We tell our children, “Use your words” to tell us how they feel. It is just as important for parents to use the right words to communicate their feelings, too. An appreciation for words can be shared by parent and child to strengthen the bond of their relationship.
Gifted children seem to have a special connection with words. They not only learn the meaning of words and how to spell them, but they learn more – like where the words originated, how they are used, how they compare with similar or opposite words. They delve into the complexity of words.
Words are important not only to the gifted child, but to the parent as well. And in this case, the complexity is not as important as choosing the right words to use when addressing your child or discussing subjects with him or her.
The words you choose are important because they have an emotional and social effect on your child. You can use them to encourage and support your child, or you can help him (or her) understand and cope with his special situation. Using the right words at the right time will help your child grow in many ways.
Words of Encouragement
So what words can you use for support and guidance? Words of praise (brilliant, skilled, artistic, perfect, talented, well done, accomplished) and similar words will provide the recognition and positive feedback the child needs.
The child shouldn’t feel that he is expected to know a lot or perform extremely well. Putting pressure on him won’t help him develop any faster. It is better to show delight and pride in what he is accomplishing. It makes him feel better about himself.
Words of Advice
Gifted children can become bossy with peers as they become more knowledgeable. If this happens with your child, you should discuss the difference between bossy and being a leader. Discuss the reaction of peers who might perceive your child as a know-it-all and advise your child on how to tread more lightly in those cases.
Your child might also become very intense, especially in social situations. This could cause additional discomfort. You can try to alleviate that feeling by recognizing this tendency and explaining what it means to be gifted in a world where this is not well understood. Explain to your child that he should think of himself as different, not better.
Dr. Lynne Kenney and Wendy Young wrote a book called BLOOM. In it, they compare gifted and intense children to flowers in a garden. These flowers need to be nurtured and cared for and protected so they can continue to grow and blossom.
Words of Development
What can you say to your child to help his development? The key area to explore is curiosity. Encourage your child to ask questions. Young children always ask “Why.” Gifted children, especially, have a need to explore answers. They are naturally curious and driven to learn more and more.
Studies have shown that, interestingly, gifted children will continue to think about problems even after solutions have been provided. They are not satisfied with simple answers and may have further questions or comments they want to make.
Parents who recognize this inquisitiveness can give the child more room to understand and explore answers. As a parent, you could say, “Do you understand?” a given answer, and give your child a chance to ask more questions to further explore the concepts being discussed.
Words to Stimulate Vocabulary
A gifted child is interested in vocabulary in ways different from other children, who are satisfied with spelling and basic meaning.
The gifted child wants more – like where did the word originate? He wants to explore the meaning, complexity, usage and context of the words being studied.
He or she wants to learn how the word fits in with other words – words that are similar or opposite or sound the same. He or she wants to know how the word is pronounced and what the same meaning would be in a different language.
So here are some words you can explore with your child when studying vocabulary.
- Synonyms and antonyms – these terms are fairly well known and often used in school. You can work with your child at home by asking for synonyms and antonyms of new vocabulary words. Examples of synonyms are big and large, house and dwelling. Antonyms are tall and short, big and small.
- Homonyms – words can have more than one meaning. Examples are fair price and fair weather, left out and turn left. Ask your child for other examples of homonyms.
- Homophones– these words sound the same but are spelled differently. You can say one of them and ask your child to come up with the other. Examples are rain and reign, blue and blew, and plain and plane. There are hundreds more.
- Etymology– many English words have Latin or Greek origins. You can explore these with your child. Examples are illuminate (lumin), thermometer (meter), and transfer (trans).
- Idioms – we use many phrases over and over that become part of our daily language. They are a kind of shorthand language to describe familiar events or situations. Examples are loose cannon, eight hundred pound gorilla, and a notch above. Discuss the use of idioms with your child.
- Cognates – Your gifted child may want to know how the meaning of a particular word is expressed in a different language. Comparing these words can enlighten your child on other countries and cultures as well as provide hints on how words are related. Examples are four and quarto, red and rouge, magnificent and magnifique.
Words for Special Areas of Interest or Focus
Your gifted child will have an interest or talent in one or more areas of development. This interest can be in the field of math or engineering, music or art, language, science, or any one of a dozen more possibilities.
As a parent, you should become familiar with at least some of the words in the field your child chooses. This will help you understand him better and will enable you to guide him better in finding resources and planning a career path,
To encourage development in a creative field like writing, you can ask your child to write poems or short stories like mysteries where characters can be described and plots created. Thinking up projects can spur imagination and keep your child active in his field of interest.
Words to Spur Thinking
There are many other ways to use words to help stimulate your child’s development. You can help him find and use word puzzles, word games, or crosswords, think of analogies or metaphors, or simply ask him open-ended questions.
Words convey meaning. The more words you learn about your child and his or her gifts, the more meaningful your relationship will be.
