Happy, High Achieving, Or Gifted Child – What Is Your Desire?

There seems to be an inner longing from parents to not only have happy, but also high achieving children. They must be able to perform well both academically and socially.

Identification of gifted students is clouded when concerned adults misinterpret high achievement as giftedness. High-achieving students are noticed for their on-time, neat, well-developed, and correct learning products.

Adults comment on these students' consistent high grades and note how well they acclimate to class procedures and discussions. Some adults assume these students are gifted because their school-appropriate behaviours and products surface above the typical responses of grade-level students. But does this necessarily portray the correct picture?

Some educators with expertise in gifted education are frustrated trying to help other educators and parents understand that is imprtant to be academically astute and fully integrated with your social circle.

While high achievers are valuable participants whose high-level modeling is welcomed in classes, they also have a different learning and social interaction style. In situations in which they are respected and encouraged, gifted students' thinking has more diverse perceptions than is typical of their other peers.

To articulate the above differences to educators and parents can sometimes be a challenge. What must be remembered though, is that they are still children after all. Maybe we as parents should just ensure that they grow up to enjoy themselves and become happy kids for life.

For additional reading on children's abilities and attributes, please go to;

===> http://tinyurl.com/happykids4life


Gerard.