Students who take top honors in the arts are applauded and held in high esteem, even in situations in which their peers do not show universal respect for academic excellence. The depth of emotion painted on the countenance of a portrait has no limits, nor does the musicality or technical brilliance performed in an instrumental solo with a band or an orchestra. In contrast, there is a finiteness to the ability displayed in correctly completing a math worksheet. More importantly, there is no ceiling on the individual talent that can be expressed through the arts.
Music, drama, visual arts, creative writing and dance can fill the need for creative expression, while aiding in stress management for high achieving, high energy level children. Throughout the ages, societies’ cultures have been passed from one generation to another through the arts. Bright children need access to libraries beyond that of their local schools–public libraries, perhaps where they can get their own library cards, as well as visits to historical, medical, religious, art, scientific, college, or university libraries.Įxposure to the creative arts. Adults are also incredibly influential role models if they read and explore new ideas in front of their children and encourage them to do the same. Sharing aloud good books, particularly award-winning books which have proven themselves worthy of being read, is a wonderful way to establish emotional bonds in a family. Those who have excellent communication skills have developed them largely by reading literature written by successful authors.Ĭhildren are never too old to have someone read aloud to them. They can become a fantasy world of escape or a stress management tool for bright, intense youngsters. In addition, vivid creature imaginations can be developed through books. Students’ vocational and avocational choices are limited if they do not have access to a wide variety of reading material. Books can serve as mentors and career explorations for gifted students as they read biographies of famous persons and the struggles involved in their life contributions.
THE DRAMA OF THE GIFTED CHILD SOFTWARE
What a legacy we give to our children when we pass on to them a love of reading! Parents who fill their homes and teachers who fill their classrooms with books, magazines and software on a variety of topics and of varied levels of difficulty are providing an excellent resource for children. Learning at an appropriate level and pace is a must for these bright students.Īccess to a wide variety of reading material. Problem solvers and creative and critical thinkers are in great demand in the adult world of economic, environmental, social and health related issues. It is absurd to assume that schools can teach the specifics which individual children will need to know for their different career paths and which they will attain on their own if they are able to freely explore their personal interests. These children will be unconsciously building ideas and talents which will help to determine their future careers. Gifted children, in particular, need to be allowed to explore areas of passion to them. To demand that an Olympic swimmer remain in the shallow end until the rest of the class learns to swim is a ludicrous restraint.Ĭhildren need activities both at home and at school which allow them to exercise their minds using creative thinking and problem solving skills. To throw a non-swimmer into the deep end of the pool is inhumane. Often, parent perceptions are as accurate as those of the teacher, who must deal with an entire classroom and may be unaware that a single student is not being properly challenged. Perceptive parents of bright students, with the aid of test scores or portfolio documentation, can assist teachers in determining if the school curriculum is matching the child’s needs. It is important to assess the child’s ability, perhaps through end-of-the-year objective-based tests or out-of-grade-level testing, to determine appropriate academic placement. If the child scores consistently high on standardized tests, is making careless mistakes on routine homework assignments, or is losing interest in school, which may indicate boredom, then differentiating curriculum through compacting or acceleration might be in order.
More often, though, school is not sufficiently challenging to these children. Children who have proven themselves through good grades often find that they have set precedents for themselves which others expect them to uphold or surpass. At times, expectations for bright students may be set unreasonably high. Learning at an appropriate level and pace.
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