To think that gifted pre schoolers need to learn through play

[ReallyTired]

A bright child who is nursery age needs formal education like a hole in the head. It is desperately important that they learn the social skills they need for life. A well run nursery is good place to foster a range of skills.

If a gifted child is bored with nursery/ reception its often a sign of autism and if anything they need more learning through play rather than less. Possibly an autistic child might need an adult to show them how to play and foster good social skills. There may be bright children who need intensive help with their social skills who aren't autistic.

A really bright child will learn faster through self directed play than sitting in a classroom doing formal actvites.

I don't believe in "gifted" pre-schoolers.

Play-based learning is appropriate for pre-schoolers, whatever their iq.

It helps them to gain knowledge, social competency, form friendships, gain confidence and in general make sense of the world they live in.

I think that's a yes

I thought it was accepted that pre-schoolers need to play more than they need any kind of structured learning?

And why all the talk of 'gifted' and 'really bright' children? Can't we have a few years where we just let kids be kids and not try and shoehorn them into any categories? TBH you sound very preoccupied with doing just this

1st and 3rd para ok. 2nd para unsubstantiated bollocks. There is no research evidence to suggest that a nursery environment is the best place for autistic spectrum preschoolers to learn social skills, and furthermore a lot of autistic adults and experts quite clearly assert that what they need is for other people to stop discriminating against those with social disabilities, not to be forced to conform from an early age at the expense of their own wellbeing and mental health (yes autistic people do get depression and other mental health problems through being forced to conform constantly as it requires considerable mental effort when these 'skills' don't come naturally- imagine if you were forced to do theoretical physics 24 hours a day and how you would end up).

Agree with Wibbly. 2nd para is nonsense.

ALL children should learn through play instead of structured activities regardless of their "giftedness"

are you doing this for your homework, some kind of assignment is this your hypothesis?
If so it takes a lot to unpick all of the assumptions you make, with re: to nursery, learning through play, autism I think they all need to be explored individually first.

Why only the 'gifted' and how can you tell a 3 yr old is gifted?

Am I missing something? I have never come across a nursery where the children are taught in a formal classroom setting.

My autistic ds loved nursery but it did damn all for his social skills.

You a being a bit odd.

But - children seek out what they need to learn, a well equipped nursery offers plenty of opportunity for children to seek out what they need, whether that i shapes, water play, social skills or reading books. Let them get on with it, they won't get that in a formal school setting.

As the mother of three autistic children, bollocks.
I'm standing firmly in Wibbly's corner.

Who decides that a pre-schooler is 'gifted'?

My gifted autistic daughter used to seek out the paint at nursery, with a level of determination only ever seen in autistic kids. Did you know there is no limit to the amount of paint you can load onto a sheet of paper and onto yourself :o

Pre-schoolers are only 'gifted' until the rest of the class catch them up or pass them by....

OP- can you qualify this or are you just preaching?

I don't agree that a child with autism needs more learning through play. Often they just don't get the whole concept, and no amount of trying to show them will make a difference. My eldest with ASD is now nearly 12, doing well at academic stuff, but has never been interested in toys or playing.

And also what Worral said.

What's the point of the OP, exactly? Are "gifted" (God I hate that term) pre-schoolers being chained to desks somewhere?

As for "If a gifted child is bored with nursery/ reception its often a sign of autism" - crap. It might just as well be a sign of a lousy preschool/school/teacher. Similarly for forcing play on other peoples' terms on autistic children - sounds like a great way to put them off the whole idea of school to me.

I say 'gifted autistic' in respect of my daughter with hindsight. It wasn't officially confirmed until she was 15.

How many children at nursery age are diagnosed as autistic? In our area diagnosis tend to after age of 3/4 unless severe. Is that the norm or the abnormal?

I have no idea what a gifted pre-schooler is.

How many children at nursery age are diagnosed as autistic? In our area diagnosis tend to after age of 3/4 unless severe. Is that the norm or the abnormal?

It's around 3 for classic autism, around 4 for PDDNOS and around 7 for Aspergers (although much higher for girls)

RT is old-timer so I don't think she's doing anyone's homework.
I think I get what OP is saying although I dunno about what people are inferring re autism, or why OP brought that into it. Or why this is niggling at OP today.

Personally I think play-based learning best until they are near end of y2. Play-based learning can be quite structured & focused, too.