I have heard that children who develop physically early ,ei ..... crawling, walking, or fine motor skills such as using a spoon or fork. , I heard that because physical development was at an early age then intellectual development will come later. I want to know if this is true or not. I know that 2 of my friends children walked by 10 months but they are now 2 and 2 1/2 and can barely say a handful of words.Where as; my grandbaby is going to be 2 next month and she did not crawl until 10 months and did not walk until almost 15 months but she talks up a storm. She can say about 500 words, she counts to 20, sings the alphabet and can tell you letters by sight and shapes, and colors, and numbers to 10 by sight. She can also read about 15 different words. Is my Grandbaby gifted or am I just a proud Granny who is reading too much into these different developments? Does anyone know how many words a 2 year old should know? I would appreciate any feedback on this. Thank you
I would like to thank everyone for their responses they were all very informative. I do want to clarify one thing and that is that I am worried about the language of one child in my care. She knows very little words and speaks in moans and grunts like a hearing impaired person. She also makes ticking sounds an has very aggressive behavior towards the other children at times. I think she may have a hearing problem but I am not a doctor so I can not diagnose her. She will be 2 next week and I am hoping her parents will get her a well check up and not just the shots so that she can be checked. By no means am I comparing my grand daughter with everyone else but I dont want the children in my care to fall behind or go into public school with a delay that could have been addressed early on. I as a childcare professional want the best for the children in my care and love them as they were my own. That being said, I did brag a little about my Grandbaby but that is my Granny wearing hat and not my Childcare hat. Thank yall again for all the input !
I think that is pretty amazing as my dear 2 year old knows a circle and only a handful of colors. He was very busy early walking at 9 mths. and had about 70 words by 18 mths., but now at 2 years and 3 months I have lost count. According to a handout I recieved from my pedi a child should know over 50 words and be speaking in 2-3 word sentences. She is a special kid!:)
I think it just depends on the individual child. My oldest son was walking by 8 months (ok, almost 9) and at a yr old could tell you several letters. A lot of it has to do with whether or not they have someone working with them, and whether or not that someone really enjoys working with them or not. A child can tell when someone is there to work and have fun with them, and when someone is just trying to push them into something. If you are having fun, they are learning faster, and easier.
Your grand-daughter obviously has had a lot of attention which probably included book reading. Some children just develop earlier than others. As a child care teacher, you should know that. You seem to have a very bright grand-child. Why don't you just enjoy her for awhile, don't try to push her into anything she's not ready for and don't be concerned as to whether she it gifted or not. When she gets to school with other bright children the teachers will determine that. I'm also a great-grandmother and have worked with little ones, still do part-time.
She certainly sounds like she's on the high end of the range verbally! My girls were both like that, and of course I think they're brilliant. So relax and enjoy her!
Intellectual development and speech are two different things, and many factors play into both. Just because one child talks sooner and one child masters physical milestones more quickly is not a reflection on intelligence. But, yes, some babies work on one thing at a time.
Thats a good question thinking back all my kids are so different but my brightest child is 16 he has all 96% or up in all his classes--hes in all advanced classes and allways is exemplery in TAKS....He was crawling right before he was 6 months and walking by 8 1/2. He always had a large vocabulary at a young age. Then my 19 year old who has the hardest time with grades ,but I think its alot of him being lazy. He was crawling and walking about a month later than his brother. But his vocabulary was always large. I think every child is diffferent. And of course you should think your grandchild is the brightest cutest child ever!!! What are grandparents for!
I think that all children learn different skills at a different pace and there is a wide age range that is considered "normal" to learn certain skills. I don't think physical development has anything to do with intelligence. Some kids are perfectly content crawling for a long time, some kids go straight from scooting to walking. Some kids don't feel the need to talk much, some are talking up a storm at a very young age.
I would say that your granddaughter sounds very advanced in some areas (being able to recognize letters and numbers at that age I think is very advanced), but I also know that children are little sponges for information and if a parent, teacher, grandparent, etc. works with them a lot every day on certain skills, they will pick them up a lot sooner than other kids who might be just stuck in a daycare with a bunch of other kids and an uninvolved daycare worker. Both kids could be equally intelligent, but one is given many more opportunities to hone that intelligence. I hope that makes sense =)
Just try not to push your granddaughter, because if kids feel too much pressure, they might turn it into a power struggle and regress. As long as learning is fun, and done at the child's pace, she will flourish =)
I have 3 boys. All are incredibly smart and all walked before 10 mos. My oldest and youngest spoke lots of words early. My middle one, on the other hand didn't talk until he was 3 but when he did, it was in full, complete sentences.
As a childcare provider, you should know that all children develop differently. A typical 2 year old should have between 100 and 300 words and be adding about 20 words per month. They should be able to speak in simple 3-4 word sentences.
