When you google how to nurture the mind of a gifted child, research, experts, parents, teachers, modern-day geniuses and children all have an opinion. The findings aren’t all the same, but neither is every child, which often leads parents feeling back they are back at square one. The truth is, with a little creativity and understanding you can feed your gifted child’s mind simply by honing in on their everyday activities and looking right outside your door for new ideas. Take a look at a few of the guidelines we recommend to support and stimulate your gifted learner:
INTERACTING
Gifted children are rapid learners and love figuring out how to put things together, according to National Association of Gifted Children. As a parent, you can nurture your gifted child by simply talking and playing together. Partaking in a variety of experiences and exposing your child to new ideas are great forms of stimulation. When your gifted child asks questions, and they will, there are many ways you can respond and foster a life-long love for learning, according to verywellfamily.
GIFTED PROGRAMS
As children age, you often hear how important it is to nurture the whole child by supporting their emotional, social and intellectual needs. For gifted children, it isn’t uncommon for some of their developmental needs to be more advanced than others, according to verywellfamily. Programs designed for gifted children are usually staffed by experienced professionals that not only understand these levels of development, but are able to work alongside your child and other gifted children to nurture and support their interests.
GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
Exposing your gifted child to the right games, toys and activities has a huge advantage. If they’re bored with their current toys or books, try looking for ones that challenge them to learn, think and be creative. There are many take-home games and resources that parents can work on with their gifted children at home. Activities like WordMasters Challenge ™, an analogy-based competition, teaches children to think both analytically and metaphorically by having them practice analogies and compete in competitions against other children across the globe. While this may seem like homework to some, it’s the stimulation, challenge and motivation that many gifted learners enjoy.
As parents, it’s easy to have doubts and questions about whether we’re teaching our children enough and giving them the right tools to succeed. By following these simple guidelines, you can achieve peace of mind knowing your gifted child is getting the support they need to reach their highest potential.
Lisa Lombardi is the President of WordMasters Challenge ™. For more information, please visit the website at https://www.wordmasterschallenge.com/.