With a girl, I actually think that this may be MORE important at preadolescence, since gifted girls so often go "underground" when they reach material that actually requires effort (often in middle school or high school).
There is sometimes a real disconnect for them in terms of understanding that having to work doesn't
take anything away from them in terms of being "gifted." Girls in particular seem sucsceptible to imposter syndrome, as well-- attributing former successes to "luck" and internalizing seeming failures as evidence of personal failings (ie-- no longer
just knowing material effortlessly is often interpreted as overt failure here).
I think between 8 and 11 is the
ideal time to make certain that girls understand that working hard doesn't mean that they aren't as smart as they've always thought.
