parenting a gifted child
By Dr Stephen Tommis, Ex-Director, NAGC (The National Association for Gifted Children)
being 'gifted' isn't always easy | so what is giftedness? | is a gifted child an advantaged child? | help and info
so what is giftedness?
There is much confusion in the minds of parents and the public at large about the nature of giftedness. Gifted children have well above average intelligence and the capacity to achieve at school. If we take the top 5% of an age-related ability range this means that for every 20 children there is likely to be one who might be regarded as gifted. This means that in a typical class in an average non-selective school there is likely to be no more than two gifted children and most probably only one.
In England, the DfES (Department for Education and Skills) identifies gifted learners as those who have particular abilities in one or more curriculum subjects and talented learners as those who have particular abilities in the creative arts (such as music, art & design, drama, dance) and PE.
Giftedness and achievement do not always go hand in hand. There is a difference between ability and achievement, so a gifted child may have the capacity to achieve at a high level but there may be considerations such as a physical learning need (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia), or problems with motor skill development, or simply the perceived desire to 'dumb-down' that prohibit the realisation of a child's true potential.
Schools are encouraged to identify the top 10% of pupils in each age group and place them on a gifted and talented register. The identification process should not rely on IQ or Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores alone, but contain a portfolio of evidence from different sources including teacher, and parent, nomination. Within the school's structure there should be a dedicated teacher, often known as the gifted and talented co-ordinator (though from 2006 the DfES is recommending the term Lead Teacher), to oversee the implementation of the school's policy on gifted and talented children. This is the person who should be driving the gifted agenda and encouraging best practice amongst all teachers.
how many children may be gifted?
The answer to this question depends on the definition of giftedness used. The DfES calculates that with its standard school measure of the top 10% in each school the total number of gifted and talented pupils in England is in the region of 800,000. The target figure for membership of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY), which takes the top 5% of the ability national range, is 200,000. Both of these figures relate to England only. This means that in a non-selective school with 600 pupils on role there are likely to be about 30 who are gifted and talented.
why is it important to know if your child is gifted?
All children, whether gifted, bright, average or below average, deserve the chance to lead a happy and satisfying life. Gifted children have a great thirst for knowledge and it is vital that this need is recognised as early as possible so that parents and teachers can give them plenty of opportunities to develop their talents. A good school will try to identify very able pupils and to meet their expectations and needs. The school will have developed an agreed policy on how their most able pupils are managed.
It is very easy to destroy the self-confidence of any child and this is particularly so when they are talented, gifted and able. Their experiences with their teachers, their peers and their parents are critical, and it is always important to look for the indicators which suggest that a difficult, unhappy or bored child has hidden talent.
Read on for details of relevant organisations, websites and reading.
