Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion How much of what I see is an enriched environment?

I haven't had time to read the other replies, but will give you my quick answer: don't overthink the environment aspect, just go with your gut feeling.

I also wouldn't place an overwhelming importance on the school opportunities vs the other opportunities a move to any given location gives your family. School is a part of life, but so are other things which matter to everyone, including profoundly gifted children. Quality of life is huge (and depends on many different things, specific to your family - weather, environment, opportunities for after-school and weekend *fun*, proximity of extended family, just being in a place that makes *you* happy, opportunities to be involved and make a difference in your community, and of course, work opportunities).

If your child is profoundly gifted, you're most likely not going to find a school that's a best fit anywhere (except perhaps Reno ;))... but you giving them the best of their childhood in terms of what *you* value, what is *fun* for you, having opportunities for expanding how they see the world etc - those are all things that can take place almost anywhere (jmo).

Best wishes as you think things through!

polarbear

ps - re knowing what is innate vs enriched environment - as I said above, go with your gut feeling. Just in general, I think that you can see innate vs enriched if you're looking *beyond* when did my child learn to start reading and writing and adding and subtracting etc. Chances are a child who starts reading early is a bright child who will do well in school, but I haven't seen that necessarily correlate with propounded giftedness. Of the kids I've known, there are as many HG+ kids who didn't start reading early as there are kids who started reading early and then didn't make so many leaps and strides in school that they were way far ahead once everyone else had learned how to read. I'm *not* talking about kids all "evening out", just noticed with a lot of the children I have known, early reading doesn't correlate necessarily with different levels of giftedness.