Should I Be Impressed?

I've always thought (and experienced) that kids excel in O. area or the other. My son was very very verbal as well. More verbal than coordinated! It seems like the kids that run/jump/walk early are physical first, then verbal.
All kids tend to level out throughout preschool K and 1st grade. Sounds like you have a bright little guy there. Enjoy him.

Hi C.,
I would probably stop the flashcards and focus more on reading and other activities like finger painting, playdoh, digging in the dirt, and playground activities. Have fun!
Victoria

Yes be impressed! I'm also impressed by you and how you are taking already such an active roll in your son's life =-)

I love being a Mom, and a teacher, to my kids too!

Keep it up Mom!

I think you may be focusing on the wrong thing. All kids thrive in certain areas and at different times. My nephew could imitate any animal sound by 12 months, my daughter couldn't do that until she was 3. My daughter on the other hand could jump with both feet off the ground and balance on the balance beam by the time she was 14 months, my nephew not so much. Was there something wrong with either one of our kiddos? Nope they are both beautiful perfect little people with their own interests and abilities. The key is to nurture your child's interests, and abilities.

By focusing so much on if your son can point to the zebra you may be missing out on something else he is interested in. Now if it is him who is begging for the cards, that's a different story. My nephew's favorite book was the animal encyclopedia, not because my sister shoved it down his throat but because he loved animals. My daughter would have cried if I made her read that, she still would!

Focus on what your son wants to do, not your idea of him being smart. Let him show his own potential, you'll be amazed!

If you are ever genuinly worried about any milestones he may or may not be hitting, your pediatrician has a list of them.

Enjoy that little boy!

I think you need to focus on helping your son develop

I believe you should be impressed about being an actively engaged parent - so many people have kids but really don't want all the responsibility that comes with it (such as teaching).

Our kids were both in a pretty similar place at that point in time, and we've had several people comment about how noticeable it is that we spend time with them.

Keep it up - there are so many ways for kids to learn and have fun doing it. And, they're such sponges at this age.

My only advice to the contrary is to let him have fun being a kid, too. When you see kids fighting life threatening illnesses, severe learning or physical disabilities, it also makes you realize that average can be a really wonderful thing, too.

It sounds like you're a great Mom and take it seriously. I applaud you for being so invested in your child.

I've known quite a few verbally bright kids in my six decades, and quite a few with advanced motor skills. They are not necessarily the same kids. Overall, when the child (or parent) stresses a particular area of focus, it can be to the detriment of others.

You can google lots of sites that will list developmental milestones to watch for. Most "normal" babies will be ahead of those milestones in one area or another, very much to the delight and pride of their parents.

And so it should be! Knock yourself out. I hope you will also keep in mind that play, play, and more imaginative play is a young child's most important work, during which they continue to develop motor and verbal skills, begin to notice weighty ethical and social observations, practice with emotions, and learn about self-control and delay of gratification as they imitate the older people in their lives, and gradually become part of the larger community.

You can google "the importance of play in young children" for quite a bit of recent research. Play should not take a second seat to academics. However, reading to a young child and helping him grow his vocabulary are extremely important. A large vocabulary is the single best predictor of future academic performance, so as long as he's happy with the flash cards, that can certainly be a worthwhile form of play – as long as that's how it feels to him.

My daughter and her son were/are verbally gifted. both speaking words clearly at 7-8 months, and actual sentences before a year. It was a delight, but not a special focus.

We all want to have the most brilliant child in the world.
We all watch with wonder at little prodigies who can play Mozart effortlessly at 5 years old and are on you tube from Japan or somewhere.
Why?
I think because it confirms for us that we are doing all the right things and by having a brilliant child it means that we are brilliant parents.
Some women tote their children around the country to pageants in hopes of affirmation that their children are beautiful.
ALL children are beautiful.
ALL children are brilliant in one way or another.

I mean no offense and I don't want any hate mail, but at 15 months, children are like monkeys. Monkey see....monkey do.
Kids who do some things early must surely be brilliant and kids who do things later must have something wrong with them.
Whatever happened to just letting our kids be kids?
Babies....?
My daughter walked at 7 months and was verbally expressive very early. No one could get over how advanced she was.
Is she in line to be one of the leaders fo the free world? No.
She's an artist and hair dresser and very happy.
Smart enough to go to Yale? Hell yeah.
Was that her passion? Hell no.
Both of my kids are creative, resourceful, intelligent, kind, and super funny. My son wants to be a chef and has a good start on that.

Keep working with your child as long as your son has fun with it but don't push too hard. Children are like sponges and their memories are great for some things. Don't compare him with other children.

