Highly Able Children

[saisanne1]

Would like to hear from parents of highly children

Look I'm not going into all this again, its draining. Thanks for input, everything has been taken on board

I'm only saying there is differences when people are trying to say there isn't

I'm not looking for anything, ended the chat long time ago, but you keep going

That list is a bit bonkers.

Why does the difference between bright and gifted (if there is an actual difference rather than a random list) matter so much? Whether a kid is bright or gifted relationships will still get them further in life.

No bodys saying it will get your further in life, someone said there isn't differences, there is

If you don't like that list, there's plenty more, but that's why kids are assessed to see if they are bright or gifted to get the relevant support

I don't think bright or gifted kids get much support TBH. Given the cuts to school budgets support has to be focussed on those who need it to access the curriculum. My eldest is one of the most highly funded young people in our LA (he has full time 2:1 which he need to keep him and others safe). Kids who are bright (or gifted although I still have no idea why any difference matters or what categorising kids in such ways actually achieves) may need some differentiation but they can access the curriculum (which is the school's job) without support.

Yeah they only get the support if they are assessed to need it

Yes but you did try to distinguish between children who are 'just' bright and those who are gifted. That's a quick fire way to raise eyebrows as it's not that clear cut.

Remember that gifted children aren't just those who are academic. They are gifted artists, musicians and sports people too. And they may well not show any of those 'gifted' traits and yet be gifted.

Don't pigeonhole your child's traits just yet. His brain is still very 'plastic' and developing.

Definitely get him doing all the social stuff. Beavers etc when he's old enough. For some academically bright children, the "common sense" and practical learning is challenging. Team activities, bridge building, learning to cook etc. They go against the instinct just to 'learn about' things and actually do them, & the ability to work in (not just try and take over) a team, to solve practical issues is important life skills stuff.

Take it from me, there was a lot of fellow undergrads at Oxford with all the brain in the world (I felt very thick with a measured IQ of 137!) but many couldn't organise the proverbial in a brewery.

Developing my those skills is vital to life chances.

Just do loads of normal kid stuff. He will develop in his own sweet time, & all the more rounded if you take your foot off the gas, help him to become well rounded...and just let him enjoy his childhood.

In my opinion, school doesn't usually become a problem when they are 4 because schools don't try to teach them in a systematic fashion at that age. Teaching them is generally more open-ended and free-wheeling for reception age kids.

The real problems arise when you get a kid who is brilliant at maths being forced to do repetitive and dull exercises with a teacher who is trying to catch him/her out for some careless mistakes which "prove s/he needs more practice".

I don't think the school system deals at all well with children who are very good at learning quickly, nor does it deal well with kids who struggle. However, I don't think these problems start in reception, so I can't help thinking that kids who have trouble in reception usually have something else going on.

Hesterton I roared with laughter at that.

And agree with Clara - being bright (or gifted ) at 4 really shouldn't be any sort of problem. If it is then what is specifically causing a problem? If it's an inability to sit and listen then that is a problem in a school environment but isn't really related to giftedness and the sort of support given to children who (say) struggle with circle time would be the same no matter their IQ.

You keep saying 'he has been assessed as needing it' trust me when I tell you he will not get extra help at school nor will that ed psych at report be worth the paper it written on.......... soz

wannabestressfree Your wrong, he's getting additional support at nursery and when he starts school, that's what happens in Scotland

Everyone's wrong because Scotland

Despite several people on this thread, myself included, stating they live in Scotland, you still keep trotting out the same response about bloody Scotland

I know..... how deluded.

An additional support teacher is going into the nursery next week and he will get one in school too. How's that deluded, I've been told that, so I'm getting told lies, is that what you's are saying?

The OP is going to be mega disappointed when the wee one starts school and she discovered the additional support will be fired in the first instance at kids with physical disabilities / ASD / dyslexia and such like, to enable them to access their curriculum and be included fully. As I said earlier, in over 30 years in mainstream secondary education in various areas of Scotland, I have NEVER heard of additional supports being put to "gifted/talented" (academically) kids, simply because resources are so limited and need to be carefully applied to those who need it most. Call me cynical, but maybe a diagnosis of ASD might look a bit more appealing then? 😉

In all honesty I think the best thing you could do to support your ds is get away from assessing him as gifted/bright.

You've provided one source with a list that apparently defines the difference, but really-that's one list, other people will have totally different lists. I can think of a number of 4yos who would tick all except probably not performing above on the test, simply because they haven't been tested yet.

One I'm thinking of particularly is an absolute gorgeous little girl. Asked wonderful questions. What time zone is on the moon? She asked once. I love that idea. Her IQ was tested for a different reason. You see the question was whether she would cope in mainstream as she has learning difficulties due to a chromosome deletion.

I think it's the Doctor in the House books where he reads the Medical dictionary and concludes he has everything except Housemaid's knee. In exactly the same way if you have a list you will be finding you tick them all because the power of suggestion is huge.

The most gifted person I have ever known (2 Oxbridge degrees in totally unrelated subjects, one maths based, one essay based, done in 9 terms, finished by the time they were 19yo, got top firsts in both, in fact their maths' paper could have divided it in 2 and would still have got top firsts, and English was their third language.) the thing that struck you with them was how normal they were. You'd never have picked them out in a conversation or by what they were doing.

So forget about diagnosing him as gifted or even bright. Answer his questions, give him opportunities to learn things he's interested in. But also support him in the areas he's not so good at. Don't make excuses for bad behaviour and don't expect him to be constantly better academically than other children.
He will be much happier because you're allowing him to be himself, rather than boxing him in with a label that may weigh him down.

My husband was one of those smart ones. Very academically bright. Yes on the surface he has gone into a job that you do need to have brains to do. But and its a big but, he has no ambition. He has never had to work hard since he finished uni as he is in a job that there are loads of vacancies in. He does the absolute bare minimum in cpd and always employs people who are ambitious so that he can ride on their coat tails.

As I said before his behaviour has drastically improved since he's getting positive feedback, since his key worker was changed, the first keyworker kept telling me to go to the doctor as secretly they thought he had ADHD, I didn't think that so go a EP in who said he was very able and would benefit from additional support, I had no option but to take that route, I'm not labelling him, but I had to do something

The additional support teacher I imagine is there for behaviour support not with the supposed 'gifted' part.

It's not as I explained in my post before, it's to challenge him, if you look it up Scotland offer additional support for able children too