Has a specific talent, such as artistic ability or an unusual facility for numbers. For example, children who draw unusually realistic pictures or who can manipulate numbers in their heads may be gifted.
Reaches developmental milestones well ahead of peers.
Has advanced language development, such as extensive vocabulary or the ability to speak in sentences much earlier than other children his age.
Is relentlessly curious and never seems to stop asking questions.
Is usually active, though not hyperactive. While hyperactive children often have a short attention spam, gifted children can concentrate on one task for long periods of time and are passionate abput their interests.
Has a vivid imagination. Gifted children often create a vast and intricate network of imaginary friends with whom they become very involved.
Is able to memorise facts easily and can recall arcane informations that he learns from television shows, movies or books.
Other signs of giftedness may be harder to discern. By age 3 or 4, for example, some gifted children begin to realise they are "different" from their peers. This can make them feel isolated and withdrawn; it may also makes them likely targets for bullying.
They may begin to experience intense frustration because they can think more rapidly than they can express themselves, verbally or physically. If your child appears unusually angry or frustrated, you may want to consult a mental health professional.
Testing your Preschooler for giftedness
Though you may want to know if your preschooler is gifted, most young children don't need to be tested for giftedness before entering elementary school. However consultation with a mental health professional may be appropriate if your preschooler appears to be unusually bored in school or shows any signs of emotional and social problems.
Children as young as 3 years old can be given IQ and ability tests, but experts believe that results obtained before the age of 5 are unstable - that is, id a child is retested, his scores can fluctuate significantly until this age. Years ago, children whos IQ scores were over 130 were considered gifted (the range for average intelligence is 85 to 115); today, however, IQ is one factor among many that need to be evaluated befoe a child is identified as gifted. Often parents and teachers will be asked to write their impression of a child, and these subjective measures are considered along with test data.
When giftedness is hard to diagnose
You may be surprised that a child can be both gifted and learning disabled. In most cases, the disabilty is recognised and the giftedness goes undetected. It is important that parents and teachers observe the child and looks for talents that conventional tests cannot detect.
