Oh baby! Look who's reading the paper

Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 10:18 AM by Vidya Rao

From NBC News correspondent Janet Shamlian

When I first met Elizabeth last year, I was all but speechless. My youngest child, then 5 and in preschool, was still confusing his B’s and P’s, and here was a 17-month-old little girl reading words like “refrigerator” and “elephant” with ease. When I picked up a newsmagazine and pointed to the phrase “profit margin,” Elizabeth could sound out the words − even if she couldn’t possibly know what they meant. Her gift touched our viewers, too, as we read in hundreds of e-mails.

So we were anxious to see how she’d progressed in a year, and her parents − who have a new baby in their home − graciously welcomed us back. To say Elizabeth blew us away would be an understatement.

It must be said that Elizabeth’s parents aren’t eager for the notoriety the national spotlight can bring. But they came forward in hope of helping other moms and dads find information on how to nurture gifted children without overwhelming them. Among the organizations that offer free information and guidance is the nonprofit Davidson Institute.

As for Elizabeth, her parents say their goal, first and foremost, is for their daughter to be happy. And in most ways, she seems like a normal 2-year-old, laughing and playing. She just happens to read and knows most of the state capitals!

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Comments

My son has been reading on a second grade level since he was three - but I couldn't get him any services or help because I didn't know where to go. After trying the school system (they don't serve gifted children until 3rd grade), I was completely frustrated and I was feeling helpless. Thank you so much for bringing this story - I now have hope that I will be able to find some way to help him. What the representative from the Davis Institute said was completely true - we have never even wanted him to be gifted, but he has been pushing and teaching himself!

Barbara Bingham, Richmond, VA (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:10 AM)

I started reading before my first birthday. By 2 1/2, I would read anything I could get my hands on. At 32, I still will.

I read on a 8th grade level in kindergarten, and by 1st grade, I read on a 12th grade level. Schools did the best they could with me. I grew up profoundly gifted in reading/writing and just plain average in science/math.

I never knew I was special enough to be on something like the Today Show. I was (and am) just who God made me to be. I'm thankful that my parents let ME be the judge of my limits and didn't set adult-sized expectations upon me just because I could do something most other kids couldn't. Teachers who did that usually wound up just making extra work, which seemed like a punishment, not a challenge.

My own little 14 month old is already showing an interest in books and reading, and I try to encourage that with her. I encourage Elizabeth's parents to not listen to all the "experts" who will want to use her as an experiment to see what could be achieved. Just let Elizabeth be her own guide. She'll be happy and successful if she's allowed to grow into being her own person.

Kristen Ethridge, Galveston, Texas (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:32 AM)

I remember when our child was a toddler and being so articulate was adorable and the insatiable curiosity and uncanny aptitude were quirky and amusing. The reality is that when these kids are "school age" it is a struggle for them and their parents just to get enough challenge to make school bearable. Even with test results and your child asking for more challenge (not parents), schools refuse to believe that these kids are that capable, that the curriculum they are providing is not challenging or that there is a true need. And this is the school district of the oft dubbed "smartest city in America," Boulder, Colorado. The schools think the parents are pushing the kid and refuse to understand the kids are pushing because they absolutely need the intellectual stimulation. Please, do a follow-up on the current lack of support for these kids in schools and the need to change.

Smart Kid, Boulder, CO (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:47 AM)

I was so glad to see the Davidson Institute chime in on this! They really are the authorities on Profoundly Gifted Kids!

People think raising a profoundly gifted kid must be so wonderful and easy. Well, it's as wonderful as raising any child, but it's not easy. These kids need services just as badly as those at the other end of the spectrum, but many parents just don't know where to look!

I hope Elizabeth's story helps other parents and kids get the services they need! Thanks to Katy and Michael for being brave enough to step forward and help other parents find what they need to know!

Susan G. Mule', M.Ed. Sugar Land, TX (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 12:01 PM)

My daughter did exactly the same thing beginning at 18 months. Since we were new parents we didn't know it was above normal levels for her age. By kindergarten (at a private school) the teacher let her lead her own reading groups, she also helped in the computer lab classes to give her more to do. They had to challenge her and give her more to do. But it was important to us that she progress normally for her age group also, physically and emotionally maturity are just as important. Today at 20 yrs old she is at a top university doing what she loves and is a well rounded young adult.

MB, San Jose CA (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 12:14 PM)

I felt the same way. At nine months my daugher knew all of the planets in the solar system. I knew then that she was different. I am just sorry I am getting this information now. She is now 4 1/2 and can read, write, spell, add, subtract, multiply and divide. Along with knowing most of the human anatomy, its processes, the continents, countries and states. My wife and I had to go it alone, but I think we are doing okay. We currently have her going to a Montessori school nearby (my wife helps out to stay close) and their curriculum of each child moves at their own pace seems to work well with my daughter.

Good Luck on your little ones development.

Sanjevan Bagley, Akron, Ohio (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 12:16 PM)

My daughter could spell words backwards at age 2, long words like Grandmother. She was also reading at age 2.

They never knew what to do with her, other than put her in the grade ahead.

