Q: "We think our child is gifted, what should we do?"

from the MFGC Parents FAQ page

Answer:

If your child is of pre-school age you can assess your child by asking the following set of questions, does your child:-

1. Effectively handle different materials?
2. Play skillfully or imaginatively?
3. Show particular interest in large play toys, e.g. Lego, bricks & jigsaws?
4. Respond to musical rhythms or learns melodies easily?
5. Constantly ask questions?
6. Need little sleep?
7. Reach the usual development milestones, sitting, crawling, walking, talking etc, earlier than other children?
8. Have a particular topic that dominates its time or interest?
9. Have a high level of perseverance or determination?
10. Appear to be learning nothing but suddenly surprises you by producing a complicated answer or remark which appears to be beyond its years?

If your child does any combination of these things, the chances are that (s)he has exceptional abilities, and the suggested approaches are as follows:-

SET TIME ASIDE EACH DAY TO TALK WITH YOUR CHILD

This is best focused on an activity such as reading or drawing, but most children will ask questions at any time of the day. Meal times provide an important chance for conversation.

Talking WITH a child is not the same as TO a child. There needs to be a DIALOGUE in which you and you child take turns in listening and responding to each other. The dangers to avoid are being dominating or patronising. If you are, your child will just 'switch off'.

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CREATE A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Develop your own Home Learning Centre. Use pictures, drawing and painting, models and modeling, books, games, maps, music, musical instruments, radio, TV and videos and any other stimuli you can think of.

ENCOURAGE REASONING AND USE OF MEMORY

Ask questions such as:-

• "What do you think will happen next?"
• "Why do you think that is?"
• "How do you think...?"
• "Where have you seen that before?"
• "When do you think that will happen?"
• "Can you remember when...?"

WHEN HELPING YOUR CHILD TRY TO TAKE MOOD INTO ACCOUNT

Learning is best done in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. If this is not the case then do not press ahead, try again some other time. Be prepared to stop even if you are in the middle of doing something.

WORK OUT THE ANSWERS TOGETHER

If your child cannot answer a question try not to get anxious but guide the child to the means of discovery, (or simply supply the answer?)

CONCENTRATE ON SUBJECTS WHICH INTEREST YOUR CHILD

A little trial and error will help you get the level right. The use of games (including language games) is a good approach particularly for younger children.

DEVELOP LISTENING SKILLS

Play verbal, musical and sound based games. Vary your voice, using both whispered and normal volume speech. Read stories every night if possible even when your child has learnt to read, and always ask a few questions about each story. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CAN HARDLY BE OVER-STRESSED.

INVOLVE CHILDREN IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT

Take them to museums, galleries, theatres, cinemas, sports centres, parks, farms, activity centres, factory tours and any other places of interest you can think of, and then talk about what they have seen and done there. Encourage them to create their own amusements rather than relying on commercially produced entertainment.

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CHOOSING A SCHOOL

Please note that educationalists prefer to use the words 'very able' rather than 'gifted'.

When choosing a school, visit several. Ask the following questions about their educational provision:-

• Has the school a policy for very able children?
• How does the school put this into practice?
• Is there a teacher who has special responsibility for these children in the school?
• What steps are taken to ensure differentiation takes place for very able children as well as children who have serious learning and behavioural difficulties?
• Do very able children have opportunities to work together?
• Is teaching individualised to suitable criteria or do classes have to adhere rigidly to schemes of work aimed at the average child?
• What activities in addition to the set curriculum are organised by the school?
• How are the parents able to work with the school in support of their children?
• Will the infant/reception class teacher visit you and you child at home?
• If the school has a Mentor System for their very able children, can you offer to share a skill or a particular knowledge?

AT SCHOOL

Unless you tell them the teachers may not find out what your child is capable of doing. Tell them if your child is:-

• Reading fluently books of his/her own choice
• Counting to a thousand instead of the usual 10 or 20
• Operating (programming) a home computer
• Writing imaginative stories
• Making project books on places you have visited
• Achieving high grades in the playing of a musical instrument
• Excelling in sporting activities
• Building intricate models
• Producing imaginative pictures
• Taking mechanical and electrical models apart and rebuilding them

You will probably feel a need to have your child's ability confirmed. Teachers will want to observe all the features you have talked about before forming any professional conclusions about your child's skills. They may suggest that you approach the Headteacher for your child's needs to be assessed by an Educational Psychologist (Ed. Psych).

from the MFGC Parents FAQ page

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