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How to
identify a gifted child can be a difficult process,
Many parents are scared to dare think their child
has a talent above the norm and may find other parents
and teachers may not believe them thinking they are
just overly proud of their child.
The truth
is that most schools are not equipped to deal with
gifted children as they are fewer and further between
than the average child and since they learn what they
need to easily the teacher ignores them to concentrate
on the less gifted ones.Using these 12 points you
can gain some insight into your child¡¯s potential
genius. Generally a young child who shows many of
the following traits is likely to be gifted, however
other less gifted children may show some of these
traits and a gifted child will very rarely show all
traits. While this guide is written for young children
many of the points can also apply to older children.
1.
Advanced Development
A young
gifted child frequently achieves certain milestones
such as first speech and walking much earlier than
other children. They may also have a greater vocabulary
than other children of the same age and love to define
words, read books and can often be self taught readers
at pre-school and kindergarten.
2.
Early Intellectual Talent
Gifted
young children can have a very good memory and can
learn simple math, science and social studies concepts
eagerly. They may also grasp onto a particular topic
(Space and planets for example) and have an amazing
understanding of the subject! They can also simply
have a wide interest in everything and a thirst to
learn all they can moving from one area to another
very quickly.
3.
A Thirst for Knowledge
Gifted
children often have a drive to learn and a ¡®thirst
for knowledge¡¯. Without having any particular
agenda children often want to discover and learn for
the sake of discovering like a true scientist or philosopher.
They may study everything or pull toys and devices
apart to see what makes them work. Or may be overly
interested in simple things then discard them quickly
looking for a new learning challenge.
4.
High Level of Activity
Unlike
hyperactivity which can often have no focus just amazing
amounts of energy a gifted child can often be very
active and have a reduced need for sleep as they divert
this energy to a purpose. Also, unlike hyperactivity
a gifted child may have a long attention span when
they find something of particular interest.
5.
Cautionary
A gifted
child may have a great ability to read more into situations
and the future than their peers. Because of this they
may seem to hold back in new situations as they work
out the implications and possibly worry about the
possibility of failure. While this may make them appear
shy or slow a gifted child can show their true ability
by answering questions brilliantly or excelling at
the task given.
6.
Sensitivity
Some young
gifted children can be very sensitive, general anger
or criticism is taken personally; they suffer along
with the starving children on TV, the injured animal,
etc. and when overloaded with impressions, may become
introverted and withdrawn.
7.
Uneven Development
Some children
are gifted in a narrow field while others have a more
¡®all round¡¯ aptitude; however there
is often a large gap between their mental, social,
physical and emotional development. This can lead
to frustration and confusion on the child¡¯s
behalf as their advanced mind may be trying to grapple
with concepts they are not emotionally advanced to
deal with. Examples may be over concerned with death,
the future or sex. Also their manual dexterity may
lag behind what they are trying to achieve in a task.
8.
Can Distinguish Between Reality and Fantasy Early
This may
lead to discussions on, and the acceptance of, the
inevitability of death; the frequent need to analyze
stories to see which parts "really could happen" and
awkward questions about Santa and the tooth-fairy!
9.
Early Insight Into Social and Moral Issues
Some gifted
children have a highly developed social conscience
and can become worried about war, pollution, injustice
and violence. They can often see through adult hypocrisy
and can become angry and scared when they see that
adults are inconsistent and unreasonable.
10.
Greater Reasoning Power and Manipulation
A young
gifted child tends to use their verbal ability rather
than actions when communicating, this means you can
often reason with a gifted child from a young age.
This ability with their greater logical prowess and
understanding of relationships can sometimes lead
them to understand the benefits of dishonest behavior
such as lying, stealing and cheating. Being able to
manipulate adults can be a very disturbing feeling
for a child however who needs a parent¡¯s security.
11.
Individuality
A great
number of gifted children can be seen as ¡°odd¡±
or unconventional and learn in different ways. Strictly
organizing a child like this can hamper their development
as they need some time to do their own thing to bring
forth their creativity.
12.
The Importance of Adults
Gifted
children may not be interested in very structured
activities or meeting other's standards, often preferring
to develop their own projects. Despite this, adult
guidance is very important - to help them determine
in which situation it is necessary to conform and
when it is O.K. to be "different", to put realistic
limits on an often overambitious project, to lend
a hand when manual dexterity doesn't meet mental visions
and to avoid self-criticism becoming destructive.
Help may be needed to set realistic standards.
More related
articles....
- What
To Know So Your Child Isn't Overlooked
- 8
Mulitiple Intelligences in children
- What
is multiple intelligence theory? What is the M.I.
theory?
About
The Author:
Esther Andrews is an expert in how
to develop your Child's genius!
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Speech & Language Development
