Emily, A Brilliant Girl

At six months old when asked where her nose is, Emily would point at it.

At 11 months old her first word was "Dada." Also at 11 months when her mother would sing "Head, shoulders, knee, and toes" and Emily would touch the right place of her body. She walked at 11 months.

On Jan 1998 she said "bible." At one year old said, "apple." On Feb 1998 she said, "uncle." and uttered, "all gone."

On Feb 1998 at 13 months old she took a box of cereals from the cupboard and her mom asked her to put it back and she did.

She recognized some letters of the alphabet at one year old. At 18 months old she knew the whole alphabet and started talking in sentences. At 22 months old she knew 5 colors. At 2 years and 3 months she knew the "Pledge of Allegiance." At 2 years and 4 months she could write 6 letters, E F O T P D At 22 months old she could do puzzles designed for 3 – 7 years old.

She knows her vowels at 2 years and 3 months.  She sang "Jesus Loves Me" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

At 2 years old routine visit, when she saw me reach for my stetoscope, she automatically lifted her dress expecting me to listen to her heart. She knew that I magically put the magic ball at her ears after I did my disappearing magic ball. (Most 2 year old children would look down at the floor and "look" for the magic black ball.)

At 3 years old Emily was about to say and pronounce clearly: otoscope, stethoscope, and opthalmoscope. She could write her name and she knew such words as: biology, zoology, and enunciation.

What made Emily advanced in development? She spent a lot of time with the grandmother who read to her frequently especially books on A B C and the small cardboard books. The grandmother played a piano at lot. Emily would look at the song books and pick out the ones she wanted to hear. Emily listened to "Little kids tapes" and bible tapes. She did not watch TV or video tapes. Her mother and grandmother read about 20 children books a day.

Cullen   Claire   Kyra Lindsey

Leo Leonidas, MD, FAAP   Assistant Clinical Professor In Pediatrics, Tufts University, Boston; Attending Pediatrician, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor

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