Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy something to study please

Your son loves math; my father was a mathematician and LOVED music. I'm sure you've heard of the connection between the two subjects; have you considered piano lessons?

If so, please consider the Frances Clark "Music Tree" series. There is more than enough in there to keep any kid challenged. Piano pedagogy has changed in the last twenty years; we now teach kids theory, improvisation, composition,how to count difficult rhythms, as well as graded pieces. Kids now spend a LOT more time on the intermediate levels so that when they get to Mozart, Beethoven etc. they are so prepared.

DD8 is now at the early intermediate level (I've been her teacher for the last three years). If you give her a simple piece, she can transpose it into different keys after learning it (Frances Clark teaches one how to read music by intervals, which is very mathematical!). DD finds school easy, but her piano lessons are always challenging, and she's slowly, but surely realizing that she won't breeze through everything.

Other instruments are great, too. Piano is best for budding composers, because of seeing music on more than one staff.

While patience is an essential skill in life learning to accept that your needs don't count at school is probably not the way to develop self esteem.

I completely agree!

Theater generally takes effort, in the sense that it combines memorization, group activities, and lots of practice to coordinate everyone.

I acted in my first play in 5th grade.

I'm not sure how you find age-appropriate ones, though.

I'd like to second the poster who said piano (or another musical instrument). DS4, also a mathy kid, is moving more quickly through Suzuki Book 1 than anyone might have imagined. However, if he learns a song quickly, it just means he moves on to the next, harder one. We've been learning a lot of good life lessons about daily practice, staying focused, not getting frustrated if the song isn't perfect right away, etc.

I also heard a presenter who spoke about the need for gifted kids to practice performance of some sort (music, theater, etc.) Often, they are so "in their own heads" that they have a hard time relating to an audience. This is problematic when they enter the work world and have to talk with supervisors and subordinates.

Acting in a number of plays really didn't help with me being able to talk with supervisors or subordinates.

Possibly because they are taking time away from when I could happily be in my own head.

I suppose I may be giving off the vibe of "please go away, you're interrupting me thinking about things that have nothing to do with my job."

I'm not nearly as gifted as my son, and I have that problem!

I just quit a job earlier this week (though I was an independent contractor) because my IQ was clearly getting in the way. I either had to dumb myself down considerably and stop caring or QUIT because I cannot do a job where I have to rely on others doing their job well and on time when in fact they do not and I cannot change it yet I am the one who gets blamed in the end. Long story short, In 35 years of my life, this was the first time EVER that I had to quit something because of not being able to "adjust". It only took me 3 weeks to realize it was a complete mismatch and I am happy I could recognize it this early on! My kids have their happy mommy back ... and now I can have my head full of my own thoughts! yay me!