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Many parents wonder how their children compare to other children. They may suspect their children are gifted (e.g. their 5-year-old is adding pupils and eyelashes to their drawings of people or his 3-year-old can read an "Exit" sign), but they're not sure how to prove or disprove it. Proof about giftedness can be critical, because it helps parents advocate for their children's education and provide more opportunities for their kids' increased growth, enjoyment, and success.
When I began to write Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind, I planned to use as many of my own clients' children's stories - and test scores - as possible to describe what kids at different points on the IQ scale were like. But as I sifted and sorted through the early behaviors and milestones that their parents wrote about, I saw that their scores were not as accurate a reflection of their abilities or profiles as I had assumed. So, although assessment is very helpful, it doesn't - and can't - tell the whole story.
Certain childhood behaviors- called milestones - can tell us whether children are ahead of or behind others of the same age. Most charts on childhood development show the typical range of behaviors for each age group, and the average gifted child is generally about 30% ahead of these developmental milestones. If your child is developing ahead of those tables, it doesn't necessarily mean he or she is slated to become the next Doogie Howser, M.D. Levels of giftedness range from those who are simply bright to those who are intellectually astonishing, and it is quite helpful - perhaps even essential to understand the level of a child's abilities.
Here's an overview of the various levels of giftedness and milestones that are common - but not necessary - to each level. It is the overall feel of where the child fits that tells you the level. Also included for each level are the number children you are likely to find in an average elementary classroom of 28 children.
Level One
* These children show interest in many things before they are even 2 years old - like colors, saying the numbers in order, and playing simple puzzles.
* Most of them are good...