Information about developing your children

Gifted children can be a challenge for any teacher or parent. It seems that, the brighter the student, the more difficult the task of keeping him interested and focused on various areas of his life. As he grows with knowledge, he very often grows in boredom. Put yourself in his shoes – can you imagine sitting in a small classroom, dully listening as the teacher recites material the gifted child may have learned a year or longer ago? How long would it take for such an active imagination to wander? And, for that especially gifted mind, how much more difficult, then, to get the mind back on track, eager, ready and willing to learn again?

The challenge is there, but teachers and parents alike can work together to better structure the learning environment for gifted children, both at school

and at home. But it takes creative thinking on the part of both teachers and parents, and a kind of partnership, in order to pull this off successfully. After all, with gifted intelligence comes a higher standard of learning, and a more difficult mind to sway. In short, throw out the child psychology books for this one!

Some suggestions for helping gifted children stay focused and interested in learning might include:

· Communicate with your child – This may sound simplistic, but it is so often overlooked. In our haste to do what’s right for a child, we often forget to ask for input from the child, himself. And, especially with a gifted child, moving a child around like a chess piece on some game board is an invitation for stubbornness and a lack of cooperation. But let’s face it, who of us has ever liked to have our own lives dictated by some “higher” force? Aren’t children as much deserving of our respect and consideration? Let the child have input into what he knows, what he wants to know, and some ideas on how to achieve the desired learning.

· Be involved in your child’s education. This means more than closely scrutinizing term report cards, to be sure the child has maintained his all A’s. It also involves more than simply asking a child how his day went, as soon as he walks in the door in the afternoons. Being truly involved means openly discussing with the child, his teachers, and any others involved in his education, everything having to do with that education. Pay a visit to the school and sit down for an in-depth talk with the teachers, especially if your child has a regular class and a Gifted and Talented class. See how your child is REALLY doing. See if the teacher has noticed anything unusual, or ANY kind of boredom or frustration that should be addressed. Bring up the subject, if you have noticed any problems that the teachers have failed to see. Discuss your partnership in educating your child, and make sure everyone is working off the same game plan.

· Know your child well enough to know when there ARE problems. This may also sound rather basic and unnecessary to mention, but it does happen. Spend quality time with your child every day. See what is normal for him, and what might spark you to delve deeper for any signs of unrest or other frustration. Let your child know that you are always open for him to come to you, no matter what the situation and no matter how trivial the problem may seem to your child. Chances are, you will think the problems are much more trivial than the child believes. Something trivial in adult terms – whether by teacher or by parent – may be monumental for the child. Listen, learn and address problems as soon as they are noticed.

· Allow your child lots of independent learning opportunities. Don’t insist on following every school-required subject and learning to the point that the child has no room for self-exploration. Find a way to incorporate a child’s hobbies and interests into everyday learning opportunities. Help keep your child focused, yes, but allow him some room to explore on his own. Too much restriction can easily, and very quickly, stifle the child’s curiosity and willingness to learn at all.

· Don’t push your child to such high expectations that even an A- on a test or subject sends the child – or YOU – into the depths of despair and depression. Perfectionist tendencies can kill curiosity and learning in a heartbeat. Let your child be human. Insist that your child be human. Encourage your child, yes. But try to find few ways to correct the child in such a way that it affects his self-esteem as little as possible. Chances are, with a gifted child, he has already seen his mistake, and is not only keenly aware of it, but is also on an up and down roller coaster ride because of it.

· Help your child set realistic and attainable goals. Leave perfection out of the picture, and, instead, concentrate on some of the more interesting and enjoyable pursuits your child may have. Let him look toward some high goal, but then help him not to reach too high too fast. Let him know that it is okay to learn in stages, and that it is not only okay, but that it is important, sometimes, to work in stages to achieve those goals.

· Make sure your child has enough challenge in his life. This may sound opposite of some of the earlier admonitions, but it isn’t. Let the child find something he really wants to do, then help him find creative ways to learn. Forget the traditional book reading, the kind he ordinarily does sitting in a classroom. Read, yes, but include some outside opportunities to learn. Plan field trips, prepare in-classroom visits by outside experts, and let the kids have as many hands-on learning opportunities inside the classroom as possible. In short, let the child be actively doing, rather than just passively sitting there, listening. Let the child excite his mind with the pure joy of learning by doing.

Finally, just let a child be a child. Encourage fun times, getting outside to play, not always concentrating on only work. Even in fun times, a gifted child can think he must still achieve perfection. Not so. Find some of those “just for fun” activities, where a child can just relax and be himself – your terrifically talented and gifted CHILD.