How does early or late talking relate to how smart a child is?

Question

How does early or late talking relate to how smart a child is?

Answer 1

Not at all. I started speaking 6 months later then my sister, and I do better academically then she does.

Answer 2

A few people already mentioned Einstein not speaking until age 4.  He supposedly said, "can you pass the cream?"

When his mother asked him why he hadn't spoken until then he replied, "because everything has been fine."

LOL.  Obviously it's a myth, but it's a cute story.  And how many of us know that one kid who is perfectly capable of speech, but just prefers not to?

No, I don't believe early or late talking is related to intelligence, although extremely late talking (not saying words, or making an effort to have some sort of "conversation") by age two may definitely be grounds for a medical assessment.

Good question!

Answer 3

Einsteins area of the brain that controlled speech was slightly damaged so his brain over compensated by expanding the area controlling mathematics.

Perhaps the child has nothing to say. My nephew was an observer too....now he will not stop talking. To each his own.

Answer 4

nothing, my son started talking at2 and hasn't stopped since

Answer 5

not at all.

einstein talked when he was four.

(and my brilliant daughter talked at 14 months) ;-)

Answer 6

Not in the slightest.

My dad didn't talk until he was 3, and went to Oxford. My son didn't talk until he was nearly 2, but could read by 2 1/2.

Answer 7

I think it relates to the kid's language skills, which is one aspect of intelligence, but there are many other aspect of intelligences.

Answer 8

it doesn't.

Answer 9

it doesn't. Einstein didn't speak until he was 4

My son didn't really speak until he was nearly 2 1/2. However, he knew all his colors, shapes and could take apart/put together any object in our house (including my vacuum! lol) by 18 months.

My daughter on the other hand speaks constantly since she was 10 months old, and had the same abilities.

Speaking has NOTHING to do with intelligence.

Answer 10

It really doesn't.  My oldest son is 13 and has always been in the talented and gifted program.  He'll be taking an Advanced Algebra 2 class as an 8th grader.  He started talking more or less at the "average" age.  My youngest son is also very bright.  He hasn't started school yet (he's 5 and will start kindy in the fall), so I can't be sure where he'll fall but my guess is he will also be advanced.  He started talking much earlier.  When he was about 8 months old, he could say all 3 of his brothers' names (for the most part).  My point is, if you have a child that talks early, that doesn't mean that he/she will end up "smarter" than the other kids, just like a child that talks later will not necessarily end up on the other end of the scale.

Answer 11

My 10 year old was almost three before she started talking and trying to put sentences together and in 4th grade she is an honor student in the gifted program and very out spoken.  My son is 8 he started talking before he was a year old and he is an average student.  i always said my daughter was just waiting until there was something worth saying before she talked and now that shes found out what it is she doesnt know when to hush.   I have been around a lot of kids and some that talked earlier are more advanced and some that talked later are I feel that in the end it depends on the child and how much involvemnet the parents have in things.  Parents that push there kids to talk sooner often have kids that feel stressed and feel they have to succeed in order to get theri parents approval, parents that accept their child for who they are and instead encourage them and praise them are happier and learn easier.