gifted or not?

[Mummamia]

Hi all,  I havent been on this site for ages, but I dont really know who else to ask? Or where else i could get some reasonable responses 

So my little boy is 5, has been reading since he was 2 and now reads at an 8yr old level. He is clearly a very bright little boy (don't we all think that). I have always noticed that he is an excellent memory but the other day I was reading to his sister, a chapter book, and noticed that he was mouthing along with me, from the other side of the room. Thought he might have just remembered a few sentences here and there..

But no - he was able to recite pages and pages of the story to me. Occasionally he would get a word wrong ie wept, instead of sobbed, or say mum and bob instead of bob and mum, but it was pretty much word for word! We could turn to any page in the book read a sentence or so and he would continue.

Its a book he only got a few days ago, and since then he has done it with a few other books too!

It kinda freaked me out... what do you think?

[gthree]

gifted yes....................be happy.enjoy.

[DadDude]

Wow!  I'd get a psychologist's/gifted specialist's evaluation.  Sure sounds gifted to me.

[Emsmum]

Congratulations, certainly sounds like he is gifted with a strong passion for reading.

My daughter is nearly 2.5 years old. I don't get to spend a lot of the time reading to her but she has excellent memory and has recited most of the short books appropriate for her age, and certain parts of novels, word for word but I know she can't read, she just has a great memory.

I am surprised how people react when my daughter decides to "read" brown bear, brown bear to everyone, without making any mistakes and with great ease. She has been loving that book for the past 10 months. Yet, she can't actually read but is trying.

For your son to have been reading since 2 is an incredible achievement. Give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done.

[PY]

There are children who has photo memory also. I will suggest you to take him to the especialist to confirm that.
Also you mention he is 5 years old..Does he goes to kindergarten? If so have you ever hear any feeds form the teacher about suggestion a gifted children's school?
Thanks for sharing
patty

[bella]

well my daughter does the same and like your son she is five . she only reads a book once or twice or after one reading from me she says ok i read for you but i really feel she is not reading but reciting from memory  and many times she uses a synonym of a word and carry on reading . you won't pay attention unless you are looking at the page . i read somewhere that is is recommended when kids start reading to really read different books so they don't rely on memorizing the words . and now i am working on all about spelling with her because i had a friend whose son read from very early age but at the age of seven he got stuck with writing , my daughter can figure out words just from context but give her the word on its own she might get stuck with it ( i mean sophisticated words ) , and to avoid that i try to really make her read aloud to me daily for half an hour to make sure she reads those words , and we are going fast through all about spelling curriculum to make sure she got all the rules of the english language covered , so we don't have a problem when later she needs those words for writing.
you know my daughter is smart  but i don't believe she is a genius , she loves her stories and her books and she enjoys what we are doing together . we are working now on the first language lessons which recommend poetry memorization , you are suppose to read the poen o your child three times , few times  a day , for few days , she gets it all after her first reading , she reads all the lessons by herself .
but other things like name of flags , or mathematics she has no much interest .
love
viv 

[Latreia]

Hi !

My bb girl is 12mth old. I always point out posters with words all around the house & read out to her.
After read out once or twice, I would stand in the area (but not facing the poster ), say the words &
immediately she will turn around & point out to the right poster or word phrase. Even at friend's house,
when arriving, we would point & read out words;later she can recognise when we say out.

When we hang new stuff in the house at night, the next day she will notice & point out to us.
Is is true she has good memories &  is it normal for her age ?
Are there any institution in Malaysia where I can take to test her ?
Or any special school where she can enhance her gift ?

Thx alot 

[ShenLi]

Bella - I have something similar going on with my son. I thought at first he was displaying a photograhic memory. For instance, once we were looking at a specific species of dinosaurs that was one of the duck-billed dinosaurs and then he said they had 2000 teeth. Surprised, I asked him where he learned that and he said it was in another book we had read before. It was a new book that we had only read a couple of times so I didn't even remember reading about the 2000 teeth. We took out the book again so I could verify the fact and I was flipping around blindly looking for the duck-billed dinosaurs, then my son took the book and said, "It's here, Mummy." And he flipped to the right page and pointed to the paragraph that mentioned the 2000 teeth. This was just one instance. There were others but all related to stuff about dinosaurs.

My son is turning 5 in January and attends Heguru so I figured it was like what they said that the children would start to manifest the photographic memory function after attending for some time. But what surprised me was that although he could remember his dinosaur information with such accuracy, he struggles to remember 7 numbers strung together. Then again, he has never liked Math or numbers. Although he can do basic Math (addition and subtraction), sometimes it's like trying to make a rock bleed. Other times he would deliberately answer incorrectly, although if I bribe him, he'll do them properly (so I know he can do it).

It's like his photographic memory only works with things he likes... ???

[Mummamia]

Thanks so much for all your responses. Just to clarify though - i taught him to read using the your baby can read theory. He didn't like the DVDs much but loved flash cards, and we also read and read to him (native reading style) and by 2 he was able to decode words he hadn't seen before and thus read new books on his own. I have also taught my now 4 yr old little girl who reads at a 7-8yr old age too. My 18 month old is also well on the way too and seems more advanced than the other 2... knows at least 100 words on sight so it won't be long till she is reading on her own too.

I say all this not to brag, though ... OK a little bragging   . But more to say that the reading is not so much a gifted thing - I taught him, and I am a early childhood teacher so teaching is what I do. Does that make sense - yes definitely an early reader and reads at a level that amazes me ... but isnt that normal for an early reader? I guess that's another post there because would be very interested in responses

The whole repeating a book to me though, from memory is something I have never seen before, but could it just be a freaky skill he has ?

I did mention to his kindly teacher and she said she had noticed a few things too that suggested he might be gifted.... extensive vocab .. which I would still just put down to lots of reading? Sensitive to noise and touch, pefectionist?

The school won't assess him so we will have to do it privately, which is fine, but I just don't want to be the pishy parent you know? But I also want to do what's best for him, and i sort of need to know what I am dealing with I guess?

I know it sound like I am being negative and I don't mean to... just not really sure what to do? 

[ShenLi]

A friend sent me this link:

http://www.talentigniter.com/ruf-estimates

Not a test, but a guideline for giftedness...

[Dr_Mommy]

Just to add to Shen Li's link, you can also check these links out. Home assessment of giftedness, if you do not want to see a professional yet. You should check it out, although very subjective.

http://www.brainy-child.com/expert/early-signs-giftedness.shtml

http://www.shulamit.info/gifted_assessment_tool_1b.htm

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