With fewer and fewer schools offering gifted education programs, it is difficult to make sure these children are appropriately challenged. For this reason, parents play a crucial role in nurturing and challenging gifted learners. Whether they are things you incorporate on your own or support you seek out, you can give your gifted learner a developmentally appropriate education.
Here are 18 ways parents can support and stimulate their gifted child:
1. Identify and Acknowledge their Giftedness:
Recognize and accept that your child is gifted. Understand their unique needs and abilities. Pursue assessment through your child’s school or a psychologist.
2. Provide a Stimulating Environment:
Create a rich learning environment at home with books, educational games, puzzles, and art supplies.
3. Encourage Curiosity and Exploration:
Foster a love for learning by allowing them to explore their interests, even if they're unconventional.
4. Offer a Variety of Learning Materials:
Provide a range of age-appropriate materials that challenge their intellect and creativity.
5. Advocate for Differentiated Education:
Communicate with teachers and school administrators to ensure your child's educational needs are being met through differentiated instruction.
6. Support Independent Learning:
Teach them how to research, find resources, and learn independently. Encourage self-driven projects so they can pursue deeper learning.
7. Expose them to Diverse Experiences:
Attend cultural events, museums, science centers, and other educational outings to broaden their horizons. Many museums even have online tours and programming available for free.
8. Encourage Critical Thinking:
Engage in discussions that encourage questioning, analysis, and problem-solving. Be open to thinking without always finding the right answer. This encourages deeper thought and creativity.
9. Facilitate Social Interaction:
Organize playdates, clubs, or activities with peers who share similar interests or abilities. This may require you to look beyond typical age-based programs. Similarly, offer some things that are unrelated to your child’s intellect and are simply times to have fun with age-level peers.
10. Emphasize Effort and Persistence:
Encourage a growth mindset by praising their efforts and resilience rather than just their innate intelligence. These skills will help them as they pursue more challenging topics.
11. Provide Access to Advanced Resources:
Use technology to access online courses, educational apps, and virtual learning platforms. Libraries are great resources for these items.
12. Support Extracurricular Activities:
Your child is more than just their giftedness. Encourage participation in clubs, sports, or activities related to their interests and talents.
13. Offer Choices and Autonomy:
Allow them to make decisions about their learning path, within reasonable limits. Give them a voice in their learning.
14. Foster a Love for Reading and Writing:
Encourage them to read widely and express themselves through writing, journaling, or creative projects. This fosters learning regardless of ability level.
15. Monitor Well-Being and Balance:
Ensure they have a healthy balance of academic, social, and recreational activities. Gifted learners can sometimes push themselves very hard. Watch for signs of stress or burnout, and normalize talking about these topics.
16. Be a Role Model for Lifelong Learning:
Show enthusiasm for learning new things yourself, and share your interests and hobbies. Sometimes gifted learners don’t have anyone to talk with about their thinking. Be a person that listens in their life.
17. Celebrate Achievements and Milestones:
Acknowledge their accomplishments, both big and small, to boost their confidence and motivation.
18. Seek Professional Guidance if Needed:
Consult with educators, psychologists, or specialists in gifted education for additional support and resources.
Remember that every child is unique, so it's important to tailor your approach to suit your child's specific interests, abilities, and personality. One of the most important things you can do is to provide emotional support and ensure they have time for relaxation and play. This helps them develop their intellect as well as their emotional and mental health.
Rebecca Hastings is a former elementary teacher who traded the classroom for writing when she stayed home with her three children. Passionate about authenticity, faith, and family, you can find her at RebeccaHastings.net and on Amazon. In real life, she can often be found typing words, driving her kids places, or wherever there is chocolate.