How can you tell if your child is gifted?

This is a partial list of attributes commonly found in gifted children. Certainly most gifted children will not exhibit all of these attributes! In addition, some characteristics may be hidden and, because of a host of good reasons, may not appear until much later.

Then there are other characteristics that may be a little more difficult to live with:

Intellectually gifted kids are not always the honors students with the best scores. Some kids don’t test well and some gifted kids aren’t academically inclined. Add to that: undiagnosed learning disabilities, boredom, behavior problems, hyperactivity, and you can see - it’s not always easy being gifted!

Society’s Attitudes
It appears to be more acceptable in our society to be athletically gifted, or musically gifted, or artistically gifted, or even socially gifted (leadership), than it is to be academically gifted. Parents need to search out the best in education, resources, and opportunities for their gifted learners, just as they would for their athletes and musicians. Use tact when discussing accomplishments, but don’t ignore them either.

All gifted students are not the same
Use what you know about your child in order to guide and motivate him/her. Some students need to be prodded into working to their capabilities, while others are perfectionists and need help learning to lighten up.

There is more to life than just academics
Don’t neglect important things like spiritual development, character, service to others, fine arts, etc. Social skills should not be overlooked either. Does your child know how to behave in various situations? Are they comfortable with both peers and adults?

Mentoring
Look to families with gifted children who are older than yours. Pick their brains, find out what worked and what didn’t. Then be a mentor to a family with younger gifted kids. Don’t assume others can teach your child better than you can. Gifted programs, classes, and schools may look enticing, but look very closely! There is much New Age teaching and other garbage being used as “gifted programs.” You know your student better than anyone else. With prayer and reliance on the Lord you can teach gifted children at home.

More than Text Books
Academics are important, but academics means more than textbooks. Use resources and activities that incorporate higher level thinking skills. Examples:

Provide them with plenty of opportunities to learn without making it obvious that it’s “educational.” For example: conversations with adults, interesting hobbies, good magazines and other reading material (fiction and non-fiction), exposure to other languages and cultures, and free time to pursue their dreams and goals.

Nationally Recognized Gifted Programs
CTY/IAAY: Grades 2 and up. Johns Hopkins University has widely recognized programs for gifted youth. Consists of testing to determine eligibility (it is intended for high-end gifted), camps, workshops, symposiums, newsletters, tutorials by mail, and on-line classes, all created for very gifted kids and/or their parents. Contact: CTY and IAAY The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 ,1.410.516.0337

Duke has a similar program called TIP (Talent Identification Program) which includes a 7th grade talent search. Duke also publishes a quarterly entitled “Duke Gifted Letter, A Newsletter for Parents of Gifted Children.” Duke University TIP,Box 90747, Durham, NC 27708, 919.684.3847, www.tip.duke.edu/

Other colleges and universities in your area may have testing programs as well as on-line and correspondence courses as well as camps. Investigate carefully, know your child’s needs and personality, and pray before pursuing.

Contests and Competitions
There are numerous contests available. The hard part is picking the one(s) for which you have time! There are well-known ones like the National Geography Bee, Scripts Howard Spelling Bee and Mathematical Olympiads, and there are a number of other contests that might be great fun and quite a learning opportunity for your student. “Invent America!” for example. There are books available describing academic competitions.

Resources
Gifted Children at Home: A Practical Guide for Homeschooling Families
Feeling frustrated in meeting your child’s educational needs? This book will encourage you and give a firm foundation for making important educational decisions. This is your guide to searching out the best possible options, resources, and ideas. Written with hard-earned wisdom from women who’ve “been there, done that.” Available from Bright Ideas Press. Includes:

Address:Bright Ideas Press, PO Box 333, Cheswold, DE 19936, Phone: Toll Free 1.877.492.8081, E-Mail info@brightideaspress.com, http://www.brightideaspress.com/

Maggie Hogan will be a speaker at Convention 2004! 
From their website - A little about the Hogan family:  We began homeschooling in 1991. Although JB, 20, has graduated, Tyler is still in high school. JB enlisted in the Army where he is currently stationed in Kuwait. In his free time he reads and writes. You will find his diaries occasionally posted on www.Crosswalk.com as well as on this site. Tyler, 15, is a writer, musician & mime. He uses his talent for the glory of God performing in a wide-variety of venues. Bob works full-time, serves at church, does bookkeeping for our businesses and several non-profit organizations, and dreams of having time for his hobbies! I work on the publishing end of our business, write for Crosswalk.com, serve as director for our local homeschool organization and dream of having time to read and write. Our family has truly enjoyed meeting so many of you since we began Bright Ideas ten years ago. We love talking with you and hearing from you. We pray God will continue to bless the homeschool movement and use us in this exciting ministry. See you on the road!