Parents are unusually good at recognizing that their young children are gifted. Here is a list of the types of behaviors that they typically notice in gifted young children:

unusual alertness in infancy
required less sleep than other infants
able to concentrate for long periods of time
a high activity level
smiled at, or recognized caretakers early
intense reactions to noise, pain, and frustration
advanced rapidly through developmental milestones
enjoys learning
learns new things quickly
early and extensive development of language
fascination with books
very curious
frequently asks probing questions
a keen observer
abstract reasoning and problem solving skills
vivid imagination
sensitivity and compassion

Parents should not expect a gifted child to be outstanding in all of these characteristics. However, if your young son exhibits a majority of the characteristics, he may well be gifted.

Relax and enjoy your bright young son. There is no need to identify him as gifted until later on in elementary school. Testing him now for giftedness serves no particular purpose. Furthermore, the testing of young children is generally less reliable than for older children.

You will find hundreds of ways to promote your child's creativity and intellectual development in the book Bringing Out the Best published by Free Spirit Press. Also, you might look at some of the materials on how to meet the needs of bright preschool children published by the National Association for Gifted Children.

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