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Gifted and talented

Wow...nursery just told us they are pretty sure DS3 is gifted! So what now?

69 replies

KirstyJC · 26/02/2014 19:22

DS3 will be 3 at the end of March. Today nursery told us that they are fairly certain that he is gifted and they are moving him into the group that are preparing for school in terms of learning and activities. (With the 4 year olds).

He can: write his name using foam letters (9 letters long) with one letter back to front (p instead of b), he can count to 20 and read numbers to 10. He knows all his colours (except grey for some reason), is able to hold a pen properly, can tell the time, and is doing a bit of phonics. He can tell past, present and future, follows the timeline in a story and converses at an advanced level. Eg hurry up X it is nearly 4 o'clock and time for tea - said to nursery staff at 3.55 before they even mentioned or started preparing for the meal. He can draw figures and drew himself next to DH who was bigger, he understands more than, less than, bigger and smaller.

In fact he is currently negotiating bedtime with DH who has said it is in 3 minutes - DS has just said 'how about 5 minutes'. (DS wonGrin)

We asked him how many colours he could think of and he named 5 or 6 in a row.

Apparently we need to ensure we stimulate him otherwise he could have behaviour issues due to boredom. They have given us lots of ideas, and with a 5 and 10 year old brothers that should be fine.

But is there anything else that people can suggest that we do with him? We had noticed that he seems very advanced for his age, but with older siblings we just put it down to that. We are planning to ask the school at parents' evening next week (for both other DSes) what their phonics system is so that we can get him started, which was one of nursery's suggestions. But what else?

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Artandco · 26/02/2014 19:26

Really? I'm surprised they have said anything. My youngest is 3 in the summer and I would say he can do pretty much all of the above. He seems very average and about the same as my 4 year old was at that age.

I would just do what you do with eldest for reading etc if you want.

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NoIamAngelaHernandez · 26/02/2014 19:28

Yup, sorry to burst your bubble but our DTs could do the same at 3, except telling the time, which they can do now.

I think just do what you did with the others.

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KirstyJC · 26/02/2014 19:29

We were surprised too tbh but the supervisor has seen a lot of kids in the 16 years she has been there, and she really thinks he is very different to most kids his age. I assume she knows her stuff?

What type of activities do you do with your youngest? Any ideas welcome!

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chattychattyboomba · 26/02/2014 19:31

Well mine is 3 in April and cannot tell time, spell her name or recognise all colours (she's very good at pink!) stay in your bubble OP. He sounds very bright to me!

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NoIamAngelaHernandez · 26/02/2014 19:32

They love 'reading eggs' on the computer - have taught themselves to read using that.

They also like logic games: Camelot Junior is good for little ones as has blocks for moving around while solving the puzzles. Jigsaws, stories, playmobil, jolly phonics songs - they like most things but especially mud

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Mycatistoosexy · 26/02/2014 19:37

Hmmm he sounds pretty bright to me!

I would try to start getting him used to phonics/ reading, maybe some board games for kids that get him reading.

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gualsa · 26/02/2014 19:43

I have a son like that. He is now 9 and still way above anyone in his year group in all subjects. Unfortunately he is very immature, stubborn and has a tendency to be very selfish. My other son struggles a bit at school but he is kind, helpful and conscientious.

What do you think is more important?

If I were you I would refrain from using the word gifted as it tends to rub people up the wrong way.
Also, let him develop at his own pace. Have fun with him and teach him good morals and kind manners. It's much more important.

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Bearleigh · 26/02/2014 19:45

That assumes he wants to learn to read. My son is 14 and has always been very bright but didn't start reading until he was taught at school. He wasn't interested, although he had learned a lot of books off by heart, so it looked like he was an amazing reader.

But we talked to him all the time, in non-baby talk, and took him, and his (many) questions and interests, seriously.

He reads a lot now, voluntarily, and teaches himself all sorts of stuff, also voluntarily, thanks to www.

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Artandco · 26/02/2014 19:48

Youngest likes:
Board games - snakes and ladders/ ludo and similar
Puzzles- 48/ 60 piece
Craft - anything really, but likes those paint by numbers, and anything with scissors and glue and cutting loads of mess
Baking - most things but can pretty much make basic muffins now with guidance. Ie I will confirm how much of what and he will measure using digital scales/ mix and I just throw in oven
Likes lego, k'nex and magnetics. Makes random things
Outdoors - likes climbing trees! And most dangerous things..

We read every day, about 20 books thought the day ( little ones like Julia Donaldson etc). Myself or dh trace the words with our finger as reading. He knows most the 'common' words ie the/ cat/ what/ etc, maybe 200 ish? It's what we did with eldest who's 4 and he's reading well now.

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Artandco · 26/02/2014 19:50

Oh and both learning timetables from those really annoying singing story tapes!

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VashtaNerada · 26/02/2014 19:53

He sounds like a bright little boy, OP! I'm not sure you need to do anything special with him, just maybe give him puzzles, books etc that might normally be aimed at a slightly older child.

