Children who have an excellent intellectual foundation have an advantage for life. The brain develops rapidly in childhood, so the intellectual habits developed during this time are crucial for good outcomes across the lifetime. This is especially true for gifted children, who require special learning environments in order to meet their full potential. Children should receive their K-8 education in settings that enable them to achieve everything of which they are capable.
Teaching Understanding, Not Just Memorization
Much of elementary education is focused on memorization of specific facts. While it is important to be able to retain information, information is not useful if it is not understood. “Teaching to the test” does not cultivate the thinking patterns that lead people to generate original concepts. A learning environment for gifted children should encourage them to be dynamic thinkers, rather than just memorizers of facts. This should require children to demonstrate that they truly understand each topic that they learn about, rather than enabling them to get by on luck or by guessing.
Challenging But Friendly
Classrooms with low student to teacher ratios help children develop close relationships with their teachers, which imparts positive feelings towards learning. Small classroom sizes also create familiarity between classmates, so students are comfortable contributing to discussions and collaborating with one another on projects.
Schools for gifted children should not be cutthroat environments. Instead of encouraging children to compete to be the smartest, they should teach children to recognize each of their classmates’ individual talents. The ability to use each team member’s strengths for the good of the team is the key to the success of any project, whether in the classroom or in the workforce.
Children who are excited to learn will habitually approach problems from unique angles. It is people who think uniquely who come up with the ideas that change the world. By ensuring that your children’s gifts are being nurtured in the best way possible, you are ensuring that the future is in good hands.
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