I think your last sentence says it all. You're fine with people saying "Don't get your hopes up, he should be doing this and more" and it won't hurt your feelings.

You are worrying too much. You are placing too much value on card tricks and repetition.
Take your child out for walks. Look for lizards and leaves and rocks and let him get muddy. Lay on the grass and let him look for ladybugs.
Children learn much more from non structured play at this age, in my opinion.

Every mother is proud of their child. That goes without saying.
There is no doubt your child is alert and intelligent, but don't try too hard to make something of it before your child even understands what just being a little kid is.

I wish you the best.

C.,
Well, I read all the other responses and am actually surprised with how people are thinking that by your simple question and one example of what your child is doing, that you do not do the other things they suggest you do. I doubt you are not taking him outside and reading to him, etc. It sounds like this was just something you threw out there and he picked up on. I say go for it. I taught special education for 3-5 year olds and there is nothing wrong with flashcards. I agree your lil' guy needs to be enjoying himself in the process, but from what I read into your question, he is. There is a progression of skill, and identifying objects as one poster swayed to is actually a lower skill level than identifying picture cues. I would not say you need to put them up. I agree, allow for lots of variety of experiences, but frankly, I get the sense you are doing that otherwise he would not be responding so intellectually as he is. One thing to note is that there is quite the gap in development up to first grade. It is at this age we see the gap close in quite a bit for MOST kids, not all. SO, he may be advanced now, and as he progresses, so will his peers. Another thing is, children do not develop in all the developmental areas at the same time usually. They can, but don't have to. That is why you will see one lil' guy with great verbal skills, but not so good at doing some of the fine motor objectives for that age, while another child can do things more advanced with the fine motor, but maybe isn't talking yet. Then, you think the child is regressing in the fine motor stuff, but really they are focused more on learning to talk so that is not the main focus....make sense? So, I think he is doing great and I would encourage you to continue what you are doing. As long as you and him are enjoying yourselves, go for it!!! I do wish people allowed for more grace in the parental realm.

Now that my daughter is 3.5 and labeled "the smart girl" I am much more cautious with the emphasis on intelligence, early reading, comprehension, etc. Its wonderful, really, but social and emotional intelligence are a better predictor of your child's happiness. I tell you this now, but you may not take it in because it is fun to be impressed, it is validating as a parent, people can look at your child and be awed by them and by proxy, you. (or me as the case may be) I love the comments about how other parents were impressed with your dedication. Please be careful with what you emphasize as it will determine how the child can value themselves. I know, heady answer for a simple question, but giving to you what I'm learning: )

Best!
Jen

I think you should be impressed! It sounds like he's a smart guy, and you have worked very hard with him. He sounds like he enjoys it, which makes it even better! Keep up the good work, and he will continue to excel. Now is the time that you can work with him on colors, numbers, and shapes as well. We made a game out of counting. My daughter loved the windshield wiper fluid to squirt and would yell, "Car raining!" when we did it. So, we would count to 5 for it to happen. Pretty soon, she started randomly counting to 5 in the car, so she could see the car rain.

I used those picture flash cards (mine were Baby Einstein ones) with her as well, because she really liked the pictures and it was fun. There is nothing wrong with that!

Have you seen that "Your Baby Can Read" program? I want it for my next! It's only an hour per day that you work with them, and if they aren't enjoying it, you can put it up and wait a few weeks, then try again. My daughter would have LOVED it. Some kids really do love flash cards and work books. Mine was one of them, much to my surprise. She is a highly gifted 7 year old now (by highly gifted, I don't mean that she is a super cool kid. She has an abnormally high IQ - and is still a super cool kid).

Most likely, he will get to the point where he will ask you a ton of questions.... do whatever you can to answer all of them. Whatever you do, don't let anybody squash that curiosity. It becomes tiring asking so many questions, but when they really want to know things, it's important to do whatever you can to give them the knowledge that they want. I only say this because many MANY parents advised me to limit the amount of questions I would answer. It's very likely that you will hear the same thing, also having a child who is hungry for knowledge.

Good luck, and keep it up! It sounds like you are doing awesome with him!

Be proud and keep encouraging his learning! Sounds to me like he is developing beautifully. Children are like sponges so we should take every opportunity to teach, but without being pushy or overbearing. If he's enjoying it, keep doing it! If he starts losing interest, don't force it! My youngest, now 3, recognized both her lower and upper case letters at 18 months. My oldest, now 15, was the same way! And my middle child, now 11, has never been a slouch, either! All LOVED books at a very early age -- it is the BEST way to devleop their young minds! You're doing a great job -- keep it up!

