What if my child is gifted?

The importance of education for gifted children is not the label. Parents of gifted children often don’t need numbers to confirm their intuition but do need to know how to address their children’s unique educational needs.  In my view the two most important factors involved in educating gifted children are the need to engage them successfully so that they embrace school rather than turn away from it, and the peer group that surrounds them so that they can have a rewarding social as well as academic school experience.

Often gifted children pursue an interest – sometimes an arcane one – with vigor, learning everything available about railways in the United States or the history of a musical instrument or the evolution of a language.  They may be bored in class and reluctant to show their work in math if they can come up with the correct answer instinctively, or to learn from teachers whom they feel are not their intellectual equals.  Successfully engaging these children works well if they are drawn in on the subject of their passion.  They can be turned off from school if they are chastised because they learn differently and want to focus deeply on some interests rather than learn a little about a lot of subjects.  Those who are able to learn from a curriculum that includes reading, writing, math, history, science and the arts built around the theme that they are passionate about are lucky.

Additionally, gifted children need to be among others who think the way they do.  They may not be able to make small talk or share the interests of their chronological peers.   Sometimes surrounding them with older children is successful, or sending them to programs – after school, on weekends or during summers or holidays – where they can delve deeply into their interests among similarly motivated kids can help them form friendships that last outside of school even if they struggle socially in the classroom.