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AppleAndBlackberry · 26/02/2014 20:00

My eldest could do all of that except tell the time at 3 and could also write her name so we started some jolly phonics workbooks and it did give her a bit of a start at school. She is doing well in year R now but she is the youngest in the class so she's not miles ahead by any stretch.

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KirstyJC · 26/02/2014 20:09

He does want to read, he points out letters in words and asks what words say. He also likes drawing and is trying to write his name.

I do understand that other things are important, thanks to pp for pointing that out, but since nursery impressed upon us the importance of making sure he is challenged enough I wanted to try and make sure we got some ideas from other people too.

I wasn't planning on telling all and sundry he is gifted as I will not turn into one of those competitive parents, but since this is a board specifically aimed at g & t I thought it would be Ok to use it here. No intention of getting anyone's back up!!

Thanks for suggestions so far, will definitely look into computer stuff mentioned upthread. Any more suggestions?

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lljkk · 26/02/2014 20:14

If you start him on phonics now, at home, then he'll definitely be bored when he starts reception.
Why not try other things, stuff school doesn't do enough of, science especially. Music or art, too.

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KirstyJC · 26/02/2014 20:24

Hmm he does like dancing and singing, good suggestion, thank you.

I don't really know much about teaching reading as neither other DS was interested before school so we just followed on from their input. DS3 really does seem keen though (possibly because of DS2 learning now) so if we are going to try and follow his lead and pick up on his interests, it does seem like reading would be good. Nursery certainly thought so. Maybe we should ask school next week and see what they would recommend then? I don't want to mess him up by doing the wrong thing!

He loves playing with water - always turning on taps and would sit in the bath all week if we let him. Maybe we can look at some sort of sciency-water stuff.

Also he has started learning to swim by copying his brothers in the big pool so we will continue with that as well.

He does play Operation (although cheats worse than I do Grin) and is learning Guess Who.

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LynetteScavo · 26/02/2014 20:46

But surely you already know he needs challenging? But presumably that is already happening at home, but obviously not at nursery!

DS1 was could do all you've mentioned at that age. I thought he would find reception class dull, but socially he found it a massive challenge.

Teach your ds to read if you want to, but to be honest hell probably pick it up soon enough himself. I found science things the way to go with DS.

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KirstyJC · 26/02/2014 20:47

Wow that Camelot Junior looks quite hard!Blush

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KirstyJC · 26/02/2014 20:54

I think he is actually being challenged at nursery, but they lots of different things with him along with other kids ages 2-4 in groups as well as individually. They definitely do more messy play / water play stuff at nursery than we do at home.

The fact that they do such a range of things is how they have noticed him being more advanced than they would expect, as he has being doing things the older kids are doing.

At home we do things such as cooking, playing with toys (Fireman sam mainly) cars, hide and seek etc. He does a lot of 'helping' with housework too which he really loves. And gardening/climbing on things he isn't meant to. He is a social animal too actually, way less shy than either brother was.

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Twighlightsparkle · 26/02/2014 20:57

My daughter was like that , probably shortly after 2 , she's now 10 and in all the top levels and school and most importantly enjoys herself and feels challenged at that level, she isn't " gifted" just lucky to find learning easy.

I think others caught up with her by about 7 ish.

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Twighlightsparkle · 26/02/2014 20:59

Seco d the idea of doing science, arty , crafty stuff rather than reading and writing.

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curiousgeorgie · 26/02/2014 21:04

My 3 year old is like this, and not sure it's that out if the ordinary.. She can write her name on paper, recognises all numbers up to about 30 and can count to 39.

I don't think she's necessarily gifted though, just pretty normal?

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DoItTooJulia · 26/02/2014 21:05

Just have loads of fun! If he is gifted, not a lot will get past him and he will excel naturally.

All of the activities mentioned sound great, I'm not dismissing them, but I'm saying have fun, because honestly, that's what being a kid is all about, isn't it?

Sounds like you are doing a great job!

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HanSolo · 26/02/2014 21:16

I would be encouraged by the fact that nursery are moving him up to those with similar development- he will be stimulated and encouraged, which is good (and you obviously chose the right nursery for him!) Smile

My DD was like this, and she has stayed ahead of the curve (now Y3). Just make sure his physical development isn't left behind his intellectual development- but with 2 older siblings, I seriously doubt that will happen!

Keep doing what you're doing (and be glad you've got resources/toys ready to hand down to him from the older 2). Smile

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KirstyJC · 26/02/2014 21:21

Yes, the age suggestions on toys got forgotten long ago! He plays rough and tumble with the 10 year old and wins, he nicks all their toys/books when they're not looking and the other day I caught him trying to be player 2 when DS1 was playing Minecraft!Shock. Although DS2 (5) plays Minecraft too and is very good - he taught me how to play!

DS3 is the cheekiest little so-and-so as well and makes us all laugh. He was a very emotionally-needy baby though, the first 18 months or so were really hard work!

The nursery is fantastic, small place with really strong focus on individual child-led play and learning and has the same 2 main staff that were there when DS1 was there nearly 10 years ago.

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mercibucket · 26/02/2014 21:27

i would ignore teaching him anything and concentrate on physical and emotional skills at that age, so games, sports and ball catching.

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