728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Your Children › Gifted, But Different

Gifted, But Different

How to Parent a Gifted Child

By Anne Leverette-Sanderlin

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

The parent who thinks their child may be gifted must decide if their child should be tested or not. "I suspected that my son might be gifted when he started reading at the age of 3," says Regina Hubbard, a first grade teacher and mother. "Here we had a child reading and yet he'd get mad and punch his older sister in the stomach when she took away his favorite toys. I didn't want to look like any of the pushy parents I've dealt with as a first grade teacher myself."

Hubbard and her husband had their son tested by a psychologist certified to administer various tests. "We decided to have him tested," she says. "I knew that many school programs put a child in a program that goes with their weaknesses rather than strengths."

Today their 3-year-old son is now a 23-year-old man and a college graduate working in the forestry industry. "For us it was the right choice," says Hubbard. "I really had to think long and hard about having him tested and push for programs geared to his advanced intellectual development. We always remembered that despite his intellectual level he was at the same level of social and physical development as other children his age."

At What Age Should They Be Tested?
Culyer and other educators agree that the age of 4 is the best time to test a child. "When testing a preschooler, the Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) is given," says Culyer. "It gives us a base to start with. Parents need to remember that children develop at their own rate. Gifted children experience peaks in learning. Once again the presence of talking early may signal giftedness, but the absence doesn't mean that it isn't there either. It is the parent's decision to have the child tested before they start preschool. If the child is gifted, I advise them to be sure that the child doesn't become lazy and should remain challenged."

Most of all, a parent needs to be aware of the vast gap that gifted children like Hubbard's son experienced. "At the age of 4 he could tell you all about the root system of a tree and become frustrated because he had trouble learning to tie his shoes," says Hubbard.

Pages:  1  2  3  4  


Want to see more?