Examples of: Striking Interest in Older Children

All children’s names have been changed.

Back to: Indicators of Possible Intellectual Giftedness

Example by Bianca Arens, Cologne

Kira (3;0) has made new friends; aside from Lydie, who is going to start school this summer, there is now Mary, who is almost 6 years old, too. The three of them talk to each other as if they were the same age, the considerable age difference between Kira and the other two does not show at all.

Oftentimes Anton and Benni join them. They are about 2 years older than Kira. For a while she has been playing with them rather frequently. To this day they still play together regularly, especially role playing games in the Dolls-and-Cuddle-Room.
Both of the boys – particularly Anton – wilfully accept Kira’s playing ideas and are apparently happy about all the many different ideas she contributes. Still, their contact is not quite as close as it used to be.

Kira has been taking interest in even older children lately, like Lydie and Mary. I think, on an intellectual level she feels closer to the two 6 years old girls than to the 5 years old boys.

See also:
Kira finds her way into the group and shows what she’s got going on (Ch. 4.5)
 (German version)
Kira’s Interests und Talents (Ch. 4.5) (German version)

Published in German: March 2013

Example by Petra Klein, Langenfeld

Casper (3;8) has been at our kindergarten for a little over a year now. Yet, he still prefers the company of grown-ups. He seeks contact with the staff members.

Quite rarely – and then only for a short while – he will socialise with children. He then particularly prefers to play with older children, especially girls.
Published in German: February 2012

Example from a family (anonymous)

In kindergarten Mara (2;4) approaches preferably 4- to 5-year-olds and tries to involve them in a conversation.
More about Mara’s development is to be found in the article:
Parents’ Observations of Children under the Age of 3 (German version)

Published in German: April 2011

Example by Hanna Vock, Bonn

In a parent consultation a mother reported of her eight-year-old gifted daughter who entertained good relationships with other children among which two held the status “best friend” whom she would also invite over for playing. Most of these occasions were rather harmonious playing situations, yet the games played were quite simple, age-based games.

„Whenever my daughter wants to do something more demanding – write a story or tape a radio play or so – she will turn to her four-year-old sister who is also assumed gifted.