A Mind Like a Sponge

At almost 20 months, Daniel is learning at a pace I never would have anticipated. Now, before anyone mocks me for claiming that my child is "gifted," I must acknowledge that I've witnessed this phenomenon in many of Daniel's little friends. While not all children are such quick learners, there will always be those individuals who absorb information like a sponge. Whether it's language comprehension, logical thinking, or deductive reasoning, these children love to learn and are constantly doing it. Daniel is one of these children. His capacity for new information never fails to stun me. It seems like every day he does or says something that demonstrates a new awareness of the world around him. Very often, this rapid acquiring of knowledge has humorous consequences. Just this morning, while looking out the window at two white cranes walking on the back lawn, Daniel proclaimed, "Cock! Cock!" He thought they were chickens. While his reasoning was erroneous, he made a valid connection between what he knew about chickens and what he was seeing with his own eyes. I thought it was freakin' brilliant.

Daniel loves books, and loves to be read to. Peter or I will often sit on the floor of the playroom and read book after book to him. When one book ends, he immediately seeks out a new one. He'll bring it over and plop himself down in one of our laps. If it's Dr. Seuss' "Mr. Brown Can Moo," he'll preface the book with a loud, emphatic, "MOOOOOO!" Lately, he's been growling when you ask him what sound a lion makes. I don't recall ever having taught him this, but he inevitably picked it up somewhere. He plays clever little games during mealtimes, holding his food to his lips until you clap for him. If I start clapping when he places the food in his mouth, he'll quickly take it out and smile. This charade can go back and forth several times.

What amazes me the most about Daniel's aptitude for learning, even beyond the rate at which he acquires new information, is how much language he comprehends perfectly. I can ask him any question and I'll typically get some non-verbal response that passes as a correct answer. I can give him instructions and he will follow them. I can say, "We have to leave for Little Gym, so please go to the door," and he'll run to the laundry room and wait with his hand on the door knob. I truly can't wait until his verbal vocabulary catches up with his non-verbal comprehension. Daniel is going to be an interesting little guy. I laugh just imagining the conversations we'll have.