Gifted Label For Children

My Children's Experience

The teacher of my kindergartner suspects that she is gifted. She will be tested soon, but my wife and I have misgivings. On the one hand, we respect the argument that if she is ahead of her classes, a different peer group might be good for her. OTOH, we don't want her to succumb to an inflated vision of herself. Any other parents in the same situation?

You may want to thread this on news:misc.kids.moderated.

Another couple of good resources are at http://www.tagfam.org and http://www.hoagiesgifted.org. (Note: the second site is not Netscape-friendly.)

What does your daughter think if she "fails" this "test"?

As I understand it, the reason for the test isn't explained to her. It is just her showing some people the things she can do, which is typical in her class.

My Experience

Personally, I had an inflated vision of myself before I started in the gifted program. Being surrounded by bright kids taught me that I wasn't the smartest person in the universe. (In the years since then, that lesson has been pounded into me many times over. :)

I found most things very easy so I did not have to study much until I entered college. The problem was that I never learned discipline, and I still have trouble with discipline every day. I can do most things very well but not focus well on getting anything done. The technical term is TooManyAptitudes? a term used by JohnsonOconnor?. If I had been in a gifted program from childhood, I would have learned discipline and studying a couple decades earlier. -- JonGrover

I was in programs from childhood targetting the rank below me in giftedness. I learned how to goof off and twist the teacher's mind big-time. So then I picked an art college, to make absolutely certain the challenge was not attached to routine or tedium. --PhlIp

Believe me, getting "gifted" stamped in your file is a real picnic after your file gets passed to hick teachers in the next school who have no idea what to "do" about it, and who think everyone with this label is automatically the next AlexanderTheGreat?. -- PhlIp

Some gifted programs (at least the ones I was placed in) expected gifted people to be gifted in all respects. I always had problems because I was bright but I had (and still, to a certain extent, have) massive blind spots. So the gifted teachers were really hardcore mad at me because while I could do some incredible things, I wouldn't do everything with the perfection they expected. Or I'd forget to do some piece of homework.

Doesn't matter anyways. The thing that worked for me was self-driven learning on my own. I started teaching myself advanced math because I was interested in it and they weren't covering it in class. [Can you remember the math now?]

Discussion

Having your child assessed is a GoodThing, IMHO. You should consider having it done even if you do not wish her educational program as provided by the school to change (or if your school does not have a gifted program). Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your child will help you and your wife encourage (not force!) your child's development. However, I would avoid a dedicated "gifted-child" educational program until your child is older. In many cases, "gifted" children turn out just to be early developers; they don't end up any better than average, they just get there faster. "Gifted" educational programs tend to be somewhat one-sided in favour of the gift, which means that the "gifted" child ends up being disadvantaged in the long-run. In addition, in many schools, there is a stigma (amongst other children) to being gifted. Separating your child out early may seriously harm your child's social development.

I don't mean to discourage you from helping your child develop. Children should be encouraged to develop their gifts, and the worst thing about most educational systems is that they limit how fast a child can learn. Parental involvement, after-school programs, and dedicated classes have their place; just remember not to sacrifice a well-rounded education, and don't set your standards so high that the child can't achieve them.

in many schools, there is a stigma (amongst other children) to being gifted: then you don't need to be in those schools. Find a place that actually values skill and talent.

Refs http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/