So she's destined to a life of disappointment in humanity and deep-seated cynicism?
But with smily emoticons! 
Is my little girl smart?
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But with smily emoticons! 
Yeah, it sounds like your little girl is ahead of the curve. Congratulations.
In 24 years she will marry a man named Greg. They will have 2.5 kids named Molly and William and little Halfsie. She will be elected to Parliament after exposing an illegal underground wallaby fighting ring run by Chinese triads in Wellington. She will then become the first astronaut-Prime Minister, and will hold the first Christmas on Mars.
In 24 years she will marry a man named Greg. They will have 2.5 kids named Molly and William and little Halfsie. She will be elected to Parliament after exposing an illegal underground wallaby fighting ring run by Chinese triads in Wellington. She will then become the first astronaut-Prime Minister, and will hold the first Christmas on Mars.
When I was in high school and college, I worked in two day cares with babies and children of varying ages. I had twos for two years, fours for one, and at the next day care I worked a summer camp with children from ages 5-12. (Yes, they were all together in one camp. And I often watched them alone with no help, and I had up to 17 of them. But I digress! )
Based on the children I cared for, your daughter sounds very advanced for her age. Many of the three year olds didn't grasp all of the concepts you listed. We started twos out with basic colors, shapes, and letters, but I don't think classes under two years old had any kind of curriculum at all.
)Based on the children I cared for, your daughter sounds very advanced for her age. Many of the three year olds didn't grasp all of the concepts you listed. We started twos out with basic colors, shapes, and letters, but I don't think classes under two years old had any kind of curriculum at all.
It does sound like she's advanced and I'm glad you'll be encouraging her. Just don't think too far ahead or push too much? My siblings and I were all really advanced in different ways, but kids change and you don't want to take the fun out of learning or burn them out early.
Of course we're dealing with concrete thought. According to Jean Piaget's work on the cognitive development of children, children do not have the cognitive ability for abstract thought until adolescence.
To the OP: It sounds like you have a very bright little girl. If you continue to provide her with fun ways to learn about and explore her world, she will continue to amaze you.
Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie
Then I seem to have been an anomaly to Jean's theory.
My 18 month old can understand 3 languages Mine, my wife's and her mother's. She responds with understanding to us all.
But she's not using full sentences yet! You can't cook a turkey in a microwave!
Mine, my wife's and her mother's. She responds with understanding to us all. But she's not using full sentences yet! You can't cook a turkey in a microwave!
This is an extremely important point. Encourage but don't push too hard and build up boredom or, even worse, resentment. Not that you were heading that way, just a general good point to keep in mind.
Mr Awe
I'm not familiar with this work, but that seems way too late. I agree that younger kids orient more towards concrete thought. However, to say that they are incapable of abstract thought until adolescence seems extreme. I know I did and I believe that most kids do well prior to adolescence.
Mr Awe
We're not doing any extra learning courses or anything, just reading her books, talking to her like adults instead of a baby. I guess that's why she's picking up languages faster cos she's not being cooed and gaga'ed at.
^^ All great stuff!
Thats another thing I wondered... again as I barely have any contact with other kids, if my girl picked up her vocabulary so quickly because she interacted only with adults. And we talked a lot.
Of course the down side is now that she was outsmarting her mother at eighteen months.
Actually, that wasn't a downside, it was quite funny.
It certainly helps to not talk down to them. I mean, cute baby talk is fine...when they're itty bitty babies, but at some point you need to pretend like they're mini-adults.
Hell, when I first held my Godson when he only 1-day old, the first thing I asked him was, "So, Cooper, you're a baby now. How does that compare to being a fetus?"
He did not respond, but his mom thought it was funny.
If you have never heard of Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development chances are you've never taken a Psychology Child Development course. I have a bachelor degree in psychology. I took and received an "A" in my Child Development course. (I'm also a stay-at-home mom with two children.) Below is a summary of Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development.
Now, during the Period of Concrete Operations (7-12 years) children do begin to develop an ability to think abstractly about concrete or observable phenomena. However, even at this stage thinking is still tied to the concrete. Children do not have the cognitive ability for true abstract thought until adolescence.
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/piaget.shtml
Edited to add: The original point I was attempting to make to Ice Queen (Jadzia) was that it made little sense to comment (or categorize what this child might be like as an adult) on the child only showing concrete thinking because that is all one would reasonably expect from a child of that age.
And again -- To the OP: It sounds like you have a very bright little girl. If you continue to provide her with fun ways to learn about and explore her world, she will continue to amaze you.
Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie
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With regards to education I've certainly seen it taken to extremes here in highly competitive, overcrowded China. Flashcards in the cribs, helicopter moms who need to hear that not only does their kid function, but is he the little gem of the classroom.
But by far the overwhelming trends I see here are learned helplessness and extrinsic locus of control. The kids overstudy and lose all thirst for learning. They grow up to learn how to appear busy while doing whatever they want. Now, part of this can be attributed to exam-oriented "education" rather than applied skills development - students are basically not expected to show their work, or face their own deficiencies. It all hinges on examination, which is when the stuff hits the fan and the frail psyches are made or broken.
Who then grow up to value business culture of relationships and knocking off rather than innovative entrepreneurship. Who can freely bash the cultures that keep them in business. And there's always conceit as a coping mechanism.
Did I say that out loud?
Point is, the most important thing a parent can impart in my opinion is self-efficacy and thirst for learning. Not the encyclopedia dump.
If I ask a class to debate, they will sit in silence. If I ask the capital of Brazil, they will put their thinking caps on. All, in my opinion, attributed to rote education. Many can recite university-level English grammatical rules but can't make a basic conversational connection without a psyche crash.
But by far the overwhelming trends I see here are learned helplessness and extrinsic locus of control. The kids overstudy and lose all thirst for learning. They grow up to learn how to appear busy while doing whatever they want. Now, part of this can be attributed to exam-oriented "education" rather than applied skills development - students are basically not expected to show their work, or face their own deficiencies. It all hinges on examination, which is when the stuff hits the fan and the frail psyches are made or broken.
Who then grow up to value business culture of relationships and knocking off rather than innovative entrepreneurship. Who can freely bash the cultures that keep them in business. And there's always conceit as a coping mechanism.
Did I say that out loud?
Point is, the most important thing a parent can impart in my opinion is self-efficacy and thirst for learning. Not the encyclopedia dump.
If I ask a class to debate, they will sit in silence. If I ask the capital of Brazil, they will put their thinking caps on. All, in my opinion, attributed to rote education. Many can recite university-level English grammatical rules but can't make a basic conversational connection without a psyche crash.
I've had several friends go abroad to China to teach college courses, and they would agree with you. The Chinese are basically programmed to memorize and recite information, but they had a remarkably difficult time with any kind of reasoning or creative thinking.
Make that count to eight in Maori.
Little smart ^&%$#@.
Little smart ^&%$#@.
Not normal, but certainly impressive.
Smart little girl you have ,congrats.
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