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Gifted Children.  

post #1 of 5
Thread Starter 
My son has been reading since he was 3. His dad and I encouraged him, read to him and in front of him and answered his questions (what does that word mean?) We have never presured him and were as surprised as anyone when he picked up a book he had never seen before and started reading it. He also has a good grasp of basic math and very good computer skills. Now that he is in school, the word gifted keeps coming up. I have a bit of a hard time with this, I don't like lables in general and worry about pressure being put on him. At the same time I want him to have the opertunity to reach his full potential.

So has anyone had experiance with gifted programs? What should I expect. What should I demand. How should I approch his teacher? Any advice?
post #2 of 5
If you haven't visited the "Addressing the Special Needs of Gifted Children" threads, you might want to. Here is #6:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=330147

HTH
post #3 of 5
Thread Starter 
Thanks! I'm new to MDC and still finding my way around.
post #4 of 5
My daughter was/is very similar. I would be cautious, however, in your investigations and remember the well-roundedness that math/language gifted or talented children need to achieve. There are a lot of alternative schools or schooling (in home, public or private) that will help a child to achieve their personal best creatively, motivationally, and interpersonally (traits that some gifted kids need to work on) while not labeling or stigmatizing them, or worksheeting them to death! I truly believe many children could write, read, do math, amazing art if the opportunities were only there. And if they're interested, of course. Different kids, different gifts.

I would highly suggest a few books:
*Coloring outside the Lines by Roger Schank
*Raising Curious Kids : Over 100 Simple Activities to Develop Your Child's Imagination by Nancy Sokol Green
*Einstein Never Used Flash Cards : How Our Children Really Learn-- And Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
*Is Your Bed Still There When You Close the Door? by Jane Healy

And doing lots of open-ended activities (my daughter loved science experiments) and art. It's amazing what kids will come up with and get into. Encouraging their unique interests is so fun.

My own goes to a Montessori, where there aren't limits on what children can learn or how far/fast they go; nor pressure or labels; and a lot of emphasis on compassion and empathy and helping others. But I think many different types of schools can work for different kids, depending on their learning styles and interests. In Montessori, it's fairly normal for kids to start reading (usually by sounding out) by age 3; and they start doing simple math at this age. Although, it's all called "games" so it doesn't feel like it, and they choose how to spend their time themselves. Computers are not permitted usually, however.
post #5 of 5
You'll see these recs posted in the gifted threads:

Hoagies
A Nation Deceived
Genius Denied

The first is the preeminent gifted resource website. The next two discuss the state of gifted education in the US. The first is downloadable (with hardcopies available for a reasonable amount), the second is a book.
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