The Gifted Learner

Tonight was the parents' introduction meeting for the enrichment class Tyler will be in this year. Our school system offers gifted classes within the classroom for students who classify as gifted in math, reading, science, social studies, art, & music. The enrichment class is for those students who test gifted in superior cognitive skills. These kids are actually pulled out of the class room for one day a week and attend a special class with the gifted coordinator. Tyler starts attending these classes on Monday, so we attended an introductory meeting tonight.

I wasn't sure what to expect but once the teacher started talking, I finally felt like I had found a teacher who might actually understand my son! So many of the things she discussed about gifted children described Tyler perfectly, including the behavior problems from being underchallenged with regular class work, not needing much sleep, and having difficulty relating to his peers.

These are characteristics of kids who are gifted in superior cognitive skills:

• Learns rapidly & easily with little repetition
• Reads early
• Asks many questions seeking causes & reasons for things
• Values learning for learning sake, likes to "know" about something
• Adept at analyzing own abilities and limitations
• Knows many things that other children are unaware of
• Takes charge of situations, is poised
• Has diverse, spontaneous and self-directed interests

The following list, though, is the one that really caught my attention. There is no doubt that Tyler falls solidly on the gifted learner side. And when I look at these, I realize that so many times when he's in trouble, it's because of one of these characteristics. This list shows the difference between a bright child and a gifted learner.

Bright Child.........................................Gifted Learner

Knows the answers....................................Asks the questions

Is interested.................................................Is highly curious

Has good ideas............................................Has wild, silly ideas

Works hard..................................................Plays around, yet tests well

Answers the questions..............................Discusses in detail, elaborates

Listens with interest.................................Shows strong feelings and opinions

Learns with ease.......................................Already knows

6-8 repetitions for mastery.....................1-2 repetitions for mastery

Enjoys peers...............................................Prefers adults

Is receptive................................................Is intense

Copies accurately.....................................Creates a new design

Enjoys school.............................................Enjoys learning

Technician..................................................Inventor

Good memorizer.......................................Good guesser

Is alert........................................................Is keenly observant

Is pleased with own learning................Is highly self-critical

I know that was a long list, and most people reading this probably don't care much. But I felt like a weight was lifted tonight. Someone else realizes my son isn't just a "bad" kid who can't get along with kids at recess or sit still in class while the teacher is talking. I know he needs to learn to control himself more, and I knew a lot of these issues were because Tyler processes things differently than others, but tonight I felt like someone else really understood all that and gladly welcomed the challenge of teaching him.