Special Focus

Nurturing the Young Gifted Child

Volume 3 / Issue 4 / Summer 2003

Parents are usually the first to notice the exceptional qualities of their young gifted children. One five-year-old I know of surprised her mother by painting a large picture of the world with Africa, Asia, and North and South America all in correct relation to each other. The child pointed out a number of countries without having been taught geography. Before this, no one had ever thought of her as unusual in any way.

You are a daily witness to the abilities and interests of your young child. A steady stream of data surrounds you: probing questions; witty turns of phrase; a prolific output of paintings, experiments, and projects; a voracious hunger for books; and an interest in adult conversation.

Develop a Portfolio

Use a portfolio to document your young child’s interests and talents. A portfolio is a collection of his or her best artwork, writing, or projects. Ideally, it also includes your own notes about your child: statements, stories, and observations of behaviors and learning style. Keep a notebook handy so you can jot down observations whenever you have a spare moment. You might also include video- and audiotapes of your child.

The portfolio provides evidence of your child’s growth and achievement and can be an invaluable record for communicating with teachers. It tells a teacher more about your child than a single test score. A portfolio (1) validates your observations and hunches about your child, (2) enables you to speak more informatively with teachers, (3) helps you see your child’s progress over time and assess his or her needs, and (4) is a source of pride and accomplishment for your child.

Sharing Your Own Talents and Interests

One of the most effective ways to nurture your young child’s gifts is to share your own interests and talents. Parents who pursue what they love with confidence, delight in the processes and materials involved, and persist in their goals are excellent models. For instance, one father with a love of sculpture created an art space in the basement for his gifted five-year-old and her friends. He developed art projects that introduced them to interesting new concepts he was exploring in his own work. An architect mother who finally tired of her son’s insistence on “doing that design stuff” took a little time every week to teach him preliminary lessons in architectural design. “His questions and eagerness to learn made me think about what I was doing in a different way,” she said later. “I never realized how much fun it could be to share my passion for architecture with my son.”

Taking the time to understand and nurture your child's gifts engenders the joy of learning during a highly impressionable time in life.

By sharing your interests, you show your child how to commit the hours and effort that it takes to achieve, how to work through difficulties without becoming impatient, how to experiment and take risks, and how to learn from mistakes. Even young gifted children can be perfectionists and self-critical, and they need role models to show them how to surmount the obstacles that are a natural part of progress and achievement.

Locating Other Sources

If you spend time doing projects with your young gifted child, you will eventually need to find resources. Look for people, programs, and materials that can support your child’s creative growth, discoveries, and imagination. During the early years of schooling most gifted children need the creative freedom to explore what interests them. Appropriate resources include the following:

• Enrichment programs: Although not commonly available for children in the early grades, some institutes, universities, and parent groups do offer them. Before signing your child up, inquire about the philosophy and class offerings to see if they match his or her interests and learning styles.
• Community resources: Workshops, exhibits, and courses at museums, observatories, arts centers, and the like can expose children to new subjects and immerse them in their interest areas. Keep your eye out for opportunities that might provide just the kind of challenge your child needs.
• Interest sharing: If your child has an obvious talent for or interest in a particular subject, and you can’t find any classes that will accept someone so young, try to find someone with the same interest to spend time with your child. The person should be able to teach, play, and handle a young child’s high energy. Inquire at universities, high schools, and special institutes or among your own friends and family.
• The Internet: Search for Web sites that focus on your child’s favorite subjects. Be sure to bookmark kid-safe sites. You might begin by logging on to Web sites for parents of gifted children to get advice and guidance.

—Joan Franklin Smutny

Joan Franklin Smutny is founder of the Center for Gifted at National-Louis University and recipient of the National Association of Gifted Children’s Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contributions to the field of gifted education.