At 14 she took the ACT tests and scored a 28. Today she is 16 and a solid 4.0, taking Junior and Senior classes. She could graduate early, but maturity is a concern of mine. She is mature for her age, but I worried about placing her in collage at 16-17 amongs the older teens.

I often wonder if she had received extra care in her education how "that" much better and smarter she could be now.

It raises the quesion... Is there a point where the intellect catches up anyhow. ?

Karen, Lexington KY (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 1:28 PM)

My daughter also read by the age of 18 months. She knew all the states by sight and where they belonged on the map. I had to stop her from reading the newspaper at age 2 because some of the stories scared her. She is still (at 32yrs.) an avid newspaper reader. She took college courses at 11 yrs old, the school system didn't know what else to do with her! She skipped grades. She attended Harvard summer school at 16 yrs, taking graduate courses. She went on to attend the US Air Force Academy and is currently a Major in the Air Force flying F-15's. It was a long and hard struggle to find ways to keep her motivated 30 yrs ago. I hope it is easier for these special children to get the assistance they need in a culture that tends to help the below average child.

Callie Woods, Reno Nevada (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 1:48 PM)

My adivse to this mother is to hide books because children of that age are capable of reading books way beyond their comprehension. I would screen books just like I would screen television viewing. Also, having raised five sons which were highly gifted, I would remind her that her daughter is excelling in one part of life. There are others. One being fitting in with her peers, knowing how to interact and being part of a group. It is a skill gifted kids often do not learn because they are treated as special. By college, she won't be as special. After college, even less. It's her world. Teach her to live in it.

Sumana Devii (Sent Wednesday, April 22, 2009 3:21 PM)

At 2 1/2 years of age my daughter knew the lyrics ro all the songs of the Sound of Music. She read fluently at age 3. At that time, I did not realize how gifted she was. She attened private school and academically blossomed in middle and high school. She attened a top ivy college and graduated summa cum laude. Now working at her first job ,she is doing well; she is highly socialable and successful. I believe that parents need to do what is comfortable for them. Perhaps trying to bring a gifted child up in a loving, stimulating family. Elizabeth's mother stated the philosophy correctly in the video, The child shall lead you! I suggest following the interests of your child and provide lots of educational and cultural and travel experiences. They grow up and become wonderful adults!! I can attest to that as I watched my daughter grow and now I watch her go forth in the world.

r. alberts, NYNY (Sent Tuesday, April 28, 2009 11:01 PM)

It is indeed a shame in this country that we have all kinds of resources for gifted athletes, but little for gifted intellects. Colleges value more the boy or girl who is all state in basketball over the state mathematics champion. At the same time there is annual worry about how our best and brightest students are behind the rest of the world. It is time that these skills are recognized and rewarded. All children with advanced intellectual gifts should be assured of having their education expenses paid.

Doug Tynan, Wilmington, DE (Sent Wednesday, April 29, 2009 9:40 AM)

I have two kids who could read well at two. There is an extreme shortage on research and resources for parents of really early readers. It isn't all good news either. How do you respond when your 2 year old reads the sign along the freeway and asks if Flesh Town is an amusement park that he can go to?

Rebecca S (Sent Wednesday, April 29, 2009 4:01 PM)

My son also read on a 4th grade level at age 2. There were no resources at all for him. Although we homeschooled for a year and he was skipped a grade in school, he ended up losing interest in school and now just does what he needs to "get by". It's a shame that our schools let our most gifted down this way.

Jane Doe (Sent Sunday, May 03, 2009 7:44 PM)

I would advise Elisabeth's parents to Homeschool. My first born started reading at 2 yrs., 9 months, and he was reading and doing math at a third grade level when he started kindergarten. The love of learning he had was completely lost in school. My second child started reading at 2 yrs., 6 months, and my third child at 18 months. I am currently Homeschooling them both. The second child is now 7 and he reads at high school level, is currently finishing 8th grade math, and the youngest at 5, reads at a fifth grade level is currently working through 3rd grade math. I believe homeschooling my children has made them happier children; they're able to pursue their interests and to learn at their own Pace. For example, about a year ago they both developed an intense interest in Geography, they both memorized the names of all the countries in the world, size of the countries, a lot of US trivia, of course, states and capitals, and so much detailed geography that went over my head. Of course, I can teach them and review what they learn, but I have to read it while they go off in their recitations! Anyway, Elisabeth would probably do better studying at home, and when she's a little older, she may benefit from radical acceleration by placing her in college at a very young age.

Yasmin Addin (Sent Wednesday, May 06, 2009 4:28 AM)

People probably won't understand parents complaining that public education isn't meeting their gifted kids' needs. But it was true for us. One of our daughters was so bored in school that she misbehaved. The teachers would say she finished her work before everyone else and "we don't know what to do with her." Finally in 3rd grade she was able to participate in the gifted student class in our district and she thrived there. While grateful for that, it's a shame that she and others like her did not get the education they needed and deserved in those earlier years. Ironically, she has a degree in Art now. We're very proud of her.

Jeannie Dowd, Seattle, WA (Sent Wednesday, May 06, 2009 12:53 PM)

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