Is my child gifted or talented? Have you ever asked yourself this question? Each child is unique, and gifted children are different from the others, but how can you tell objectively if yours has some unique traits.
Most gifted children have a series of common characteristics, and you can quickly identify them to understand if your kid fits this category.
Giftedness follows kids into adulthood, and each individual with gifts is unique. While no two people excel in the same way, pay attention if your child shows the following signs.
They ask countless questions and are curious
Gifted kids are always curious to find out how the world functions and they often ask detailed questions about everything to satisfy their curiosity. This thirst for knowledge goes beyond being interested in a specific topic, and it often extends to aspects unrelated to the activities they perform.
At school, your child isn’t satisfied with learning the traditional subjects, and they go beyond their assignment to find more about the matter. You often feel like you don’t have an answer to their questions. It can be frustrating for you to have no idea what your child is talking about half of the time. But it’s essential not to discourage them from their pursuit of knowledge and do your best to answer their questions even if it implies research on your part.
They approach assignment differently than other children
Bright students always try to please their teachers and complete their assignments perfectly, but gifted students have their own way of approaching things. Most times, they focus on a specific side of a topic or don’t do it because they consider the task isn’t challenging enough. Teaching gifted children isn’t easy because they’re always searching for alternative routes, and if their teachers aren’t equipped to identify giftedness, they can take their approach of solving assignments as a lack of interest in education.
Talk with their teachers to be tolerant and not penalize them when they don’t strictly follow directions because it may discourage them from pursuing knowledge.
They have original ideas
Gifted children are original thinkers and easily access abstract reasoning. Because they educate themselves in various subjects, they bring together ideas from different areas and develop innovative solutions. You may describe their imagination as wild because they’re continually developing sophisticated stories, games, songs, and answers.
They have strong emotions
Gifted children have strong feelings about the subjects important to them, and they’re quite opinionated about specific topics. They’re always aware of the feelings and opinions of the people surrounding them.
However, this doesn’t mean they also know how to deal with the information they receive through various channels. Because some kids are incredibly self-aware of their emotions, they can also be introverted because they feel they don’t fit into groups.
If you think your child is gifted, you may want to move them to a specially designed school program.
