Education and Child Matters

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Education For High Ability Or Gifted Children

 

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED CHILD?

According to the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) a high ability child is a gifted individual who demonstrates outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains.

Their ability is well above their peers and age group.

WHAT OTHER NAMES IS A HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED CHILD KNOWN AS?

Other names for a high ability child are high potential child, genius child, child prodigy, boy wonder, girl wonder, phenom, whiz kid, boffin, wonderkid,  Einstein, brainiac, mastermind, brainbox and polymath.

HOW COMMON ARE HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED CHILDREN?

Out of 100 children approximately 3% are high ability children.

WHAT ARE THE EARLY SIGNS THAT MAY INDICATE YOUR CHILD IS HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED?

Gifted children stand out. Whether it be their outstanding achievements or problem solving ability. They always do. There are quite a few signs that may indicate that your child could be gifted. We have listed below some of those signs however, please note gifted children are so diverse that some may exhibit many of the signs below and some just a few:

  1. Your child is unusually excellent at solving problems and puzzles designed for individuals above their age group.
  2. Your child is showing unusual interest in reading books and material for individuals many grades above their age group. 
  3. Your child is showing unusual interest in things and asking lots of intense questions about it.
  4. They can have a high level of curiosity about things.
  5. They can be highly self-aware and socially-aware.
  6. They can have opinions on global issues and politics well above their age group. 
  7. Your child could be understanding of complex situations, problems and events.
  8. Your child can have emotional intelligence well above their age group.
  9. They can have a constant need for mental stimulation.
  10. Your child can learn about a subject or topic in depth and quite rapidly.
  11. They can have a very good memory.
  12. They can have a mature sense of humour.
  13. They can have a wide vocabulary.
  14. They can be sensitive
  15. They have exceptional recalling ability.
  16. A high capacity for empathy.
  17. Excellent communication skills.
  18. They often need to be challenged and get bored very easily. 

Please note – it is not necessary that if your child is gifted they will be a high achiever academically or be getting top grades at school.

WHAT IS THE IQ SCORE OF A HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED CHILD?

IQ is short for intelligence quotient. It is the score of an individual when they do standardised tests designed to ascertain intelligence.

An average person has an IQ score of between 85 and 115.

  • An IQ score of 115 – 129 means your child is bright.
  • An IQ score of 130 – 144 means your child is gifted
  • An IQ score of 145 – 159 means your child is highly gifted
  • An IQ score of 160 – 179 means your child is exceptionally gifted.
  • An IQ score of 180 and higher means your child is profoundly gifted and/or is a genius 

WHAT IS A PROFOUNDLY GIFTED CHILD?

Out of 100 children, approximately 0.1% are a profoundly gifted child. This is a rare child that is extraordinarily gifted such as the can read a full text of play the violin before nursery age.

A profoundly gifted child may score 99.9%  in tests, have a very high IQ and are gifted intellectually. They can also:

  1. Process information very fast
  2. Have the ability to learn things very fast.
  3. They hold themselves to high standards.
  4. They hold others to account.
  5. They find it difficult connecting with their peers and prefer older children or adults. 
  6. They cannot focus on things which do not challenge them.
  7. They master ideas and concepts very quickly.
  8. They ask a lot of questions starting with ‘why’.
  9. They get the bigger picture of ideas, concepts and things.

CAN HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTEDNESS BE MISTAKEN FOR PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOUR?

Yes it can and it is sometimes. A high ability child can get bored very easily. This is also known as them being frustrated at the lack of progress. This can make the child have tantrums, get irritated, exhibit awkward behaviour, and be disruptive. This can be misdiagnosed as ADHD.

A gifted child often has unrealistic expectations of themselves. Perfectionism can lead to anxiety which can be mistaken for anger issues.

A gifted child can come across as argumentative and occasionally manipulative because they have an advanced vocabulary. They can be impatient especially if another individual cannot comprehend what they can. 

Other behaviours that can be exhibited by gifted children are over excitability, agitation, intense emotional behaviour and being highly stressed.

