Suzy likes to pirouette from room to room on her tippy toes. Jose spends hours in the yard studying ants and lizards. And little Claire is a neatnik who puts away the groceries in alphabetical order.

Every child is born with a gift, an ability to dance or analyze or organize. Parents, however, don’t always recognize these talents, especially if the skills don’t fit into the traditional parameters of the classroom.

“Irrespective of genetics or biology, all kids have a special area of achievement,” says Miami psychologist Albert Zbik. “It’s up to the parents to make sure that they’re exposed to as many things as possible so they can figure out what they like. It’s about cultivating potential talent.”

Zbik calls on parents to be vigilant in spotting these talents. The clues, he says, are there if adults watch for them.

“You never know when and where an opportunity will present itself. I call it being awake.”

He cites the example of his 3-year-old grandson, who began mimicking Neil Diamond while watching a concert with his father. That led to the purchase of a toy guitar, which the boy strums constantly. Next up: music lessons.

Shawn Post, associate dean of the University of Miami’s School of Education, says parents sometimes fail to notice their children’s “hidden talents” because they tend to think along academic lines: good student or bad student? But a child’s strengths can reach far beyond the classroom or the playing field.

“We pigeonhole our children early on, but there’s a wide range of strengths and skills that develop over time,” Post says. “Not all children will demonstrate a talent at a young age.”

Phenoms are “very, VERY rare,” says Jessica Robb, psychologist at the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University. In other words, it may take a lot of experimenting and some parental detective work to unearth your child’s special skills.

What can a parent do to coax a talent along?

Expose your child to what Robb calls “a wide breadth of activities.” There are plenty of free community programs and classes, so this doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. And it’s OK if a child decides he doesn’t like baseball or violin lessons after trying it — as long as he’s given the activity a chance.

“You do want to make sure that your kid knows he’s in it for the duration,” Robb says. “He’s not going to quit on his team in the middle of the season, but he can quit after.”

* Familiarize yourself with your child’s learning style. Experts believe there are at least seven types of intelligence: musical, social, spatial, intrapersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic and logical-mathematical. These may be expressed separately or in combinations as diverse as children themselves.

“Taken together, these types of intelligence provide seven ways to learn,” according to Susan Kuczmarski, a Chicago educator and author who conducts workshops for parents and teachers. “They broaden our definition of intelligence and in so doing free a child” to achieve his potential.

* Listen and watch. Most likely your child’s interests will emerge on their own. Kuczmarski is a big fan of “hammock time,” when a kid is allowed to daydream, hang out, doodle or get lost in her thoughts.

“Too often parents get in the way,” she says. “They get hung up on buying experiences or gadgets, but the most important thing a parent can do is let what’s inside the child come out.”

Robb says that what kids choose to do in their free time is a good clue to their interests. The boy who writes and illustrates his own comic book, for example, is probably a good writer: “Parents have to take a step back and ask: What are they drawn to? What are they intrinsically motivated to do?”

* Provide opportunities and support. This may mean enrolling your budding Picasso in art classes, but also asking questions about his activities and what he likes most about them. Show children that their interests matter by showing up for games and recitals.

* Build self-esteem. This doesn’t mean unmerited praise, but it does mean expressing support for a job well done. “I can’t stress the importance of self-esteem enough,” Zbik says. “It’s the quality that allows someone to withstand external pressure and follow his dream.”

This means praising not only show-stopping action but also the effort. “Not everyone can score a goal in a game,” Robb says, “but everybody can be a good teammate.”

* Guide but don’t push. A child may go through half a dozen activities before settling on one or two she really enjoys. Recognize when the child has lost interest — even if both of you have invested lots of time.

A child may like something but not be particularly skilled at it — the avid basketball player, say, who simply isn’t athletic enough to make the team. This can be particularly challenging as children grow into young adults and face decisions about career paths. Many artistically talented people, for example, can’t support themselves with their art, but can pursue it during their off hours.

“You have to provide a reflective voice,” Robb says. “You can say, ‘I understand your love for this, but what are the costs?’ They have to make their own cost-benefit decision.”