What did you do to make your child academically gifted??

[luckystarmaking]

My DD just started reception and I'm already concerned that she might be behind especially in maths.

She can recognise all letters, a few words and can write a couple of 3 letter words but when it comes to maths all she can do is count to 20-25 (sometimes she forgets the order from 12-20) and she can just do basic adding. She also uses her fingers to count and I read that that method doesn't help with mental arithmetic.

We've done a lot of print out activities in maths but it hasn't really gone in yet.

I really want her to do well in life as I had a crap upbringing and suffered from a poor education. I'm a cleaner, but hey ho.

If your child is gifted, what have you done right? Any tips?

Its inherited, but also nurtured. Kids who have lots of time spent with positive interaction as babies and toddlers are generally bright, that's why a good start is everything. Dont worry about them not reading yet, as long as they are read to. My youngest refused to learn to read or write until he started school and he is now a top streamer.

Just support them at home. Read together and play maths games. Rolemodel reading and stem activities as fun. Encourage a love for learning in all areas.

Also maybe think about why it matters whether she is gifted - all you can do is support her to be the best she can be, and that is good enough.

You can't make a child gifted. Gifted children just know what to do without being taught things or when they are taught a little they soak up the rest themselves.

I think you mean academic. You want her to be on top tables and get high marks on tests, read and understand harder reading books, write stories that are more advanced than others her age.

What you describe sounds mire advanced than normal ime. My kids weren't doing that in Reception and have an A and A* in GCSE maths. Education is a marathon not a sprint so drilling her with worksheets now risks turning her off later. Instead of worksheets, I would be using more child friendly methods of learning. For example have you introduced her to money? Start with 1p and 2p and get her to work out the change, how to pay 7p with 1p and 2p etc

Op, they have it or they don't.

Dd1 is an excellent student. Not gifted. But she's excelling and is just a born learner, she has all the skills to be organised, learn, the inquiring, open brain. She's above all a totally independent thinker too.

In reception she didn't know much either.. But her progress was steady and of course everything comes from reading.
Once she could read, end of year 1 is when it clicked she soared by end of year 2. Dense chapter books etc.

I've never had to help with hw... However there was a point where hw was getting her down and her teachers agreed she could stop doing it for a while because she was so strong in class.

My other dd has possible dyslexia and is in intervention groups. She's also extremely bright but in a different way! It's fascinating really.

Dd1 has equally bright friends whose dp have been very strict and no doubt they would say that strict ness has created the genius... I would disagree. You have it or you don't.

Luck.
I read to DD from early age, took her places, played games, all the stuff mentioned here...
She is a hard worker, focused, quick on the uptake and well liked. You can trust her with anything. She's also dyslexic, struggles with remembering things until they've been repeated several times, and has illegible handwriting. She could barely count to ten when starting school, but not through lack of effort. Finished Reception still on pink books (lv1). But she tries so hard, and because of that, she progresses.

Her sister, on the other hand, is more academic. But lazy as she finds it easy. She could be a lot further ahead if she applied herself. Same upbringing.

Just support her as much as you can.

DD is clearly very intelligent. But she's not gifted. A gifted child is way beyond normal academic success and comes with its own additional challenges.

If you're really asking how to make sure she succeeds, then everything PP have said - read with her, talk with her, engage her and work numbers, words, concepts into your daily life. If she's just started reception and already knows all her letters and can count to 20, do basic arithmetic on her fingers etc I'd say she's doing pretty well. DS could count but none of the rest at reception. Because I am less worried about DD academically, I'm actually able to look around her class a bit more and it's clear that many of the children are at a similar level to what DS was when he was in reception. Certainly, I've had a couple of instances where her friends' parents have said, "ooh, are they all supposed to be able to read like that?" when they realise that DD is advanced or similar.(and to be clear, DD isn't WAAAY advanced - as far as I can tell she's in a group of children in her class who are all at about the same level but are, collectively, the more advanced members of the class.). The point is that at this age the variation is still very significant and your DD seems to be doing pretty well I'd say.

there's a reason why almost every wealthy kid gets fab grades, whilst very few poorer kids do, and it's definitely not genetics

Oh definitely, but that's not because they have been made academically gifted as I would understand it- they're just taught how to work the system. Which is a skill in itself and will result in good outcomes for them, but they're still no more gifted than anyone else!

