Most schools have programs in place to accommodate delayed or struggling learners, but many offer no services for students at the other end of the spectrum, those who excel in school and are often bored and unchallenged. Every student should be given the opportunity to achieve their potential, and gifted child education can help a student to learn to use their gifts.
Social and Emotional Needs
Gifted children often have unique social and emotional needs. Their intellectual precociousness can make it difficult for them to connect with their peers and may lead to feelings of isolation or attempts to hide their abilities. A gifted program can give a child the opportunity to interact with his or her intellectual peers and give them greater confidence and pride in their exceptional abilities.
Motivation and Expectations
Because academically gifted children are at the top of their class, they often receive less attention than their peers. Many are self-directed, so teachers simply set them at a task and focus on students who need more help. This is a disservice to gifted students, whose abilities may go undeveloped without high expectations.
- Students may resist completing homework assignments that they find too boring or easy. Some parents are surprised to find that despite their giftedness, their child’s grades may be poor.
- Gifted children may achieve top scores with little effort. Without a challenge, they may become chronic underachievers who fail to develop the persistence needed for more demanding work.
- Some gifted students are perfectionists who fear failure. They may shy away from situations and subjects where their excellence is not guaranteed. A good gifted program helps students to understand that failure is a part of learning and growing, and gives them the tools they need to be resilient in the face of a challenge.
Gifted students have the potential to be successful, high-achievers, but this outcome is not a given. They need an educational program that allows them to use their gifts and the opportunity to interact with like-minded peers. They are unique, and their education should be, as well.
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