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In today's digital age, children are spending more and more time playing video games. However, what if we told you that not all games are created equal? Educational games have been making waves in the gaming industry, as they are designed to teach children important skills while also being fun and engaging.
How Smart is My child? Many parents wonder how their children compare to other children. They worry about how to select the best school for their young children and wonder if they will not only learn up to their potential but be happy in their school environment.
Knowing how smart your child is can be critical, because it helps parents to provide more opportunities for their kids’ increased growth, enjoyment, and success in areas of interest.
Most of the charts on childhood development show the typical range of behaviors for each age group. If your child is ahead of those tables, that doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is on the fast track or slated to become the next Einstein. Levels of Giftedness range from those who are simply bright to those who are intellectually astonishing.
So, let's dive into the numbers at each Level of Giftedness that you are likely to find in an average elementary classroom of 28 children. It is the overall “feel” of where the child fits that tells you the Level.
Level One — bright to moderately gifted
These children show interest in many things before they are even two years old — like colors, saying the numbers in order, and playing simple puzzles. Most of them are good talkers by age three, and by four, many print letters and numbers, recognize simple signs, their name, and know most of alphabet.
By the time they are six years old, many read beginner books and type at the computer, and most read chapter books by age seven.
It is not unusual to find six to eight Level One children in an average classroom, children who are nearly always a few steps ahead of what the teacher is teaching the whole class.
There's no denying that games have an impact on cognitive development, but the type of game being played has an even greater impact. Studies have shown that educational games can have a significant impact on cognitive development, particularly in areas such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making. These skills are essential to a child's development, and educational games provide a fun and engaging way to develop them.
Furthermore, studies have shown that educational games can also improve spatial reasoning skills. These skills are crucial in fields like math and science, and developing them at a young age can set children up for success later in life.
Level Two — gifted to highly gifted
These bright children love looking at books and being read to, even turning pages without ripping them, by 15 months. Some shout out the name of familiar stores as you drive past.
Many of these children know lots of letters by 18 months and colors by 20 months, and between ages three and four, they count small groups of objects, print some letters and numbers, and they very likely drive their parents crazy with all their questions.
They’ll sit for what seems like hours as you read advanced level books, especially fiction and fantasy, to them, but they require a bit less of your time by age six, because most of them read for pleasure and information on their own by then.
Level two children can find only one or two others in their classroom who are as advanced as they are, which starts to make it hard to find good friends.
One of the most significant benefits of educational games is their ability to enhance problem-solving skills. Games are designed to present challenges to the player, and it's up to the player to figure out how to overcome those challenges. This process of trial and error not only helps children develop problem-solving skills, but it also improves their perseverance and resilience.
Level Three — highly to exceptionally gifted
They’re born wide-eyed and alert, looking around the room, reacting to noises, voices, faces.
They know what adults are telling or asking them by six months. You say a toy, pet, or another person, and they will look for it.
Everything Level Two children do by 15 months, these kids do by 10 to 12 months, and they can get family members to do what they want before they are actually talking.
By two years, many like 35+ piece puzzles, memorize favorite books, and know the entire alphabet — in or out of order!
By three years old, they talk constantly, and skip count, count backwards, and do simple adding and subtracting because they like to. They love to print letters and numbers, too.
They ask you to start easy readers before five years, and many figure out how to multiply. Divide, and do some fractions by six years.
Most of these children are a full two to five years beyond grade level by age six and find school too slow. There are one or two Level Three children in every 100 in the average school. They are rarely in the same elementary class and can feel very, very lonely.
Memory is a crucial aspect of learning, and educational games have been shown to improve both short-term and long-term memory. Educational games require children to remember important information, such as rules and objectives, which helps to improve their working memory. This type of memory is essential for tasks like mental arithmetic, reading comprehension, and problem-solving.
In addition to improving working memory, educational games can also have a positive impact on long-term memory. Games that require children to recall information, such as history or geography facts, can help to improve their ability to retain information over a longer period.
Level Four — exceptionally to profoundly gifted (especially in at least one area)
Level Four babies love books, someone to read them, and pay attention within a few months of their birth.
They are ahead of Level Three children by another 2 to 5 months while less than two years old. They have extensive, complex speaking by two years, and their vocabularies are huge!
Most of them read easy readers by 3½ to 4½ years, and then read for information and pleasure by age five, with comprehension for youth and adult level books at about 6–6½ years.
There are about one per 200 children in the average school. Without special arrangements, they can feel very different from their typical classmates.
Language development is a crucial aspect of a child's education, and educational games can play a significant role in this development. Games that require children to read and write can improve their literacy skills, while games that require children to speak can improve their oral communication skills.
Educational games can also expose children to new vocabulary and grammar structures, which can help to improve their overall language skills. Exposure to new words and sentence structures can help children better understand language and communicate more effectively.
Level Five — profoundly gifted across most domains
Level Fives children may have talents in every possible area. Everything is sooner and more intense than other Levels. They have favorite TV shows before 6–8 months, pick out letters and numbers by 10–14 months, and enjoy shape sorters before 11 months.
This children print letters, numbers, words, and their names between 16–24 months, and often use anything that is available to form these shapes and figures. They show ability with 35+ piece puzzles by less than 15 months and interest in complex mazes before they are three.
Fascinatingly, Level FIve children’s Musical, dramatic, and artistic aptitudes usually start showing by 18 months. And most speak with adult-level complexity by age two.
At two and three-years-old they ask about how things work, and science — particularly biological and life and death questions — emerge. They understand math concepts and basic math functions before age four.
They can play card and board games ages 12 and up by age 3½ to 4. They have high interest in pure facts, almanacs, and dictionaries by age 3½. Most read any level of book by 4¼ to five years.
They read six or more years beyond grade level with comprehension by six years and usually hit 12th grade level by age 7 or 8. We know they occur more often than once in a million and regular grade school does not work for them.
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