I actually get asked quite a bit by other parents how I know Daniel is different. Of course anyone who spends any time with him usually picks up on it quickly, but what they are hinting at is that every parent thinks their little angel is special. I can read between the lines - and hear between the words. I am not by any means an expert on giftedness; I just research things that are interesting to me. But an interesting tidbit came up in my readings - parents are the primary identifiers of gifted children while teachers are often the worst identifiers of giftedness. That made me think...how is it that parents with little or no understanding of the topic are the best at identifying, while the education professionals are the worst? I think it comes down to a few important factors: 1) parents see their child across many settings, teachers do not; 2) parents get the opportunity to watch their child's development over time, teachers get a snapshot; and 3)often teachers expect gifted children to be their best pupils, when really there is no direct relationship with giftedness and earning good grades. Many times the gifted child is the who drives the teacher crazy with constant questioning and can't remember to do his math homework. I came across this video that discusses attributes of giftedness:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Lindsay, you are so right in what you are saying. The brother of my son's best friend growing up is a gifted learner. Eric drove his 2 older brothers crazy and sometimes even drove his parents a little crazy. There were always interesing times in their house. But because the family was a loving, patient family, of course things have worked out very well. Eric's brothers never let him get away with anything and Eric kept being interesting. He has finally grown into himself and has a very interesting job. His college major was physics, he is married to a doctor, and his job is a college football coach (he was also a gifted offensive linesman!) One of the most important people in his journey of giftedness was a teacher who really understood Eric and his thinking process. Eric's Mom, a good friend of mine, tells me frequently what an influence that 5th grade teacher was in Eric's life.
Lindsay, I think the youtube video you posted is definitely great for both parents and educators. Giftedness seems to always be a topic of discussion in classes. Everyone always seems to have their own opinion but the video gives great guide lines that everyone can follow. I know I always wondered how you determine whether a child is just bright or gifted and this definitely gives more defined lines to go by.
Hi Lindsay,
I found your Youtube video very interesting. I have this 3 year old at church and ever since he could walk and run he's been making beats. If you closed your eyes and heard him play with his mouth and hands you would think it was someone really drumming. I didn't think musch of it when he was younger, I just figured he was a child and was playing around. Little by little I noticed that he would play along with the music in a steady beat, he would even make his own improvisations with the music and the people singing. I was amazed. Now I'm wondering if he is a genius, prodigy, gifted, or just bright. Either way, I advise his father to look into giving him lessons.
First, let me congratulate you on your son as it seems that his DNA came together in the best possible way. Second, I really do believe people are the products of the environment in which they are raised. Gifted or not, it is clear that your parenting skills and style stimulate his mind to explore and question. In my opinion, both are essential traits of lifelong learners.
I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to see someone who is NOT contributing to the dumbing down of our lackluster educational system. Hopefully, your son, my son and the future of our world will benefit.
Post a Comment