How to nurture a talented child
Very nice new article in Nature covering the work of ISIR leaders Camilla Benbow, David Lubinski, and others, and what inspired professor Julian Stanley to give brilliant but bored 12-year-old named Joseph Bates the SAT college-admissions exam, normally taken by university-bound 16- to 18-year-olds in the United States.
The 12 year old scored at a level that would guarantee admission to Johns Hopkins, prompting 45 years (and counting) of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) and transforming how gifted children are identified and supported by the US education system.
Read more in this compact 3 page Nature overview (pdf for non-university folk here).
Meanwhile for parents and teachers, some tips from ISIR member Professor Camilla Benbow, Vanderbilt dean of education and human development, and other talent-development researchers on encouraging achievement and happiness in smart children.
● Expose children to diverse experiences. ● When a child exhibits strong interests or talents, provide opportunities to develop them.
● Support both intellectual and emotional needs.
● Help children to develop a ‘growth mindset’ by praising effort, not ability.
● Encourage children to take intellectual risks and to be open to failures that help them learn.
● Beware of labels: being identified as gifted can be an emotional burden.
● Work with teachers to meet your child’s needs. Smart students often need more- challenging material, extra support or the freedom to learn at their own pace.
● Have your child’s abilities tested. This can support a parent’s arguments for more-advanced work, and can reveal issues such as dyslexia, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, or social and emotional challenges.
The 12 year old scored at a level that would guarantee admission to Johns Hopkins, prompting 45 years (and counting) of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) and transforming how gifted children are identified and supported by the US education system.
Read more in this compact 3 page Nature overview (pdf for non-university folk here).
Meanwhile for parents and teachers, some tips from ISIR member Professor Camilla Benbow, Vanderbilt dean of education and human development, and other talent-development researchers on encouraging achievement and happiness in smart children.
● Expose children to diverse experiences. ● When a child exhibits strong interests or talents, provide opportunities to develop them.
● Support both intellectual and emotional needs.
● Help children to develop a ‘growth mindset’ by praising effort, not ability.
● Encourage children to take intellectual risks and to be open to failures that help them learn.
● Beware of labels: being identified as gifted can be an emotional burden.
● Work with teachers to meet your child’s needs. Smart students often need more- challenging material, extra support or the freedom to learn at their own pace.
● Have your child’s abilities tested. This can support a parent’s arguments for more-advanced work, and can reveal issues such as dyslexia, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, or social and emotional challenges.