My girlfriend claims that our infant (about 9 month old boy) is gifted because he is doing certain things relatively early, such as the way he "speaks", moves around, eats, observes etc. That may very well be so. I have not studied when the different skills are to be expected.
Assuming he is gifted, what ways are there to help him make the most of this gift? I am looking for suggestions for toys/things, activities, food, environmental factors etc.
Gifted is a useless term. Every child is brilliant to the parents, just as every child is beautiful to the parents. Albert Einstein was thought a slow-witted child, until he found his talent.
That the child may be "gifted" is not really relevant. The highly intelligent child will not learn differently, but perhaps will learn more quickly.
In short .. find lots of ways to give the child new experiences and opportunities to find a gift or talent. Pay attention, and tailor the world to their talents and their aptitude.
Let him explore with supervision. Having a special unlocked drawer in the kitchen (assuming the whole kitchen isn't off limits to him) filled with unbreakable things like measuring cups, spoons, a dish cloth, and cups will let him learn more about the world and what adults do. This fall, let him pick up leaves outside and crush them. He'll enjoy the sound and it will be good for fine motor skill development.
I think the most important thing to do is to talk to your son and tell him about the world around you.
At 9 months, I believe the best thing you can do is what you would do with any child (gifted or not) and that is to encourage learning and exploration in every opportunity. If you believe the child is gifted, you might notice your child advancing faster. It would be a good idea to probably look at possible milestones for children at each month so you can get a rough estimate of what to expect. Every child does develop differently, but they are some commonalities. In short, just continue to give your child all the best and introduce them to a wide variety of things and take note of their reactions.
Giftedness requires challenging curriculum and the diligence necessary to acquire and execute many learned skills in order to produce academic success. Giftedness includes intellectual, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and emotional intelligence as well as artistic or creative giftedness.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gifted intellectual giftedness is different from a skill. Skills are learned or acquired behaviors while intellectual giftedness is usually believed to be an innate, personal aptitude for intellectual activities that cannot be acquired through personal effort.
Therefore, gifted children need a WIDE variety of stimulating activities repeatedly in order to gain various skills. These activities should stimulate:
For a 9 month old, this will include exploration of their environment through physical manipulation, trial and error, and problem solving. As a parent, view every day events and surroundings with fresh eyes. Provide opportunities for self exploration in every part of the child's world. Encourage manipulation of objects in unique ways to develop a sense of mass, weight, texture, patterns, structure, sound, construct, balance, taste, reflection...the list is endless.
This is the true joy of parenthood: getting to discover the world all over again through the eyes of a toddler.
It is very important to let the toddler play by himself and not be tempted to keep 'helping' him play.
