The gifted child

If your 18 month old is talking in 3-4 word sentences...

If your three year old is already reading....

If your five year old is already learning multiplication...

these are strong indications that you are raising a gifted child! But what does that mean exactly and what are other indications that a child might be gifted?

A gifted child is defined as a child whose ability is significantly higher than average. This ability could be related to intellect, but it could also include musical, physical, or other abilities. Here are a few other characteristics of gifted children:

• Frequently reach developmental milestones early


• May talk later that their peers, but later language skills are above average


• Intense interest in reading and asks a lot of questions


• Seems overly mature intellectually, but might lag behind in other areas of development


• May show unusual sensitivities or preferences (i.e. food, clothing, sleeping patterns)


• Very active with a strong desire to explore things

This list is by no means complete, but I wanted to give you a sample of what a gifted child might look like. Perhaps you are in the same place that I was not so many years ago. I found myself wondering, "Is my child just overly strong-willed? Why don't they act like the other children? Is something wrong with them?" I plan to talk about this and more as I write this blog series on the topic of giftedness in children. Please join me in the conversation! I welcome your questions and comments about your own experiences in raising or teaching gifted children.

a Musical Christmas

I just posted some photos from our Jingle Jangle Christmas event to the Delightful Sounds fan page on Facebook. If you would like to see them, click here. It was a great time of families making music together while celebrating a wonderful time of year. What a fantastic opportunity to create memories and learning that will last a lifetime for these children!

There are only a couple of weeks left until the start of the spring semester. You can view the schedule here, if you'd like to join us for a Kindermusik class. We'll be singing and dancing our way into the new year with lots of educational activities and music that is sure to be a hit at your home.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

What did you say?

One of the most important skills you can teach your child is the skill of being a good listener. Without this vital skill, your child would find it difficult to develop social skills such as how to carry on a conversation, gain new vocabulary or properly pronounce words, or listen to the directions given in a classroom without being distracted. Music has been found to greatly enhance listening skills in young children.

• Try going on a sound scavenger hunt with your child. This could be done with everyday sounds or by identifying the instruments in a particular song.
• Sing silly songs with your child and encourage them to make up new silly words that would rhyme.
• Encourage your baby to listen by allowing him to watch your face when talking to him. Sing simple songs and mimic his sounds if he tries to "sing" back to you.
• Sing echo songs together. You can even make them up as you go along.