8 Ways You Can Help Your Gifted Child Become an Achiever

Curiously enough, she would recite made up stories with rhyme and musicality as she sits on the potty; or make a roll call of all US presidents while she played in her room; or scribble complex mathematical equations at an age when she is supposed to be just learning to write her name.

Judging by her prodigious skills, you might have a gifted child right in front of you. For all you know, she could be following in the footsteps of Marie Curie, Blaise Pascal, or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Gifted child defined

So, what exactly is a gifted child?  

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) points to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which defines gifted children as “Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities.”

The stereotypical genius is shy and introverted. Other super smart kids happen to be natural leaders and extroverts.

How to tell if your child is gifted

Understandably, these little Einsteins do not share exactly the same characteristics. Nonetheless, a great many gifted kids show the following attributes:

• Has the ability to focus intently
• Exhibits deep curiosity
• Has a sharp memory
• Can learn a subject matter or a new skill quickly
• Has a broad vocabulary that is unusual for her age
• Has an uncanny ability to solve puzzles and math problems
• Possesses remarkable reading and writing skills at preschool
• Displaying intense feelings
• Asks an unending series of questions
• Figures out abstract and complex matters
• Insightful and thinks logically

For a more comprehensive list of traits and behavioral patterns of gifted children, you may visit the NAGC website.

Supporting your gifted child

In the classroom, specially trained educators nurture a gifted student’s intellectual inclinations and natural abilities.  Beyond the confines of school, the parents are in charge.

Gifted kids have extraordinary abilities and intellect, but this does not necessarily translate to success in their adult lives.  Not a few gifted individuals fall by the wayside due to problems, such as burnout, anger and frustration.

It goes without saying that a gifted child’s success will depend in no small part on the parents’ efforts.  Raising the intellectually gifted is a wonderful thing, but it does come with a ton of responsibilities.

Below are eight things you can do as a parent to help your gifted child become a high achiever:

1.  Encourage book reading at home

Reading great books of literature is an excellent brain exercise.  Research showed that pleasure reading increases blood flow to different areas of the brain.  Reading a wonderful story stimulates the brain and delights the senses.

At home, you can create a family environment that encourages book reading.  This activity is a surefire way to make your gifted child even smarter even as it gives you a great way to spend time with her.

Towards this end, make books ubiquitous and easily accessible to everyone at home.  Place them on shelves and the coffee table, and at your child’s bedside. Be sure to always find time to read a book, and show your child that you find enjoyment in reading as you should.

Alternatively, make regular trips to your local library where you and your whiz kid may spend a few hours reading next to each other.

The great benefits of reading cannot be overstated.  Reading helps improve a child’s concentration and develops her imagination.  It makes her brilliant and highly creative. Kids who are insatiable readers are most likely to achieve academic success.

2.  Be a teacher to your child

You are your child’s first teacher—and lifelong mentor.  Of all the people in her life, you are in the best position to teach her about various matters.  

So grab the opportunity when you have one.  

For instance, if you’re an English major, you may correct her when she makes a mistake in grammar or the proper pronunciation of words, give pointers on spelling, or teach her a vocabulary word once in a while.  

The beautiful thing about this is there is good chance that your child will retain whatever you teach her because you are someone dear to her.  Do you remember those occasions when your own parent gave you mini lectures on things he or she knew only too well? In all likelihood, those knowledge are engraved on your brain.  

3.  Let her pursue activities that make her happy

Many gifted children are prodigies.  They dominate in academics, own the stage in performing arts, and lord it over in the sports department.  All these successes by precocious kids, however, do not necessarily shut the door on unhappiness. Some experts contend that gifted children might be prone to depression, no thanks to such traits as introversion, perfectionism, and elevated sensitivities.

True success is one that is accompanied by happiness.  Your gifted kid can achieve this if she pursues activities that are close to her heart.  Letting her choose her own school activities, electives and organizations is a good first step.

As parent, you should be able to determine which disciplines excite and inspire her. Once identified, do whatever you can to support her in those undertakings.

