Advocating for Your Gifted Child
While our society might seem to celebrate thinking outside the box, our educational system is geared toward the middle of the ability spectrum. If your child is at the upper end in terms of ability, you may find that keeping things challenging is an uphill battle. For the beleaguered classroom teacher trying to teach 15 students to read, coming up with exciting literacy activities for the two students who already read well might fall by the wayside. And if your child’s giftedness manifests itself in the arts or another area not usually seen as academic, school officials might not even realize what they are dealing with.
Failing to appropriately challenge gifted learners can have serious consequences. Many students will try to blend in with classmates of average ability in order to please teachers and fit in with what they think is expected of them. Other gifted students may be visibly resentful of attempts to force conformity. Bored by the pace of schoolwork, they may tune out what is going on around them or even become disruptive. The youngest gifted students may be caught between these two extremes, wanting to simultaneously fit in with same-age peers and satisfy their own curiosity about the subject matter. A student who has mastered a concept might be forced to review it repeatedly rather than having the opportunity to move on to the next topic. For a student who is reading far above grade level, sitting through a phonics lesson for pre-readers might be intolerable. Imagine Picasso sitting through an introductory art class or Einstein sitting through a typical high school algebra class and you get the idea!
If your child is facing such a situation, there are several issues to consider. A great deal depends on the type of programs a particular school might offer for its gifted students. Funding for gifted education varies widely by state, and even where there is adequate funding, actual practice is far from uniform. Many districts offer pull-out programs that allow gifted students to work on advanced subject matter for a set amount of time each week. This might not solve all problems in the regular classroom, but for some students provides an outlet for exploration and enrichment that helps considerably. In other schools, the responsibility lies with the classroom teacher. Whatever the case, you will certainly need to enlist the help of everyone you can. Can the classroom teacher personalize spelling lists or math assignments to provide a more appropriate challenge for your child? Are there opportunities to work a grade level (or two!) ahead in subjects where you child excels? Are there extracurricular activities offered at the school? Many gifted students shine when challenged through science fair activities, a foreign language club, or musical performance opportunities through a school band or orchestra.
Depending on where you live, you might be surprised at the number of enrichment opportunities available. In addition to traditional options such as art, dance, or music lessons, many universities offer classes for gifted and advanced learners. Zoos and science centers often encourage young volunteers, a great resource for hands-on learning. Some libraries and bookstores host reading clubs for children, and simply reading aloud at home is a great activity that can continue long after your child begins to read independently. If you can’t find exciting activities for your gifted child, chances are you aren’t alone – seeking out other families with similar interests allows you to create your own educational opportunities for your children.
Some families find that the best solution to challenging their gifted child lies outside the traditional school setting. As homeschooling has gained popularity nationwide, it has become a particularly appealing option for families of gifted children.. Homeschooling allows students to spend more time on a topic of interest, or less time on a concept that has already been mastered, allowing for a highly individualized learning experience. The emergence of cyber schooling is another option for those students who seek an alternative to traditional lock-step grade levels. Online education might allow an eight-year-old to study reading at the same level as other second-graders, while learning long division years before it would be introduced in school. While some districts are receptive to early school entrance and grade skipping, acceptance of such practices has not kept pace with recent research showing how such approaches benefit the gifted. Educating such students at home makes these options work where school regulations are not flexible.
Whatever approach ends up being best for your gifted child, one thing is certain: your role as advocate is just beginning. And while many challenges lie ahead, being an integral part of your child’s educational journey will be exciting and rewarding for both of you.