How old is she sorry?(Not in UK, is reception aged 5?)

I have one son aged 8 is who is gifted with maths and reading.He was just born that way.We did the typical singing,counting reading etc. but he just naturally picked things up and took them to the next level very quickly.He taught himself to read simple words at 3.5.

Now I help him by being very laid back,not pushing him and letting him have the odd day off HW if I can see he is at risk of burnout (he takes it very seriously).

My youngest turned 4 in July.He has a different kind of intelligence, he is a lot more communicative and very high emotional intelligence.Speaks (and argues!)like a 7/8 year old I would say. He can count to 20, do his ABCs ,recognise individual letters and his name.No where near reading or basic maths.

I encourage him, but again never push too hard because it brings out his naturally defiant nature Plus...he's four so I don't see the need.

Aware I sound very lazy haha, I just want to make learning fun, not an ordeal.

Read to them voraciously from babyhood and in this way they have developed a love of reading.

Very limited screen time of any sort - as of course they will revert to the easiest form of entertainment / instant gratification if given free reign (Ie screens) which then reduces the time they spend using their own brains to play imaginatively, get outdoors, or read.

Lots of outdoor exercise and time in nature - brilliant for mental health and of course supports the mind/body strength.

Loads of love and family time.

No pressure on them to perform at school, no comparing them to others, just praise their efforts and make sure they know you don’t care how they do as long as they do their best and are happy.

I’m sure your daughter will be spot on! Hope she’s enjoying school

I never did anything much pre school age with mine apart from read a lot with them and basic numbers and colours etc. None were ever having to catch up (apart from 1 who has slight needs caused by an illness).

The most important thing to me is that they enjoy learning and put in their 100% whether it means they get As or Ds to me doesnt matter as long as they do their best.

As it happens from an educational POV they have done well and 2 are in Unis on course for 1:1s, but another never went to uni and loves her job and is happy there. Just support their strengths

Sounds like she's doing great.
You can't make a child gifted - one of mine possibly is, other shows no signs, no massive difference in upbringing. Being gifted is a mixed blessing anyway. To be successful you want them to get on with people, to work hard and to find something they really love doing.

That said good support for reception.
Keep talking to them about the world. Watch nature documentaries, talk about things in politics at a child appropriate level, read books.

Engage with reading. Go to any "how we teach phonics" sessions or get your child to teach you. Read to them, get them to read to you, write each other secret messages, notice writing in the world around you.

Engage with writing as taught by school. See if you can learn the handwriting style they're teaching too, child will enjoy telling you if you get it wrong.

Maths nice and hands on. Count things, fingers will do but objects good too.
We found playing with tens and units blocks (mostly building skyscrapers but occasionally talking about numbers too!) really helped build a good sense of place value which is a foundation of much primary school maths. Indeed DS who just started secondary is still eye rolling about "we're doing place value again". Talk about shapes. Think about how big or how small things are. My kids love playing with measuring cups in the bath.

Baking together is a great one for engaging lots of aspects, all kids like making cakes.

May not apply yet but engage with any homework school set, don't do it for them (art parents alert!!) but be interested and facilitate.

@Marmite133 I try to read a lot to my DS who is a toddler and isn't interested in it at all. We hardly manage a page or two before he snatches the book off me to rip out or turn pages which later, he throws it across the room. He is very active and boisterous and never been able to sit still and be one of those babies that are happy to comply in musical play groups etc. Reading is very important but despite trying so hard to get his attention, he just isn't interested. I know he his still young but am is it fair to say to keep my expectations low as some children doesn't doesn't have it in them or do they change over time?

Gifted in academic terms, means a DC that is way above the average DC. Very few children are gifted. There is a broad spectrum of what in considered normal.

Encourage reading etc and be as involved as you can, but in my experience having two DC like chalk and cheese, being academically more able is something they are born with.

Effort plays a part in it to if course but you can’t make a child gifted.

You can't make someone gifted - nature has gifted them an advantage!

