I was struck today by some of educational psychologist Deborah Ruf’s comments regarding problems common to gifted children. Here are a few of the points I found salient:
“Many intellectually gifted children do not fit in and are seen by others as behavior problems or even by themselves as faulty. When the work in school is below what gifted children are capable of doing, they can’t show effort - so they often lose ‘points’ in the eyes of their teachers. For a child who is gifted in America, it means that school can be one confusing trial after another until high school or college. Gifted children often wonder, ‘Why am I here? What point am I missing?’”
“It is difficult to convince educators or the general public about the needs of gifted children because gifted children score high on achievement tests even when they learn little or nothing in school. Few people understand the emotional and attitudinal toll that the typical schooling takes on these children. Finally, most gifted children are simply not an easily and demonstrably pitiable group. They seem to be getting along without major problems. They often donââ¬â¢t show how bored or dissatisfied they are. It is hard to compete for educational attention under such circumstances.”
“The majority of children - children closer to average and typical in their intellect - fit the schools. Schools are not generally a painful or confusing place for them. [!] Parents of gifted children are not asking for appropriate pace and instruction for their children so that they can win contests, beat others, and get into fancy colleges. They want their children to find friends, continue to be motivated to learn and do well, and to feel as though they belong here on this earth along with everyone else.”
Posted by Marie Gryphon on August 2, 2005