How Do I Know If My Child is Intelligent?

22nd August 2022

If your child is a quick learner, with an excellent memory and is always curious, most likely your child is intelligent. It’s also the case when your child reaches developmental milestones far earlier than what’s expected. 

Is your child gifted and talented? 

Look for the following signs to know (and then consult an educational psychologist to verify whether your child is gifted): 

  • Rapid learner 
  • Excellent memory 
  • Unusually large vocabulary 
  • Longer attention span and intense focus 
  • Always preoccupied with own thoughts 
  • Always asks deeper questions 
  • Quickly learns basic skills even with little practice 

Once you see most of those signs, you can consult an educational psychologist and have your child undergo an IQ test. Standardised literacy and numeracy tests might also be conducted to determine if your child is way ahead of his/her peers. 

It’s good to know as early as possible if your child is highly intelligent or gifted. This way, you can better support your child’s learning and help prevent your child from being too bored at home, school or early learning centre. This will also help in making sure you’re nurturing your child’s advanced skill or talent (and help your child reach his/her full potential). 

Social skills still matter 

Gifted children often don’t fit in with other kids of the same age. As a result, gifted children might not be able to safely practice and develop their social skills. They become isolated or worse, tend to antagonise other children because gifted children can be more emotionally sensitive or display some signs of sarcasm and arrogance. 

To help prevent that or minimise those occurrences, it’s good to allow highly intelligent or gifted children to spend time with like-minded peers (with approximately the same level of intelligence and interests). This way, children can safely practice their social skills and become comfortable in social settings. 

It’s about helping ensure gifted children still have a safe space to learn and explore. If your child shows signs of high intelligence, a safe space is critical not just in nurturing his/her talent, but also in making sure your child is still having a fun experience.