Parenting the Gifted and Story of a Genius
Gifted Children
A child who emerges from the mother’s womb is a unique human being. What nature has provided the child are the genes of heredity. Occasionally, a child is born gifted with a brain so different from others in its structure that it is like a wired engine. “It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well”, are the words of Rene Descartes, a 16th century French author and philosopher. Parents must understand and work with the gifted child to help with further development. The development areas are: education, nutrition, social interaction, parental care, all in the area of nurturing. Such awareness is important.
Tips for Parenting Gifted Children
How do parents know the child may be gifted? The little one may walk early, talk early, and show definite advancement in the early stages of life. Later, the child may have a thirst for knowledge, may be an explorer, and constantly want new and advanced toys , and sometimes be very bored. The youngster may drive the parents crazy always wanting to go to the store for something new. Other less mature children may not interest him, and he may react well to adults. He may always be moving, looking at his surroundings and experimenting with everything, he sees. The child may like to take things apart and put them back together He may start to say, “What’s that?” to everything he sees. This evidence shows the difference between this child and others, allowing parents to further enrich the life of the child. In addition, they might learn about the different kinds of intelligence.
Computers Help Gifted Children
The Gifted Child Can Receive Help from the School
Gifted Differences and One Story of a Genius
Differences in Gifted Children
A child may not show intelligence in all areas, as gifted children are not alike. There are children who are born gifted with musical talent, probably from heredity. Many gifted boys lack verbal skills and possess a proficient mathematical and scientific mind. John Nash, who suffered at times with severe mental disability, was a mathematical genius as portrayed in the movie “A Beautiful Mind.” Unfortunately, he and his wife died in an auto accident in 2015. What a loss.
Gifted girls often excel in verbal and written skills but not in math or science. An example of this gift is Margaret Mitchell who wrote, “Gone with the Wind” for which she received a Pulitzer Prize. If a gifted child lacks stimulation to expand on his abilities, he may not progress as well as other gifted children. The story of John J. explains how parents can further aid in development and how to meet the other necessary criteria for a well-nurtured child.
Story of A Genius
*John is a gifted child and the offspring of intelligent parents, one who later completed college. His paternal grandparents are college graduates. While he was in the womb, his mother talked, sang and read to him. Both caring parents taught him to read and write early. He possessed the skills of a gifted child in all areas, and when his parents became aware of his abilities, they worked with him toward achievement. When he was three, he often conversed with waiters in restaurants and had many such interactions with others. His nutrition was adequate to aid in his growth. He progressed well in school and worked diligently.The parents encouraged him to take honors classes, to think outside the box, and to take part in school projects
The parents encouraged him to begin taking the ACT in 7th grade and to retake it until he received a high score. He received an A in every class throughout his school years, and his teachers took the time to enrich his education and encourage him. He has a photographic memory. Encouraged to study, to have good friends, to be a good Christian, not smoke or drink added to the parental assistance given to him. He had a little difficulty with reading and writing skills, and math and science were his most gifted subjects. Family members praised him, but he kept a humble attitude. In high school, he tested out of 45 college credit hours, allowing him to graduate from college in three years with full scholarships including room and board. He paid nothing towards his degree and can credit his father for assisting him in his application for scholarships. John was a fortunate child.who is now a resident physician, His very high scores classify him at genius level.
Love and Friendship are Important for the Gifted Child
Conclusion
John’s parents helped him succeed, and parents must allow a gifted child to use his mind well and help create the nurturing environment. Not all parents are successful in pursuing these goals. Some children will resist the help and balk at trying to pursue the gifted path. They may become involved with undesirable friends or chemical issues. They may wish to be “normal” and reject their giftedness. Some parents may divorce, creating other problems. However, every parent of a gifted child can be proud of any achievement even if the child stumbles and falls by the wayside. The successful parents are to be lauded and the ones who try, deserve the same recognition for reaching for greater heights to assist gifted children.
*not his real name
Are you or your child gifted?
References
- Welcome to the Gifted Development Center
Find help for the gifted child at this center. Parents can help find resources for their chid
- NAGC :: Home
This organization publishes a newsletter and provides resources to show how parents can help gifted children. Morguefile.com
- Links to Gifted and Talented Child Resources
This is a comprehensive list of resources for gifted and talented children and their parents. Please feel free to add more in the comments and I'll incorporate them into the list. Associations National...
Comments
TODAY I GOT A CALL FROM MY KIDS TEACHER. SAYING THAT MY KID WAS GIFTED AND TALENTED... SHE ALSO SAID HE IS REALLY REALLY SMART. SO I WAS CONFUSED... SHE DID NOT EXPLAIN ANYTHING ELSE. SO WHAT DOES GIFTED MEAN.... I KNOW I HAVE A GREAT KID. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ANSWEARS ABOUT GIFTED CHILDREN. THANKS
Although there are many schools that offer programs for the gifted child, the family and the home are still the most important sources of stimulation and scaffolding. Of course the parents and the whole family must learn how to help the child develop and continue to improve. Moreover, regardless of what their special talents are, we must never forget that they are still kids.
Thank you for sharing these interesting case studies. As the parent of four smart little girls, I seek out good resources to help strengthen the minds of my kids. Good Job!
I recently visited a school where the unspoken theme was not, "how can we help disadvantaged children rise to the average level." Instead, it was "is this child's needs being met? for every child." A different way of thinking perhaps, that would change our entire school system. Your hub is a testament to the influence parents (and teachers) can have. Thank you for the hub!
I think this hub is good and the story a great success story. It would be wonderful if every parent supported and praised their children whether they believed their children are "gifted" or not.
I think every child is gifted in some area, the trick is for the parents and teachers to find a way to bring their children's gift out for everyone to enjoy.
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