Please don't compare your Granddaughter. She is a girl (more verbal at an early age) an only child (also more verbal at an early age). Her verbal development is great!
NO norm, every child is different. My son RAN when he was 8 months old and could talk in full, completely understandable sentences at 18 month. My daughter had lots of ear infections and fluid in her ears, didn't walk till she was 15 months old and didn't really talk until she was almost 2. Different kids, different circumstances, don't compare - they're all individuals.
keep in mind that girls typically develop speech and language faster than boys. By 2, kiddos should be putting two-words together... Sounds like someone invests a lot of time in your granddaughter...
I did read in one of my baby books that as a child is developing one skill the others may lag and vice versa. Usually by age three they are all more on a level playing field. However, I would have to say your grandbaby is pretty super smart. It's wonderful that she has someone to work with her so much.
You can teach a child anything and they will learn everything.
My daughter pulled herself up and walked around the furniture at 6 months. . . she ran (literally ran) across the room at about 10 or 11 months and she talked up a storm by 2, but she has dyslexia and still at 19 has trouble with spelling (switches letter placement) . . .
I think motor skills and mental skills are completely up to the "desire" of the child and of the parents. . . my daughter wanted to see and touch everything (and she loved to dance)and I wouldn't carry her so she figured out how to get there herself. . . I talked to her so she talked to me . . .
Be a proud Granny, but don't worry about what other kids can or can't do (with in reason of course), your grand daughter is special whether technically "gifted" or not. . .
just proves that all children are different.
Hi R.,
My daughter was 2 in Nov. and I can hold a conversation with her. She is very vocal and has a large vocabulary. She also knows her letters, alphabet, colors and can count. She cannot read any words yet. I think it really depends on how much they are being worked with and how interested they are in learning all these things. Each child is different, so just keep on teaching her everything. At this age she is a sponge and she is soaking up everything. Good job grandma!!
I don't think developing motor skills early has anything to do with intelligence later. A lot of development has to do with the individual child and the parenting. Example the more you read to your child the better the childs vocabulary will become.
My son walked and talked early and has an extremely high IQ. My sister also walked early and never actually crawled, she has a genius level IQ. I also developed motor skills early and have an above average IQ. So I really don't think there is any correlation between the two.
I would be interested in other factors that may influence development like reading, TV, diet etc. It may just be a combination of things that effect development.
It does sound like the child in your care may be experiencing other development issues. You may want to talk to the parents and suggest they speak with their pediatrician in case there is something that you all could be doing for the child. Talk to your director or assistant director first and clue them in on the issue. As a former child care teacher myself that is what I would do, but it definitely needs to be handled very delicately so as not to offend the parents.
I think they do one or the other first- but then they all even out for the most part. My first did everything on schedule and he is smart but not brilliant- has dyscalculia- w/ great motor skills/balance-very artitistic/musical. My middle walked at 8 months, ran at 8 mos and 1 day and climbed everything that was vertical. She talked on schedule but not precociously- she is the one that turned out dyslexic but is a superior athlete and VERY intelligent- also the most common sense. The third could sing the alphabet at 11 months, talked up a storm (still is...) walked at 12months and is the only one considered Gifted and Talented at school. So what does that mean? All kids develop in their own way and be proud that your granddaughter can do what she does- but that doesn't make her genius material yet. And truly- the kids I've known who were REALLY intelligent when they were toddlers seem to turn out as the ones who have no social skills as they got older- it isn't something I would wish on my kid. Well rounded is wayyy more useful.
My daughter didn't crawl until 9 months, but walked at 11 months, but was speaking in full sentences by 18 months (so, she still walked a little early, but still had very advanced verbal skills) I don't know how true it is, but my daughter has always been very verbal as well. She used a fork and spoon by 15 months old though, so I think some kids just have it and some need more work at it. My son is 11 months old and took his first steps at 8 1/2 months, so he has been walking well now for 2 months already. We used baby sign language with my daughter and she could sign back at 7 months old....my son will only do one sign and even then, it isn't consistent. Girls, in general, are more verbal than boys, but every kid is so different, so you just never know. Your granddaughter sounds a bit like my daughter. She knew her letters by sight at 17 months old (capitals) along with her colors and numbers up to 10. She just turned 3 and now she is reading 3 letter words and writing her name. She can also add and subtract numbers up to 5. I think since she was the first child, she had an advantage because I had a ton of time to spend just playing with her all day long. I don't have as much time now, so my son plays a lot better by himself, but he won't even sit still to read a book! Their personalities are just polar opposites. He is on the go and doesn't care to sit and ask questions or learn about things. He just wants to run off and find something else to bang or throw...he is a boy after all. Enjoy your granddaughter for the individual that she is. She, and any other kids, will do things in their own time and it doesn't make them any less incredible! :-)
