Originally Posted by Kriston
I really do hear what you're saying, Ania, but I just don't see it working with my child. I've been there. I tried it. It was the exact wrong thing for him! And I don't think my child is in the minority of HG+ kids. I just hear stories like mine far too often.

I did not mean to say that kids will do boring things when we sit down with them smile Of course you have to keep them interested and follow their lead. But it is easier - at least it was for me - to make my kids "do something" when they were younger because all it really took in majority of cases was a gentle persuasion from me and me actually seating down with them.
My kids never bolted out at "boring" calculations, but when the time came to "show work" there were some issues. To this day I tell my son to do more on paper - head is great for ideas but not for calculations. It is after all calculations that we make most mistates in when it comes to more complex problems.
When DD is working on Aleks she is not allowed to use the calulator. She can only use it on tests to double check her answers. As a result her calculations are generally more correct tha her mathy brother's, who jumps from idea to idea (he is much better now, he has learned that one can loose a lot by making a mistake in addition ) smile

But of course you have to make it interesting, and you do it.