They say God blesses every person in the world with at least one talent if not more.   Identifying talent at a young age in a child can be very beneficial as the child can be groomed towards betterment and perfection right from the early days.

Knowing that your child is exceptionally gifted or talented in any field or area can be a source of great joy and pride for any parent.

Once the area of potential is identified, steps can be taken to develop and nurture that talent by parents, teachers, relatives and other adults. But the main task at hand firstly lies in spotting a talented child. 

The more the number of opportunities a child gets and the more the number of different activities he participates in, the easier it will be to identify his talents and gifts. 

Observation is the key

Parents should be very observant of their child from a young age itself, to spot their areas of liking! Studies show that 90% of the human brain develops before the age of twelve. Once these years pass away, the scope for enhancement of natural talents in children reduces greatly.

Hence it is vital that the most is made out of the period before the age of twelve.

There are two relevant quotes which are ideal to describe the importance of this, “Make hay while the sun shines” and “Strike while the iron is hot.”

These are some ways to spot a talent or gift in a child

• If they show excellent academic performance in a particular subject in school, it points out their inherent talent in the subject.

• Sometimes a child may show a heightened level of interest in a particular field. For example, when you go to a sports shop he pesters you to buy a badminton racket he sees, even though he has never played the game till date. Your child might be watching a badminton match on television and he insists on you buying a badminton racket for him even though he has never played it before or watched anyone playing it in real life. These could be signs of a budding badminton enthusiast.

• Teachers can also play a major role in identifying talent in a child. Talents can be spotted by school teachers based on the child’s performance in class tests, assignments given by the teachers, classroom discussions while teaching and a general observation of the child during school hours.

• Talents need not always be present only in conventional fields like drawing or singing. If your child is very good at repartee and is always able to make his point firmly while debating or arguing on a subject, your child has qualities which can make a good lawyer.

• Paying attention to the kind of programmes he likes to watch on television can help in spotting interests. If he is always inclined towards programmes related to outer space and space exploration, these are signs that the subject area interests him. If your child asks questions at a very young age like ‘What is the sun made of’ or questions like “Daddy please tell me all about constellations of stars’ or Why does Saturn have rings’ etc, it is a sign that he has a special love for matters related to the outer world and universe. If he insists on going to a planetarium or expresses desire to look through a telescope so that he can observe stars more closely, it proves even more his great fascination for the field.

• Watch what the child is always curious about and interested in knowing about.

If a child is interested in a subject, he will ask an endless number of questions related to that subject and never get tired of it .He will always be highly curious about that field and will not be satisfied until he gets a reply. If you observe your child to be overtly curious on any topic, it shows his great zeal and enthusiasm for that subject.

There are some signs which show whether a child is in general a smart and talented child

• Children who enjoy games which challenge the brain like solving puzzles, number games and enjoy playing with other toys or games which involve use of the intellect.

• Children who begin to speak at a very early age itself and their ability to grasp languages and vocabulary is amazing.

• Children who have unusually good analytical and reasoning ability.

• Children who are quick learners and display signs of a strong and powerful memory at a young age.

The above are signs show that the child is basically an intelligent and talented child overall.

Thus, if you see potential or talent in your child in any area, work hard on nurturing it for it is something which can make him stand out in life or something which he can make a successful career of.

Talents are those special gifts in a person which if nurtured and developed to the point of perfection can even make your child famous and renowned the world over.