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Early Child Development
By Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D
Q: My son is now 18 months old. I just want to ask if he advanced baby because he can know the followings:
1. knows Alphabet A-Z
2. knows numbers 1-10, sometimes 11-20
3. knows animals and human body
4. knows basic color
5. knows basic shape
6. knows FLAGS of the WORLD almost 95 flags memorize the flag
He is very focus on learning in TV/tablets that's why he knows all that but most of it I also teach him or introduce that kind to him. He has the ability to easily remain in his memory all I've tought him. Thank you.
A: From your description, your child does appear to be a little more advanced than the average child. However, it is very hard to tell with limited descriptors or observation. It best to assume that your child has the ability to learn fast and well and you should be doing all that you can to stimulate him further. Check the previous newsletter to help you understand his development better.
Early Signs of Giftedness
At this stage, a good start would be to encourage him to follow his interests, which you probably are doing already. In case you find that he is fascinated with something, do more of it and gradually increase its complexity. Having said that, more work of the same kind may sometimes bore advanced children, so it is always important to vary the same activity. This involves creativity on your side. You must also know when to stop - a good cue is to observe when he starts to lose interest (irritable, distracted). Then, drop the activity and allow him some free play time.
If you have plans to enrol him in any educational program, perhaps play school that allows long periods of free play with other children may be a good option (e.g., Montessori based nurseries). It has been found that in the long run, attempts to force academics skills at an early age may depress intellectual development of young children.
You may also want to introduce him to the world of books. At then same time, vary his daily activities by offering lots of new experiences. Maybe when he is slightly older and more ready, you can introduce music lessons (which develop specific areas of the brain region) dance, art, museum, nature outings, etc. What is important here is to find a good balance between his abilities and intensities. Best wishes to you!
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