Little Einsteins
A gifted child has the potential to make a significant
difference in the world, adding to knowledge, changing ideas, or
reaching new heights in performance. Jilly O'Brien discusses
parenting a child with exceptional abilities.
Imagine that you are five years old, have just started
school, and you give a PowerPoint presentation on conductivity,
your current passion, to your class. The class don't understand it,
the teacher doesn't understand you, and you end up in tears,
reluctant to ever set foot in the place again. Your parents don't
understand how their bright and eager child has become withdrawn
and unhappy, and the school has no answers either, suggesting it
might be a phase.
Gifted children occur all over New Zealand,
from all backgrounds and cultures. In recent years, we have become
more aware of identifying them and trying to understand their
specific needs, academically, socially and emotionally, so that we
can ensure their abilities are encouraged to develop.
How would I identify my child as gifted?
Gifted children are "children who possess an innate capacity to
perform at an exceptionally high level in one or more areas of
life". Children with exceptional abilities can exhibit them in all
areas of their lives, both in their work and their behaviour.
A gifted child may display some of the following signs, adapted
from Rosemary Cathcart's They're Not Bringing my Brain Out:
- Learning to read earlier than their peers, and
understanding what they are reading to a greater degree.
- Learning basic skills straightaway without the need to
practise or repeat them.
- Heightened curiosity and desire to find out the why and
how of absolutely everything.
- Fertile imaginations and enjoyment of fantasy play, often
in the early years, constructing complicated games with complicated
rules.
- Enjoying the company of older kids and adults.
- Having a highly developed sense of humour, enjoying puns
and word play, for example.
- Absolutely passionate about an interest or school
subject, but disinterested in another.
- Possessing an excellent memory.
- Thinking unconventionally, having original and possibly
wacky ideas or thoughts.
- Seeing relationships, cause and effect, and links between
ideas.
- Persistence in finding out the answers (and will often
argue black is white!).
- Sensitivity and a strong sense of justice and fair
play.
- Perfectionist tendencies and high expectations of
themselves that often leave them frustrated when they feel they
haven't measured up.
No gifted
child will display all these
characteristics, and this is not an
exhaustive list, but it may start ringing some bells for you if you
notice your child exhibits a lot of these, to a great
intensity.
Danielle
Nicholson knew her daughter might be exceptionally able when she
saw "the way she would persevere for over an hour with something
like a puzzle or a jigsaw that caught her interest, even at three
years of age. She could also solve maths problems without ever
being taught them - her answers were intuitive, and when you
questioned her about how she got the answer, she couldn't tell
you."
My own daughter, now six, walked and talked
early, and at age two started to display a real depth of feeling
and intensity that continues to this day. She is concerned with
truth and justice, terrified of scary books and films, and doesn't
understand how somebody can be your friend one minute and not the
next. From a very early age she would play extremely complicated
games, and even the simple ones such as "mums and dads" or "tea
party" had to be completely authentic, with total attention to
detail. She would also continue playing long after other kids had
lost interest.
A friend of mine has a son who, as a three-
and four-year-old, used to study the Lego catalogues, and I mean
really pore over them! Many boys play Lego, but this little lad had
the passion and ability to construct things out of Lego long before
the outside of the Lego box said he was old
enough.
It is important for parents to trust their
instincts, so if you feel that your child thinks differently -
deeper, more intensely, and more conceptually than her peers or
siblings, then trust your gut feeling.
What to do about it
Positive parenting, such as having consistent rules and
consequences, and celebrating successes, are as important when
raising a gifted child as any other child.
Step back and observe your child if you
think they might be gifted. Watching them go about their play and
daily life gives huge insights that are not available if they are
being hurried from A to B. Listening, appreciating, being the
willing participant in their complicated game that nobody else
wants to play, discussing ideas, and offering support are key
roles. So what if your preschooler does not play with the toy
microphone as a budding pop star, but makes it into a lighthouse
and watches the shadows on the floor revolve around it while they
ask you about the rotation of the sun? Watch, listen, support and
celebrate your awesome child, while also offering strategies in
order for them to cope with the world we live in.
Keep a diary or scrapbook and write down
all your child's important milestones, including the amazing things
they said, starting in the preschool years. Keep any creative
artwork or writing that your child may have done. This can be used
as a running record and evidence to show teachers why you feel your
child may be gifted, especially if they do not necessarily show
their talents in class (some gifted children do try to dumb down
their talents in order to fit in).
Preschools or kindergartens are well placed
to identify giftedness in children. Talk to your child's preschool
or kindy about your observations and your child's interests. You
can also have your child assessed by an educational
psychologist.
Leonie Sanders says her three-year-old
daughter developed "a passion for letters and all things postal.
Her preschool teacher helped her to take her interest as far as she
wanted to go. They wrote a postcard together, got a stamp and
posted it. It was a very real experience which left her fulfilled
and valued in her learning."
Primary schools try hard to meet the needs
of all our children, and it is a legal requirement that they
provide for children of exceptional ability. As your child reaches
school age, here are some of the questions and practices to support
your gifted child:
- Ask your child's school if you can see their Gifted and
Talented policy, and arrange a discussion with their Gifted and
Talented (GATE) coordinator to find out more.
- Discuss with your child's teacher how they plan to meet
your child's needs. This may be by differentiating the work,
offering accelerated classes, providing activities such as a
debating or chess club after school. Offer information on how your
child likes to learn and their passions and interests.
- Consider a school withdrawal programme, such as the One
Day School, or Gifted Kids Programme, where students get to spend
one day a week with like-minded peers to concentrate on learning.
There is also Small Poppies, a gifted programme for preschoolers,
if you live near one of the major centres.
- Join a parents' group or one of the support organisations
set up in New Zealand for gifted children and their families, such
as NZ Association for Gifted Children www.giftedchildren.org.nz
- Check your newspaper for extra-curricular activities that
may be organised through universities, museums, summer schools,
local libraries, or aquariums.
Where to go for advice
Parenting a gifted child is a great challenge, but also a rewarding
one. Supporting your gifted child socially and emotionally, as well
as academically, is very important, as these children often don't
share the interests of their same age peers, and can feel isolated
and left out.
If this article leaves you saying, "Hang
on, that sounds just like my little one!" the websites below will
give you more information, advice and support about giftedness and
gifted education in New Zealand.
Resources
- They're not Bringing My Brain Out, by Rosemary Cathcart, is
available from Hodder Education (or your library), and is essential
reading.
Jilly O'Brien is a Central Otago REAP STAR Programme
teacher. Based in Alexandra, this programme allows for students
from different schools, in years 5 and 6, to come together one day
a week to learn with like-minded peers. This is especially
important in a rural area like Central Otago, where schools may be
small and isolated. One Day School therefore gives students social
and emotional support, as well as intellectual challenge. Jilly
follows the REACH model, a New Zealand model for gifted education.
Jilly also teaches gifted high school children at Cromwell College
in their Half Day
School programme.
As seen in OHbaby! magazine
Issue 10: 2010
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