All children’s names have been changed
Back to: Indicators of Possible Intellectual Giftedness
Example by Renate Ashraf
Three five-year-old children discuss a comic.
In the comic, a big sister is holding the little sister’s hand to help her learn to walk. The speech bubble says: „Look how she’s walking, our little Anna. Wow! You can walk really well!“ Later, she hands her little sister over to her father and says to him, „OK, Dad, now it’s your turn to lie to her.“
Matti (5;2) asks what’s funny about that.
Isabelle (5;2): „You’re supposed to laugh at the fact that your big sister is already lying the way grown-ups do.“
Ada (5;7) looks sceptical.
All three agree that this is a very stupid joke. Nevertheless, they want to stick it in their notebook. Isabelle dictates like an adult: „It’s important to praise children. But only if it’s true!“
More about the three children:
Isabelle (5;2) is not satisfied with the information she gets from the newspaper
Isabelle (4;5) and the storytelling workshop
Date of publication in German: 2021, December
Examples by Hanna Vock
A picture book is being looked at. In it the picture of a father building a hutch for the newly acquired rabbit. His child watching him.
Marei (3;0) utters:
„But it [the rabbit] wants to get out!“ I inquire: “You wouldn’t put the rabbit inside?” Marei says: “No …, they’ve got a rabbit at Inka’s kindergarten, too, but the fence is too high.”
Katja (4;10) has been listening to a new audio tape with children’s songs on it. When asked how she liked it, she says (thoughtfully):
„Well, the grown-ups probably like it.“
– “What about you?”
– Naah, I think they’re silly.“
Date of publication in German: September 10th, 2009
Example by Brigitte Gudat
Years ago Joshua attended our kindergarten. When he was excited about something – and he was often excited – he would speak so fast that one had to concentrate very hard to understand everything he said. When he was preoccupied with something and he wanted to communicate it, one would have to listen to him, otherwise he would be rather upset and grouchy. I learned it was better to be responsive in such situations, in order to be able to continue my work without further disturbance.
At first my colleagues didn’t understand this, but thought it a preferential treatment. These colleagues were often disesteemed by him, he didn’t show much respect for them and he was quite outspoken on his attitude towards them, too.
Date of publication in German: September 10th, 2009
Back to: Indicators of Possible Intellectual Giftedness
Translated by Arno Zucknick
Copyright © Hanna Vock, see Imprint.