Keep Gifted and Talented Brain Growing

Gifted and Talented

In our own lives as parents, coaches, auntie’s and the most favored trusted adult, we have all marveled in seeing gifted and talented youth and young adults consistently perform well above expectations. They are reasons for bragging and for highlighting their accomplishments to others as prime role models for others to follow.

As one can imagine, with all of the community accolades, these star leaders are under so much pressure to shine, be the best, to achieve Top 5 status, that they fail to live their lives. Make mistakes. And, succumb to the everyday challenges of adolescences, teen years and young adults.

If parents, educators and community members are not careful, it is the immense microscopic scrutiny that can make even the best crumble. Resort to drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and other risky behaviors to prove they are human, and fallible. There are a few too that may become vulnerable to the imposter syndrome. So, we have provided these suggestions to fight off boredom and to help you provide an atmosphere that is well rounded. One where the child and /or young adult feels safe and secure, regardles of his successes or temporary setbacks.

School and Home Environment

1. Provide extra activities and enrichment in the classroom so the student does not have time to become bored. The child may keep books of interest, have worksheets or puzzles available, or use technology as appropriate.
2. The child may wish to work as a peer tutor for a struggling student in mathematics or read to younger children.
3. The parent may wish to consider enrichment by providing access to technology, science museums, places of history or interests, libraries, etc.
4. Provide opportunities for the child to further develop his math skills and apply them to areas of his stated interests; science and math.
5. Involve the child in after school robotics, science and or STEM clubs, or math related programs to further develop his innate abilities.
6. Encourage the child to highlight or underline written text (this helps the child keep information in his mind long enough to answer questions about it).
7. Involve the child in after school programs to further develop her innate abilities.
8. Visit weekend local arts and crafts festivals to nurture the child’s interest in art and music and to broaden her vision of endless possibilities in this area.

Verbal Comprehension

(Suggestions for parents and optional)Taken from the Davidson Institute for the Gifted

1. Literature: Literature should provide many experiences for students to read quality texts. College-bound book lists that include poetry, plays, essays, biography, and autobiography are available at most libraries.
2. Writing: A writing program for verbally talented learners should emphasize the development of skills in expository and persuasive writing, focusing the writing process on draft development, revision, and editing, and developing ideas and arguments on current issues.
3. Language Study: The formal study of English grammar and vocabulary should be a major component of language study.
4. Oral Communication: Verbally talented students can profit from a balanced exposure to oral communication both through listening and speaking. Major emphases should include developing the following skills: (1) evaluative listening; (2) debate, especially for use in formal argument; and (3) discussion, particularly question-asking, probing, and building on ideas stated.
5. Foreign Language: Students advanced in verbal ability can benefit greatly from early foreign language study, accelerating through four years in one language and at least two years in a second language by the time they graduate from high school. Good choices for second and third language study include Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Latin (VanTassel-Baska, Johnson, & Boyce, 1996).

Balance

If taken to the extreme, parents and teachers of high achieving students run the risk of negatively impacting their gifted child should the child receive too much pressure to achieve at unrealistically high levels. Research was undertaken by John Hopkins University- Center for Talented Youth. They concluded that the right balance can be maintained when the parents emphasize material and personal improvement in performance over high grades and test scores (Parents’ Values and Children’s Perceived Pressure: Topical Research Series #4, n.d.)

1. Maintain balance.
2. Avoid burnout (it is painful to watch a 15 year old, star quarterback, Honor’s student experiencing mental exhaustion before he has fully had the chance to develop into young adulthood).