Most of the article I agree with, except for the 100% nature instead of nurture. There certainly is both a nature and nurture element to giftedness. As annoying as it is to hear someone claim that giftedness is all nurture, it is equally annoying to hear that nurture has nothing to do with the phenomenon. Now, certainly if you took an absolute perfect identical twin(as identical as possible at the moment of birth) and put them into two different houses that were not grossly negligent, and had no major medical catastrophies you would not get have a case of one with a 100 IQ and one with 150 IQ. However I think it would be entirely possible within 2 loving homes with different food, and enrichment have one with a 125 IQ and one with a 135 IQ. Therefore one twin would be identified as gifted while the other would not.

That said I agree with the fact that it is a shame that people scoff at advanced children, and assume that they must have been the result of a hothouse environment. I know that I personally push physical play more than academics, but my dd 2 1/2 excels at both academics and physical activities. She pushes herself at academics while I encourage physical play. Yet, I have suffered the comments that assume that I must have a hothouse child.

All things said I think it is a very good article. It does point some very real injustices.


Last edited by it_is_2day; 09/14/14 02:14 PM.