I think its awesome. Sounds like your doing a geat job as a first time mom. He sounds very smart.

I didn't use flashcards, but when I would read to my oldest at this age, he would point to the objects I would ask him to identify on the pages of the book. He knew shapes and colors and by 2 , he had memeorized a few books as well. Today, he is a normal 6 year old kindergarten student who happens to be an excellent reader. He doesn't excell in everything, but is above average compared to others his age. Will he always be? Hard to say. He may level out and be an average student in a few years which is fine with me. As long as he's doing his best. Is your son gifted? Who knows, only time will tell. Just keep learning fun and make reading an everyday priority.

Yeah! Celebrate and be impressed. That is incredible!
As a resource, and a tool to encourage development, my mother subscribed me to Growing Child newsletters. They were invaluable with both my boys in not only providing a list of things baby should be doing (yes a check list of sorts), but also providing games and activities we could do at their age/stage to help them meet/exceed their next milestones. I only offer this as a tool to help you keep your little man going and give you some ideas on things you would want to do to enhance his learning if you wanted a little boost.
I bet if you google it, you'd find them. They look like they are from the 1970s but trust me .. . great!

I'm not sure if this is normal, but my suggestion is to stop using flash cards as much and just concentrate on real things.Plenty of generations have thrived and become huge successes with out flashcards and just learned the old fashion way. Children lean just by playing. Of course you want him to be super smart, but I'd start flash cards when he is starting to learn to read and mathematics.
Question though, are the pictures of real things or are they cartoon drawings? He might be confused as to what is on the flash cards vs the real thing. Just my two cents.

I think it is really great that you are so hands on with your child, he's lucky to have such a supportive mommy. I think this sounds pretty normal, but I would recommend reading "you are your child's first teacher" (forget the author right now) because I personally think you shouldn't try to cram that much stuff in to such a young brain. He will only be memorizing the flash cards rather than actually learning real stuff. Make sure he has enough down time to learn normal life stuff, and develop his brain on his own.

Also some children develop in different areas at different rates, like my daughter developed her speech early and her motor skills late. (she walked at 13 months)

My daughter is 17 months and has many words and can put 2, 3 and 4 words together in sentences and I never tried to teach her anything from flash cards. Instead i point out things outside and while we are doing chores... cooking etc. and we read a lot of books.

He does sound like he is verbally advanced. Enjoy it! My first son (now 3) is as well, and its been fun for me, being able to hear the crazy things that were on his mind from an early age. Your son may or may not be advanced in other areas as well. I would recommend (trying) not to get too excited about his intelligence just yet (primarily because it may put pressure on him). But, at the same time, keep the possibility in mind and look for learning opportunities and ways to challenge him. Before having kids, I would have said it was crazy to teach a 2 year-old to read ... but I noticed mine was both ready and interested, so we started playing letter and word games, and just through play, he learned to read before age 3. Keep noticing what your child enjoys learning / doing, and you'll find ways to help promote any gifts he may have.

Short answer, he's doing great. It's wonderful that you play with him and he is doing what he can to get your approval.... that will end soon when he starts to push his limits. :-P

I don't know that you can ever measure kids against each other. They all excel at different things. By the time my daughter was 20 months, she knew all her colors (english and spanish), her shapes, her letters, count to 10 (english and spanish)... etc. She's just a sponge. Still that being said, it took until 32 months for her to be potty trained. Had to figure out what her triggers were on that one. She is about to be 3 and is now learning tonality in singing and making up her own music... she can also maneuver a soccer ball like a little pro. They are all different.

Just keep playing and giving him praise and telling him how much you love him.

Sounds like he is just fine and you are doing a great job. I honestly don't think there really is a "normal". My son is 3 and a genius.. lol (that was a joke) I watch he and his friends and it changes daily. One day he can't/won't do or say what I'm looking for and the next day he is reading a few words.. I agree about education. The good news is!!! It sounds like he is a smart kid. I always worried (because of my son's donor) that Jaxson would be a few teenagers short of a Hannah Montana episode. Turns out he got my brains. lol Have a blessed day!

My boys were early talkers. Both had lots of words and loved books at that age. I never did flash cards, but they could identify lots of stuff in books. I say, keep it up as long as you both enjoy it. Of course you get to be impressed! Your his mom!

My daughter is 17 months, has way less words, and is just starting to point stuff out in books. I think she is just as smart as her brothers :)

At this point, I think my boys are articulate and intelligent. They are aged 5 and 3. I think there language is good for their age, and I look forward to seeing how they do in school, but haven't gone to any lengths to enroll them in anything for "gifted" kids.

J.