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The Gifted Child Nancy H. Rosenberg Published Publishing Information Published by Parenthood.com So you've got a bright kid on your hands? Chances are he's bored in school, forced to work with the slower rhythms of his less-advanced peers. And unless you're a card-carrying member of Mensa yourself, you may be a little bit intimidated by your whiz kid. After all, you remind yourself, didn't Mozart begin composing at age five? Most students of approximately the same age share similar physical, cognitive, and emotional developmental features. However, there are students who consistently out-perform their peers in one or more areas of development. Educators call these students "exceptional," or "gifted"; how they choose to deal with them varies widely. Misty Morrison, a kindergarten teacher in Richardson, Texas, described an incident in which it became apparent that she had a gifted student on her hands. The students were told to draw a detailed picture of themselves, and as she observed the class drawing the large round heads and stick-figure bodies she expected, she noticed one little boy meticulously drawing red lines in his figure. "Veins and arteries," he explained. She was blown away. Typically, 10-20 percent of a given class will fall into the exceptional category, although some programs estimate the number to be much smaller, in the 3- to 5-percent range. Criteria for selection usually includes the following: general intellect creativity motivation task commitment leadership Past grades, achievement test scores, and parent and teacher profiles are also measures that may be used in determining whether or not a child is exceptional. Once a child has been identified as exceptional, that's where the real work begins. "In most cases, you can't let these kids just drift along with their peers. They'll be bored silly," says Diane Sprague, coordinator of the Gifted and Talented Programs in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. "The key lies is helping teachers see kids as individuals," continues Sprague. "In a mixed-ability classroom, teachers can tier different levels of instruction, to help meet the needs of the individuals in the class." For example, the teacher will take one topic, then provide different texts or products based on the different abilities within the class. The end result is that gifted kids stay in the classroom, along with their peers, yet they are challenged at a higher level. Usually a comprehensive plan that involves a concerted effort by both parents and teachers to keep the exceptional child stimulated is best, notes James Alvino, author of Considerations and Strategies for Parenting the Gifted Child. "Parents of gifted children are typically the single most important influence in their child's development, outlook and fulfillment of talent," says Alvino. "Parents are truly the guardians and nurturers of their children's talents." If you are the parent of an exceptional child, here are some things you should look for in your school program: -- Enrichment programs such as Junior Great Books, Odyssey of the Mind, Omnibus, National Geography Bee, spelling bees, and science fairs. These types of programs can give exceptional children the extracurricular stimulation they need to stay challenged. -- Support programs for exceptional students. Some schools offer pull-out classes during regular school hours that are designed to further challenge exceptional students. Classes may be held in six- to eight-week sessions, with classes offered that generally reflect students' interests and abilities. -- Individualized planning. If you're lucky, your school may even offer individualized child-study teams who meet to determine the needs of highly capable students. Some schools have specialized teachers for exceptional students, while others offer classes or instruction by regular education teachers with an interest in exceptional students. In addition, parents may strike out on their own in an effort to keep their exceptional kids challenged. Special enrichment programs abound in areas such as language immersion, music, and athletics. Weekend and summer programs can help keep kids stimulated, with the added benefit of helping gifted children meet others with similar skills and abilities. Aside from formal education, Alvino offers additional considerations and strategies for parents of gifted children. Here are his recommendations: 1. Evaluate your parenting style. Relax any overbearing personality traits, and try to focus on positive aspects of behavior in your child. Balance permissiveness with authority, and be sure to allow for unstructured time. 2. Discipline doesn't have to be negative. Children require structure and age-appropriate responsibilities. Rules should be few, reasonable, and consistently enforced. 3. Provide an enriched environment with lots of materials and opportunities for exploration. 4. Help your child avoid stress: he needs to be physically fit, learn to relax, and learn to break tasks into manageable bites. In most cases you will serve as a role model for how your child deals with stress. 5. Creativity requires a nurturing, expressive climate. Allow for regression, solitude and divergent thinking. 6. Help your child learn critical thinking, problem solving, and good study skills. Don't be afraid to use everyday family conflicts and problems to help your child learn the building blocks of thinking skills. 7. Make learning fun. Motivation and interest will increase if pressure is taken off homework and other academic material. 8. All work and no play never helped anyone. Try to keep a balance between structured and unstructured activities. It is important to realize that most gifted children are not gifted in all areas, notes Alvino. While gifted students may excel in certain areas, or may demonstrate proficiency at an earlier age than other children, their abilities will vary on an individual basis. So just because your child excels in reading at an early age, don't expect him to also be snapping open the Wall Street Journal over his Cheerios. Provide your child with ample opportunities to learn, then relax. In the end, the happiest gifted child is a well-balanced child. |
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