CAN A HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED CHILD EXCEL IN A SINGLE SUBJECT?

Yes they can. It is not always the case that a gifted child is excellent at everything. They can sometimes show mastery and be outstanding at a single subject or topic.

Some children can be verbally gifted, some mathematically gifted, come scientifically gifted, and some gifted in the arts and music.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU FEEL YOUR CHILD IS A HIGH ABILITY CHILD OR IS GIFTED?

The first thing you must do is contact the school where your child is studying and if they agree with your observation, ask them to arrange an educational psychologist to determine your child’s IQ score and perhaps do a few more tests.

If your child is not attending a school and is not on a school register then you can contact your local authority to do the same. They will help you to arrange one. 

WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE YOUR CHILD TESTED?

There are many reasons why you should have your child tested. They are:

  1. Testing will help you understand your child’s learning needs.
  2. You can identify if they are gifted, exceptionally gifted or profoundly gifted.
  3. You will understand their strengths a lot better. These are the areas your child excels in. 
  4. You will understand their weaknesses a lot better. These are the areas your child is deficient in.
  5. You can develop their talent.
  6. Your child may get a seat in a gifted programme that will help them nurture their gift.

FROM WHAT AGE SHOULD YOU HAVE YOUR CHILD TESTED?

It is suggested that a child can be tested for giftedness from the age of 6. 

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED TODDLERS AND NURSERY AGE CHILDREN?

As far as toddlers and nursery age children are concerned, if you feel they are gifted you must focus on keeping them stimulated and feeding their interest. Keep an eye on them and talk to their nursery teachers and primary school teachers about your observations.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TESTS THAT CAN BE DONE TO DETERMINE IF A CHILD IS HIGH ABILITY OR  GIFTED?

There are 2 different tests that can be conducted to determine whether a child is gifted. The school, local authority and the educational psychologist will discuss with you which test is suitable for your child. If you wish your child to enter a programme for gifted children then you will need to have both tests. These tests are:

IQ TEST 

This is a test for ability. There are quite a few IQ tests available to test your child. They are:

  • Otis-Lemmon is a group IQ test. 
  • WISC-IV test is an independent test.
  • Stanford-Binet is an independent test.
  • Weschler is an independent test.

ACHIEVEMENT TEST 

This is a test for what your child already knows. Most gifted children score between 95% – 99% on standardised tests.

CAN YOUR CHILD’S HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTEDNESS CHANGE OVER TIME?

A child’s giftedness is dynamic. This means it can change over a period of time. 

WHAT IS MENSA?

Founded in 1946, Mensa is a non-political organisation based in the UK. It is for people who have a high IQ. Mensa was set up to nurture intelligence for the betterment of society. It will give gifted youngsters a chance to meet other gifted youngsters, attend special events organised by Mensa, access to special interest groups, and receive monthly magazines which will be interesting for individuals with a high IQ.

LINK TO MENSA WEBSITE

CAN A HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED CHILD UNDERACHIEVE IN SCHOOL?

Yes they can and some do. It is known that a profoundly gifted child can be known to do this.  There are many reasons why. We have listed some below:

  1. Many gifted children are not stimulated by high grades
  2. They are not interested in the subject(s) being taught.
  3. The pace of learning is slow.
  4. What is being taught is too easy.
  5. They are not being challenged. 
  6. The child is depressed, bored, frustrated or anxious.
  7. Your child might deliberately underachieve to fit in with their friends. A chance to downplay their abilities.
  8. Improper learning environment.
  9. Teacher centred environment.
  10. The child may want to master a single subject becoming a ‘maths kid’ or a ‘science kid’.
  11. Procrastination pursuit of perfection. 
  12. Abandonment of work in pursuit of perfection. 

HOW TO HELP A HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED CHILD NOT TO UNDERACHIEVE?

