As parents, we all want the best for our children. And while having a higher IQ may not make our child the next Einstein, being gifted most definitely will open doors for them.
On a technical level, a gifted child is one whose IQ places them in the top 2% of the population. But, Kahina Louis says that isn’t the only indicator of a gifted child. Additionally, this term would cover children who have high performance in the areas of learning, motivation, leadership, creativity, or adaptability.
“To be gifted, a child does not need to absolutely excel in each of these areas,” Louis says. “But there should be marked differences in at least some of these qualities in comparison to others their age.”
Because indicators of these differences can manifest in different ways, you have to know what signs to look out for. Here are 7 of the main ones, that parents don’t always know about.
1. They are curious about everything.
Curiosity has been linked to intelligence in study after study. Having a child who is curious to learn is a major pro because they are easier to teach. If your child is curious about everything, water that seed by teaching them or helping them to learn anything they are curious about.
2. They are rapid learners.
Louis says to look out for how quickly a child is able to learn. Gifted children tend to pick up on things pretty quickly when compared to their peers.
3. They have a big vocabulary.
Gifted children aren’t just fast learners, they also tend to have a large vocabulary. If your child is still pretty small but is able to string massive sentences together, with various big words (in comparison to their peers) it’s likely you have a gifted child on your hands.
4. They can quickly solve puzzles.
A lot of times, gifted children will also have a knack for solving puzzles and patterns. Even when there really isn’t anything to necessarily solve, gifted children can see the bigger picture that a lot of other kids would miss out on.
5. They have a good sense of humor.
Having a good sense of humor provides a number of benefits. Did you know that our ability to understand jokes is a means of abstract thought? Basically, being able to understand and create a joke takes more in-depth thinking. So, if your child can make you laugh and pick up on jokes – they are likely gifted.
6. They intuitively pick up on the basics.
When you are teaching your child something new, if they are able to intuitively pick a lot of things up, it’s a good sign. This is a bit different than just learning more quickly because it requires intuition.
7. They are deeply empathetic.
Intelligence isn’t just IQs and test scores. An additional layer of intelligence is emotional intelligence. Having a higher level of empathy is a sign of a gifted child.