For self-motivated learners, parents need to be careful about giving external rewards (for example, a gift for completing a good project) because the learner may begin to feel that the effort was really for the reward, not for the joy of the journey. Curious children need teachers to expose them to the various lessons, but then their curiosity and thirst for knowledge should help guide them through the maze toward mastery of the topic. If your curious learner isn’t burdened by self-inflicted,undue pressure to succeed and learn, and can still work within the confines that society sometimes imposes (for example, a tour guide at a museum cannot always stop to answer all of the questions posed by a particular patron), then the drive toward independence and self-learning can be one to encourage and foster.
In recent years, society has certainly witnessed the fact that childhood is not always carefree and that children sometimes have serious emotional struggles. A child that has advanced emotional maturity and social skills is a learner who is better prepared to weather the frustrating periods in life. The ability to cope with stress and the ability to empathize with others are valuable skills in personal as well as professional success. If your child has the emotional tools to overcome obstacles and frustration, this will help the learning process. Learning involves being receptive to information that may not have been presented earlier. If a learner only feels comfortable exploring topics that have already been mastered, then the learning process can be rocky. The emotionally mature learner may verbalize some discomfort with a new lesson but can focus the needed energy on the learning process and not on the anxiety of not knowing all the answers immediately.
A few other areas of giftedness are worth mentioning. Some children have keenly developed smell discrimination and/or taste discrimination. For instance, John can tell when his mother varies the amount of onions used in a particular recipe. Is this talent useful? Certainly if one aims to become a chef, then this skill is extremely useful. It can also be helpful in the learning process. For instance, a lesson in chemistry can utilize the combination of various food condiments to drive home the point that the end product can be greater than the sum of its parts. Some learners have gifts that are directly related to academic work. The child who has a talent in the area of written language may be encouraged to vary the form of writing (such as memoir or poetry) to generalize the gift to many areas of written language. The child who has advanced reading comprehension skills might be encouraged to read and discuss many forms of literature.
However, it is always important to remember that a learner may have advanced reading skills
but not advanced emotional maturity. Therefore, book selections must consider both factors. The math whiz could utilize this talent in everyday life. For instance, one activity could be to calculate how much money should be saved each week in order to get the “must have” videogame. Whenever lessons can be fun for the learner and also practical to the everyday lessons of life, then two important goals have been accomplished—academic growth and life preparedness!
The list of specific talents and gifts can go on and on. The important point is to highlight the fact that no two gifted or talented children fit one mold or profile. Therefore, you should interpret the information provided to you in upcoming chapters in the context of your particular child’s areas
of giftedness and needs.
Source : Lee Wherry Brainerd. Homeschooling Your Gifted Children. 2002
In recent years, society has certainly witnessed the fact that childhood is not always carefree and that children sometimes have serious emotional struggles. A child that has advanced emotional maturity and social skills is a learner who is better prepared to weather the frustrating periods in life. The ability to cope with stress and the ability to empathize with others are valuable skills in personal as well as professional success. If your child has the emotional tools to overcome obstacles and frustration, this will help the learning process. Learning involves being receptive to information that may not have been presented earlier. If a learner only feels comfortable exploring topics that have already been mastered, then the learning process can be rocky. The emotionally mature learner may verbalize some discomfort with a new lesson but can focus the needed energy on the learning process and not on the anxiety of not knowing all the answers immediately.
A few other areas of giftedness are worth mentioning. Some children have keenly developed smell discrimination and/or taste discrimination. For instance, John can tell when his mother varies the amount of onions used in a particular recipe. Is this talent useful? Certainly if one aims to become a chef, then this skill is extremely useful. It can also be helpful in the learning process. For instance, a lesson in chemistry can utilize the combination of various food condiments to drive home the point that the end product can be greater than the sum of its parts. Some learners have gifts that are directly related to academic work. The child who has a talent in the area of written language may be encouraged to vary the form of writing (such as memoir or poetry) to generalize the gift to many areas of written language. The child who has advanced reading comprehension skills might be encouraged to read and discuss many forms of literature.
However, it is always important to remember that a learner may have advanced reading skills
but not advanced emotional maturity. Therefore, book selections must consider both factors. The math whiz could utilize this talent in everyday life. For instance, one activity could be to calculate how much money should be saved each week in order to get the “must have” videogame. Whenever lessons can be fun for the learner and also practical to the everyday lessons of life, then two important goals have been accomplished—academic growth and life preparedness!
The list of specific talents and gifts can go on and on. The important point is to highlight the fact that no two gifted or talented children fit one mold or profile. Therefore, you should interpret the information provided to you in upcoming chapters in the context of your particular child’s areas
of giftedness and needs.
Source : Lee Wherry Brainerd. Homeschooling Your Gifted Children. 2002
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