8 mistakes people make with gifted children

Gifted children are very difficult to detect. Very often, they are seen as children with attention problems or who don’t like to study. It is an absolute failure for the education of these little ones because they have different educational needs than the rest of the children. These situations are still ignored and no solution is offered.

A gifted child is bored at school and becomes demotivated if his needs are not met. This leads him to perform poorly and therefore to be classified as a child with learning difficulties. It is important to carry out a correct assessment and detect these children at an early age in order to offer them an education adapted to their abilities.. As at home, it is essential to adapt education to the educational needs of the little one and not to make mistakes that could harm him.

Why do gifted children tend to perform poorly in school?

Gifted children are often called children with high academic achievement, but this is not entirely true. Most of them perform very well in the areas or subjects they like. However, in those that bore them or do not interest them, their performance declines. They often seem to develop an obsession when they immerse themselves in knowing something that interests them, such as work on dinosaurs, animals, math, or the solar system. Here are some explanations for this situation:

• Their pace of learning, compared to the rest of their classmates, is different. For this reason, respect the time of other children their boredom product, demotivation and frustration. They often disconnect from the topic discussed in class.
• The methods used in education are generally the processing of information by repetition and in a sequential way. For gifted children, their processing tends to be more visuospatial. They need to experiment and find out for themselves what they are learning. Instead, the school teaches children information that they then hand over in an exam…and then forget.
• Here is another reason why these children may be underperforming: with little effort, they manage to get very good grades, especially in the first years of primary school. The problem appears when when they arrive at high school: this attitude is no longer enough and that is why their performance declines.

What mistakes are made with gifted children?

Gifted children should be cared for and understood as they deserve. We need to know how to manage their situation and not make mistakes that could harm them. Here are a few :

1. Not letting them be who they are

Many parents, to avoid having their children laughed at because they don’t “fit” into the group, try to make them look like the others. For it, they ask them to change their behavior and copy the interests or the way other children do.

2. Being too demanding or overprotective

This condition of the child can cause some parents to be very demanding about their children’s grades. Also, in many cases, overprotection ends up hurting them.

3. Not providing them with the right environment to develop their abilities

These children have a great intellectual need. They crave knowledge, and if that doesn’t satisfy them, they get bored and frustrated. For it, they should be provided with books on their interests and the activities they enjoy to help them deepen their knowledge. These kids need to keep their minds busy to stay motivated and happy. The role of the family in the education of gifted children is very important for their healthy development.

4. Believing that gifted children know everything

Although gifted children learn very quickly, that does not mean that they know everything. They need people to guide them in their learning and provide answers to their doubts about the worldor what they are trying to learn.

5. Treat them like they’re adults

We must not forget that, although they have a higher IQ than other children of their age, their emotional capacity is equal to that of others. These children may be quick and efficient in their thinking, but they are still learning to manage their emotions: they are not adults and should not be treated as such.

6. Not talking to them or listening to them

These children don’t know everything, only what they know. For this reason, you must listen to them and explain to them that they are different from other children, but that does not make them better or worse than others.

7. Thinking or assuming that their abilities make it easier for them

Having high abilities is not easy: in fact, it’s even quite complicated. In addition, these children face many challenges. Therefore, one should avoid phrases like: “if I had your abilities, I would be the best”.

8. Frequently telling them that they are very intelligent

If parents repeat how great their gifted children are and constantly label them as very gifted or talented, this feeds their pride, as well as the ego of the parents themselves. This can end up creating a narcissistic disorder in the child, who will believe he is superior to others.

Gifted children remain children

We must not forget that gifted children are children. Yes, it is true that they have different skills or abilities from the rest of the children of their age, but that does not make them lose their condition as children. It is important, both at home and at school, that their needs and intellectual demands are met so that they progress and are not frustrated. In this way, their academic performance can improve.