4.  Free her from the burden of perfectionism

A typical gifted child sets high standards for herself to the point of becoming a perfectionist. Pursuit of perfection, however, is not always a good thing, especially for young children. If you let it consume your child, it could affect her psychological and emotional well-being.

Double-checking one’s homework or project is commendable, but when a child can’t stop reviewing her work to check for errors, it is by no means healthy.  This is where the parent must come in and urge the child to wrap up her work soon, and take a rest or do leisure activities instead. Tell her that her school work need not be perfect.  The important thing is that she has done her best.

5.  Avoid over-scheduling

It’s true that a gifted child will experience boredom if she feels that her school does not offer enough challenge to her mercurial mind.  Parents, however, should exercise caution in planning the child’s activities, making sure that over-scheduling does not happen. In addition, be sure that during her long school day, she gets the chance to unwind and do fun activities.

Make sure that your studious child does not spread herself too thin as she attends to all her schoolwork.  See to it that she is getting enough rest and sleep—which will further sharpen her memory and help her achieve better results in her school exams.

6.  Lecture her on how to overcome failures

There will come a time that a person will experience failure.  It’s a fact of life. Even highly intelligent students, for that matter, will face disappointment.   

Knowing that the people around them expect them to become achievers, many gifted children develop a fear of failure.  They dread being perceived as not good enough. On account of this, it is not unusual for gifted students to experience anxiety prior to an exam.  In the event of a setback, gifted students may suffer from low self-esteem.

You should, therefore, have a conversation with your gifted child on how to rise above a setback if it happens.  You should point out to her that failures are life’s lessons. They make us wiser and all the more capable.

Cases in point: Thomas Edison, J.K. Rowling, and Albert Einstein.  They are among the world’s most successful individuals who had a taste of failure before becoming super-achievers.  Thomas Edison did not impress his teachers as a young student but went on to become one of the greatest inventors in history.  J.K. Rowling’s first “Harry Potter” novel was rejected by a dozen publishers before she became one of the most successful authors of all time.  Albert Einstein was derided as mentally slow as a young child, but later in life he emerged as the most influential physicist of the 20th century.

Tell your child that everybody makes mistakes, and that no matter what happens, you still believe in her.  When she learns how to cope with life’s setbacks, she will mature as a person.

7.  Impose discipline

To successfully raise a highly intelligent kid, it is important to instill discipline.  As a parent, you should make it clear to your child that you have set certain rules aimed at ensuring her well-being.  And she needs to follow those rules.

Be kind but firm.  Reward your child’s good behavior; give some form of punishment when she is being disobedient.  Your child will feel safe and protected if you are strong-willed as many parents are.

8.  Create a school-life balance

Your gifted child might be all too articulate and smart that you sometimes feel like the person in front of you is ten years older than her real age.  Don’t lose sight of the fact she is still a child.

Essentially, one of your main goals as a parent of a gifted child is to let her have a wonderful childhood and enable her to truly experience being a kid while she still is in this fun-filled stage of her life.

In general, people who have had a great childhood are mentally and emotionally strong, self-confident and with good social skills.  Moreover, studies have shown that people who were lavished with love during childhood have remarkable intelligence and memory even as they are less vulnerable to stress.

So how do you make sure that your little genius is having an awesome childhood?

The key is to help her have a healthy school-life balance.  This can be achieved by making sure that she is getting plenty of time for play and enjoyment while she studiously attend to all her schoolwork.  

For instance, if she has been devouring one novel after another for hours on end as she prepares for Battle of the Books, tell her to take a breather, and join the family for some fun activities in the living room or play catch in the backyard.  

Blessing and Challenge

There’s no denying that having a gifted child is both a blessing and a challenge.  As you have realized by now, it’s anything but a walk in the park. Not to worry, though. You have all the tools that you need to make it happen for your fledgling achiever.

Your child’s success in life will depend to a large extent on how dedicated you are in helping her reach her fullest potential.  Not everyone will have a highly intelligent offspring. Consider it an opportunity of a lifetime.