I've been teaching my guy differently from the start. �I've been guiding him to progress slowly and consistently. �Someone said I'm hothousing seatwork (?). �Maybe. �I was aiming for consistency and work ethic. �I wanted him to learn how to do things the slow and consistent way now while he's still young enough for me to show him painlessly. � �
One way I did this was by watching him do his first worksheets. �If he messed up one part he would try to scribble up the whole page. �I would take the page away and say, "wait, don't mess it up. �You have to finish all these other answers". �Then he would move on and finish instead of destroying the page over one little error.
When I decided I thought he was gifted I thought it was less important to encourage him to do his best and it became more important to teach him to just do his work, finish it, no excuses. �
Someone online told me that was cruel and he probably felt like I was punishing him for scribbling. �I don't think he felt punished. �I can't read his mind, so maybe. And it definately wasn't over scribbling. I don't care if he scribbles, just didn't think he should destroy his work over one little mistake. �I think I may have broke a bad habit before he could form it. �I later found out Carol Dweck's "incremental theory" lines up well with my plans to instill work ethic, and is an especially useful thing for gifted children to learn.
I don't know what I'm trying to protect him from. �When he gets a job he's going to need to be consistant. �When he goes to school he's going to need to be consistent. �He's brilliant, he's already going to have his shining moments, naturally. �
