He's doubled his vocabulary since I wrote about the assessment. Not only that, but he knows most of his colors and most of the alphabet, even if he can't say all the letters. I think he's gone from a ten or twelve word vocabulary to something like fifty or sixty--with more appearing every day.
One of his new little things he does is run to the kitchen door, reach over the gate, look back at me and chirp "Eat? Eat?" when he's hungry. And now that he can do that, he's eating every couple of hours. And he's put on about two pounds. Yep, my 40" tall son now weighs a whopping 30 pounds. The pixie is only about ten or eleven pounds behind him.
He also makes specific requests for what he wants to eat: "I wah nutbed" is I want peanut butter bread (nut bread), and he says "ham" quite clearly. Chicken is still "gak" for the sounds they make.
Other requests are coming, too. He asks for "ju" (juice), "dink o dur" (drink of water), "Tas" (Thomas the Tank Engine DVD--best reward for good behavior). He's started asking to draw with crayons on printer paper, too. Most other requests take a few tries to understand, but "Pee pee?" is self-explanatory.
It's amazing how he's turned the corner. I don't know what flipped the switch, but he's gone from a silent or screaming with frustration little boy to a little boy that still gets frustrated, but does better about getting his needs and desires across.
4 seconds ago
I suspect that all new born infants,
ReplyDeletehave a 'timing switch gene!'
Think of the walking process.
We watch for weeks or days as the kids struggles to walk and just can't do it!
Then one day the switch clicks and he is off and running!
Good news!
That's great to hear. "Thomas" has been a fave (and a good incentive) among all my nephews and my niece. Way to build your vocab, imp!
ReplyDeleteThomas?
ReplyDeleteWho'd a thought!
My middle name is Thomas, my youngest son is Thomas as was my Dad--my nephews middle name is Thomas....and guess what! He married a girl whose last name was Thomas.
And of course, one of my cats is named Thomas!
I am glad for the update on imp! My eldest was not easily understood by others. His favorite way to tell me he was hungry was bacon eggs mommy...sounding more like bacnx---which for him just meant he was hungry... It got the point across which is what is important. All kids learn at their own rate and sounds like imp is right on time for himself.
ReplyDeleteAfter having read one or two of
ReplyDeleteThomas Sowell's columns on the
subject, I knew this would happen.
Thomas Sowell, Albert Einstein and
other late talking children do not
represent a trend, but I would love
to see a study on this subject.
I was dyslexic as a child. This was seen as a sign of intelligence. I could read the painted signs on the windows of a restaurant from inside faster than most could read them from the outside when I was 6 years old.
This also relates to autism. Some
late talking children go on to be
the SMFOTP (Smartest "People" on
The Planet.
My 3 year old second cousin showed
all outward signs of genius. A
year later, he was diagnosed with
autism. The light went out!
The parents of Albert Einstein and
Thomas Sowell were told their kids
were "Retarded." These conditions
may be related.
In the case of late talking kids,
the light goes on at 2 or 3 years
of age.
I am not a doctor or a scientist,
but I see a pattern. I am an
electrician. Somewhere there is
an SPDT switch. (Single Pole,
Double Throw.)
In one position, dumb kids go to
smart, in the other, smart to dumb.
In both cases, they happen at the
same approximate age.
At worst, I predict the Imp will be
like me,a high potential under achiever.
At best, he is another Einstein or
Sowell.
This subject intrigues me to no
end. E.J. is now about 7 years
old.
I now believe that these conditions
are related.
I know my imp is smart--the little brat is a problem solver in such a way that it gets him in trouble. When told he can't touch something, I have to tell him he can't touch it with toys, water bottles, spoons, clothes, diapers, etc., or he'll just act like I only meant he couldn't touch it with his hands, and systematically go through the house trying to touch whatever with anything he can think of and pick up in hopes to find something he *can* touch the object with.
ReplyDeleteThat kind of thinking won't work within an institution of education. I plan to home school.
I'm glad that he's talking more. (Now, in a few years, you will be wondering how to shut him up!)
ReplyDeleteI'm also glad you're homeschooling. If I had a child, and there was ANY way I could manage it, I'd homeschool too. The public schools tend to be law-of-the-jungle, in its worst aspects, places, and private schools are widely variable, from fantastic, to so hippy-dippy-you-can't-stand-it.