That’s not an easy question to answer — even the experts in the field of gifted and talented education disagree on exactly what giftedness is. Some believe that giftedness is the development of any talent. Others believe it should be restricted to the academic realm. Still others feel that giftedness is development in children that is not typical for their chronological age.
To make things even more difficult, there exists a range of giftedness. Mildly gifted children learn faster than most of their same-age peers, know numbers and letters early, and are good talkers by age 3. Moderately gifted children love being read to at a very early age and know when to turn the page. By age 2, they know many letters and colors. They ask questions until they drive you crazy. Children who are highly or exceptionally gifted do things even earlier and faster. Although there are no standard IQ levels of intellectual giftedness, some experts suggest the following IQ ranges:
- Mildly gifted: 115 to 129
- Moderately gifted: 130 to 144
- ighly gifted: 145 to 159
- Exceptionally gifted: 160 +
But it’s important to note that success in life comes from perseverance and resilience and from having support and love for who you are, not a high IQ.
In addition, all children have gifts, and they tend to unwrap those gifts at different times, so love and enjoy your child as she is, and prize each new accomplishment.