Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Psychology Today: Parenting Gifted Children

I recall an excellent series from Psychology Today about the gifted mind sometime during the last year or so... and was pleased to see the start of what appears to be another great series dealing with GT Ed.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/print/77677

Here's the opening paragraph, the last line of which is especially refreshing to read somewhere other than our GT forums.

Thanks for posting that Dandy. I'll look out for the next one.

Here's hoping lots of people who don't know it all already read it... I like this quote:
Yup, got one of them :-)

Although I acknowledge the importance of discussing the PG, I do worry a little that examples like that make people go back to the whole "Giftedness = calculus at 8" thing. DD is 7 and has no idea who Virigina Woolf is or what string theory is, nor is she ready for that, but her needs were absolutely not met in a regular classroom...

Interesting piece. Poorly edited, though.

It's psychology today, where anyone can write any articles on anything. Editing isn't it's strong point. Nor is accuracy. Nor is content. Sometimes I argue in the comments section in various articles for entertainment purposes. It's fun!

I would have been into string theory when I was 7. But only as it relates to cosmology.

When reading this, and thinking of my own experiences, I wonder how much the "nurture" affect of motivation impacts gifted learners.

Einstein dropped out and dropped back in several schools to find his own path. He pursued learning.

Ren

Well said, Ren.

After writing professionally as a contributor to local, regional, and national publications, I usually look up the author of articles that intrigue me - as I did this one. Psychology Today: Joseph Cardillo The author doesn't seem to be quite a "just anybody" - although I'm sure his focus of studies would likely skew the article to his point of view.

Thanks for sharing the article - interesting read.

I'll have to say that my own experience with raising three gifted kids - one of them high gifted - is different than the scenario the author describes (kid getting all A's, whipping off a week's homework in a short amount of time) and more like the experiences of the historical students he mentioned (Beethoven being told he was hopeless, Einstein dropping in and out of school, etc.). None of my kids have been motivated by grades (although they could calculate down to the number of problems on a specific math assignment that needed to be completed to pull a C). In fact, my son's were so poor in mid-school (the high gifted child) that I had to fight to get him tested for gifted. I remember the school counselor telling me, "Being placed in gifted should be a reward for exceptional performance. Your son just has behavior problems." I reminded her that gifted was for kids who were not being served by the regular classroom. When she reluctantly authorized the testing, my son qualified in all three exceptionalities.

They weren't overly motivated to please their teachers, either. Last year was the first year in six years I didn't receive almost daily emails from my youngest's teachers telling me of his latest off-beat ideas, comments, or failure to properly complete an assignment as assigned. And not because my son miraculously overcame all his quirks but because he had a seasoned, patient teacher to "got" him and redirected and motivated him in ways no other teacher had.

I'd be curious how many parents have the straight-a-ers and how many are in my boat.

Not there yet with my children, but this was me at school

I think I turned out okay jk