I was pretty dumb in primary school, I got level 3 in my SATs.
I went on to get 12 As at GCSE AAAA at A level and a first from Oxbridge. It was working hard and having loving parents who supported me, even though they could never help me academically

@justjustine7

I was pretty dumb in primary school, I got level 3 in my SATs. I went on to get 12 As at GCSE AAAA at A level and a first from Oxbridge. It was working hard and having loving parents who supported me, even though they could never help me academically

Bludy hell, that’s brilliant! Well done. Jesus, I couldn’t get a 1st class degree if the answers were laid on a sheet of a4 in front of me! 😂

I have a 'gifted' child, although I don't like the term. I don't think we did anything for him to be this way, his younger brother has had an identical upbringing and although he's academically ahead, he is not gifted.

What I will say is he has always wanted to learn, he was desperate to read from the age of about 2.5, if he didn't know something he would have to find it out, he pushes himself to understand a subject inside out with absolutely no pressure from us. His drive and determination to master subjects astounds me, it's not because he wants to be the best, he has no competitive streak he just really really loves to learn.

The downside is there is no state school that is a good fit for him where we live so he goes to an amazing, but expensive, private school but he is thriving and its the best decision we've ever made.

@imdonenow each child is different and if that's where he's at then that's absolutely fine! You can only do what you can do and engaging and caring about what they care about is the most important thing. You and he will find his 'thing' over time!
I was just pointing out what I'd noticed in 'gifted' children (from am academic perspective as a teacher). There is no need for all children to be academically gifted and it's definitely not something to measure them against - they all have their own personalities and will thrive in their own way, whether that be academic, sport, practical, musical or whatever.
Genetics and personality play a huge part, too.

I was one of the academically gifted children, my brother and sister were not and I was the one always pressure into being the first in the family to ‘make it’. I rebelled because of this and decided I wanted children young (early 20s) as I just wanted a break from education. Now I don’t work at all but I am retraining as a primary teacher soon much to my mothers delight.

My 2 year old is incredibly advanced for her age, counts to 20, knows her ABC, talks in full sentences etc but a lot of it is just because that’s who she is, I am academically smart and it’s passed onto her thankfully. I incorporate learning into everyday life and we always talk to her in interesting and full language rather than child speak, also I feel socialisation is key to learning as they gain so much from other children. Honestly I wouldn’t push it but if you feel she’s struggling then make learning fun, there’s lots of YouTube videos and activities you can try that helps with maths in a day to day scenario.

@Fiftysixthnamechange

I have a 'gifted' child, although I don't like the term. I don't think we did anything for him to be this way, his younger brother has had an identical upbringing and although he's academically ahead, he is not gifted.

What I will say is he has always wanted to learn, he was desperate to read from the age of about 2.5, if he didn't know something he would have to find it out, he pushes himself to understand a subject inside out with absolutely no pressure from us. His drive and determination to master subjects astounds me, it's not because he wants to be the best, he has no competitive streak he just really really loves to learn.

The downside is there is no state school that is a good fit for him where we live so he goes to an amazing, but expensive, private school but he is thriving and its the best decision we've ever made.

Did you have him assessed by Ed Psch out of curiosity? I assume his IQ is over 120? (Assuming that’s how the decide who is/not gifted?)

I had no idea DS was on the list at primary school. He is clever for sure but his Father is genuinely gifted, a Professor obviously does original research has been involved with research that has the potential to save thousands if not millions of lives. So for me when gifted gets bandied around and it seems a bit daft.

Just love support, play with your child and don’t worry too much about which book band they are on.

We eat dinner at the table and everybody has to discuss a news item - my husband and I included.

Borrow books from the library and read stories to her every day. The librarian can advice you which books.

Just play. Games can enhance many skills; numbers, sounds, shapes, letters, listening or looking carefully, telling the time.

Play snakes and ladders; she will learn a great deal from counting the number sequence on the board.
Play dominoes; teaches numbers and visual recognition/matching.

Visual recognition and matching are essential skills used in reading.
Play card games ; snap; happy families, etc. They all encourage focussed attention and visual recognition/ matching.

When you're out and about with her, play "I spy " something beginning with  (letter sound) " . This way she learns that bird, bus, book, baby, all start with the same sound ,  BUH. 

 Count  yellow cars.or red buses, or people wearing hats. 

 PLay some games  (like Snakes and ladders)  together,  sitting on a chair at a table,  no distractions (turn off your phone and the TV).

 Sitting on a chair at a table  and focussing attention for 20 minutes or  so, is an essential tool for classroom  learning.  Sadly, many kids never experience it at home.