If the general concensus is output seems more dependent on discipline, consistency of effort, and other intrinsic factors, if the GT children of our school are not seeming to be able to execute these traits and are therefore not fairing as well as the non-GT children, should we and how do we address this?
As the children get older and the curriculum becomes a little more enriched will these traits listed above suddenly appear or is there a need for the parents to intervene?
Personally I think it IS important to address this, but it sure is tough to find a receptive audience. It seems to me that output issues for an individual child can be based on personality/personal organization traits but just as important (and probably more important) are early opportunities to work and recieve feedback in the zpd.
Maybe a good analogy is the "culture shock" some people experience when they move to another country. Those who make those transitions successfully/happily are those who can take novelty and uncertainty in stride. Too many g/t kids do not experience either novelty or uncertainty in their early years of school, while most other students do. Which students will be best equipped to approach open ended assignments, or to embrace and enjoy the struggle of revisiting and improving a first attempt? Which will see it as part of the learning process rather than as a negative commentary on their overall intelligence?
On another thread someone described a testing situation in which their child had a tester who didn't accept "that's too hard" or "I don't know that". It sounded like they recognized the responses as learned behaviors. I am GREEN with envy. Those answers are frequently accepted by adults who work with or test my children. There is a dent worn in my wall from banging my ahead against it so often.... (sigh).
