“How was school today?”
“It was good.”
“Make sure you do your homework before you start playing any video games.”
“I’ve done it already.”
“What do you mean?”
“I did it all on the train on the way home, it was really easy.”
This isn’t the first time you’ve had a conversation like this with your child. It appears most tasks and assignments they’re given at school are too easy, losing their interest quickly.
This is one of many signs of a gifted child.
Before your child started school, you had already identified signs of their giftedness – beginning to read and write early, knowledge about more topics than other children their age, displaying intense interest in learning new things, comfortable interacting with adults, using advanced vocabulary – you’ve known before any teacher could tell you the same.
Both educators and parents play important roles in nurturing gifted children to reach their full potential. To discover and reach this potential, children need access to the appropriate learning opportunities.
Not all gifted children are the same – each child is unique and requires personalised support to help them succeed. They can receive a level of support at school but that is not enough.
Support begins at home.
So, how can you support your gifted child to help them reach their full potential? In this blog, we share 6 ways to give your child the support they need to excel in their gifted learning journey.
Gifted children thrive when learning something new. So, if all you’re doing to encourage their growth is revising what they already know, they’re likely to lose interest quickly rather than engage. To pique their interest, regularly introduce them to new concepts they’re not familiar with; this will continue to foster their hunger for learning.
We all make mistakes. Gifted children are no exception. However, they can often be hard on themselves when they make mistakes, expecting perfection. Remind them that it’s okay to make mistakes and that it’s a learning opportunity (appeal to their desire to learn) to become better. To inspire them, use real life examples of successful people who have made mistakes on their way to success.
Discover the subjects your gifted child is most passionate about and encourage those passions. You can do this by organising structured activities that are aligned to those passions such as music lessons, sports training, or visiting museums. This supports not only their intellectual abilities but also their social, emotional, and physical needs.
As a parent your role is to be the biggest advocate for your child’s education. Proactively work with their teacher to provide them with more challenging learning activities. Before you speak with their teacher, talk to your child about the specific areas in which they would like more of a challenge. Remember there are limitations to the education system and the teacher may not be able to fulfil all your requests, so be open to what they suggest as you work towards a common goal.
Many gifted children find it difficult to make friends, especially when most children their age don’t share the same interests. Forming connections with peers is important for both your child’s social development and intellectual growth. When gifted children are surrounded by other students of similar academic ability and interests, they are more actively engaged in learning. You may want to consider applying for an Opportunity Class to allow your child to learn and work with like-minded peers, helping them excel.
If you’re unsure of whether your child is ready for an Opportunity Class (OC), you can enrol them in our GEA Genius pathway. GEA Genius is a custom pathway for students with the goal to initially enter an OC for the academically gifted, be awarded entry into a selective high school or obtain a scholarship to a private high school. In a group coaching environment, students are surrounded with other like-minded students, encouraging them to develop a passion and love for learning. At Global Education Academy, we believe every child has the potential to be a genius.
If you believe your child has already reached genius status, you can go straight to enrolling them in our OC Preparation Program to prepare them for the OC Placement Test or our Selective Preparation Program to prepare them for the Selective Placement Test.
Many capable students miss out on OC because of lack of preparation. Equip your child with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the OC Test.
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Many capable students miss out on selective due to a lack of preparation. Prepare your child for the NEW selective placement test with personalised, research-based coaching without overwhelming them with tons of homework.
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