There are quite a few things you can do to help a gifted child that is underachieving. They are:

  1. Make an appointment with the school and along with them try and Identify which subjects grab your child’s attention, which teachers stimulate them, what challenges them, and what interests them. Once identified then these things need to be replicated as much as possible, or similar subjects, similar teachers, challenges and interests presented to your child. 
  2. Ban blame from the picture. Do not blame anyone or anything. Try and find a positive solution with no blame.
  3. When your child is underachieving, you must praise them for trying and attempting the task at hand.
  4. Find a suitable education environment for your child. Talk to your child’s school and ask for their help. 
  5. Try and talk to your child that they do not always have to achieve the best, be perfect. This may ease the pressure they put on themselves to achieve. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHILD WHO IS A HIGH ACHIEVER AND A CHILD WHO IS GIFTED?

A high achieving child is one that performs at the top of their class, year group and peers. They are often called bright. They are interested, alert, attentive, observant, they learn with ease, work easily with advanced ideas, complete work on time, do well in exams, and achieve A grades,  

A high achieving child needs 8 repetitions to master something. 

A gifted child is one that performs well above their class, year group and peers. They are curious, selectively engaged, have complex ideas, are a child who already knows, enjoy the company of intellectual peers, are self critical, and only some are motivated by high grades.

A gifted child needs 1 – 3 repetitions to master something. 

WHAT IS HIGH ABILITY OR GIFTED CHILD BURNOUT?

This is when a gifted child becomes exhausted from dealing with the pressure of trying to achieve perfection, being misunderstood, and not adapting to their education environment which they may find unrewarding, repetitive and boring. The long term stress of all of these things will take its toll on your child’s mental health. 

Your child could experience stress from just being labelled ‘gifted’ and the expectations that they think everyone has of them. 

Your child can complain of headaches, digestive issues, anxiety, depression, be withdrawn, unmotivated and suffer from panic attacks. They may overreact to the slightest setback. They may start disliking school or there may be a change in sleeping and eating patterns.

HOW TO STOP BURNOUT OR HELP A CHILD THAT IS SUFFERING FROM IT?

Do not let your child’s high ability or giftedness define them.

Do not constantly speak of your child or remind them they are gifted. Try to talk about other aspects of your child as well, for example, how kind they are, what a lovely smile they have, how helpful they are or how loving they are. Being gifted is a part of them, not all of them. Balance the compliments, being gifted is one of many assets they possess. 

Teach your child how to cope with their issues when they arrive.

From an early age, show and teach your child relaxation techniques, how to meditate and encourage exercise. These will help your child destress and they will learn to handle their issues in a better fashion.

Focus on non-academic things as well.

Yes it is important that your gifted child reach their full potential and their gift should not be wasted. But, take a moment and think they may want to also experience other things in life and their gift isn’t the be all and end all of life. Balance their education with sport, theatre, playtime, and creativity.

Make your child feel there is meaning for them in their education or work.

Explain and show your child that there are reasons and there is meaning behind the education they are studying for. It’s not just because they are gifted and they must study because that’s what gifted children do. Show them that these reasons and meaning is for them, not for you or anyone else. 

Studying may bring them joy or satisfy their appetite for knowledge. Whatever the meaning, it must be theirs.

By showing your child that there is meaning for them to educate you are indirectly telling them you care about them first and their giftedness second. 

To a degree let your child control their study and have an input.

Don’t force subjects, study patterns, timetables, and schedules on your child. Let your child take ownership of their education. You can do this by talking to them, asking them questions and jointly working out a plan of what they want to do, why they want to do it and what is in their best interest. 

This will also show your child that you care about their feelings, you want them to enjoy their education and you want them to educate because they want to not because they are gifted.

Join in and take part, don’t just expect.

Be part of your child’s education journey where they feel you are taking an interest in what they are doing. Ask questions, join in and take part, and sit with them while they study. 

Try and give them what they need if they are bored 

Sometimes gifted child burnout can be because the child is bored, the study is not challenging, it is repetitive, and your child cannot engage. If you feel this is the case, talk to your child about what would challenge them, get their interest, make them engage and stop their boredom. 

Talk to your child’s teachers/the school about how your child feels and what changes can be made. Contact an organisation for gifted children for advice.