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HOME > GENERAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES > GIFTED CHILDREN
As the parent, guardian or concerned adult in a gifted child's life, you can do
much to nurture and protect that child's intellect and imagination, while helping
him or her find chances for academic and social success. Raising a gifted child
can be an exciting challenge. Gifted children have special needs, and Florida is
committed to meeting those needs. Currently, a child must be enrolled in public
school to be eligible for Florida's special programs for gifted children.
A commonly accepted definition of a gifted child is one who develops cognitively
at a higher rate than he or she develops physically or emotionally. Higher cognition
means that gifted children often have an inner awareness and feelings that are quite
different from those of their peers. Gifted children can take in information they
may not be emotionally ready to handle; they tend to experience life with greater
intensity, to have more advanced play interests, and to be academically ahead of
their peers.
Early recognition of giftedness is an important part of structuring a child's
education to maximize his or her chances for success. Early signs of giftedness include:
- unusual alertness in infancy
- less need for sleep in infancy
- long attention span
- high activity level
- intense reactions to noise, pain, frustration
- advanced progression through the developmental milestones
- extraordinary memory
- enjoyment and speed of learning
- early and extensive language development
- fascination with books
- curiosity
- excellent sense of humor
- abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills
- vivid imagination (e.g., imaginary companions)
- sensitivity and compassion
If you wonder whether the child in your life may be gifted, speak to his or her
teacher or school counselor about having the child tested. If you already know that
your child is gifted, you will find some tips below to help you help your child.
- Spend time with the child. Adults
who spend time with gifted children get in tune with the
children's interests and can respond by offering suitable
opportunities for learning.
- Read to the child even though he or
she may be an avid reader. Reading aloud to one another
creates emotional closeness and also creates opportunities
for communication and discussion.
- Help the child discover his or her
own personal interests and goals through exposure to a
variety of activities. Commonly, gifted students set higher
goals and expectations for themselves than adults do for
them. It is important to nurture the child's interests
without pushing too hard or too fast. Provide opportunities
for your child to continue learning, but respect his or her
need to take a break or vary interests or hobbies.
- Provide accurate information to the
school about your child's strengths and needs. Is your child
globally gifted (strong in all areas) or gifted in specific
areas (e.g., math, science, leadership, art, etc.)? Share
examples of his or her work to support your observations. In
what kind of environment does your child work best? Does a
structured environment or flexible environment support your
child's achievement?
- Be an active participant in all
meetings regarding the child, especially the Individual
Educational Plan (IEP) or Educational Plan (EP) meeting. At
this meeting, the IEP/EP team will discuss a student's
present levels of performance, set goals and objectives, and
identify services the student needs to meet those
objectives. Parents are significant members of this team;
you know your child best.
- Be informed about gifted education.
It is important to be familiar with options your child's
school may provide to gifted students. The IEP/EP team will
discuss service options, such as differentiated curriculum,
curriculum compacting, acceleration, and enrichment, and the
service setting, such as the general classroom or a resource
room.
- Know your rights and
responsibilities. As the parent or guardian of a child with
an exceptionality, you have specific rights in the state of
Florida. A document fully explaining your procedural
safeguard rights will be provided to you by the school
district when you give your consent for an initial
evaluation or placement.
You may also want to follow these links to sites specifically about gifted
children:
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