Gifted children??

[christie07]

I posted this in the schools section but this board seems more lively.

Im in Brisbane and my 2 and 1/2 year old daughter is showing signs of being gifted. I feel she is ready for school or some kind of educational program, but am at a loss as to what to do now! Anyone been in this situation, please any help is much appreciated. She has been becoming very frustrated with us trying to teach her then same things all the time, and is basically bored of what myself and my husband know. We need some form of help.
Thanks in advance
Christie

[xkwzit]

Hi Christie
I think that children educate themselves, just give them LOTS of different opportunities to learn. By all means have some books and teach them a few things yourself, but also take them OUT, show them animals, grow a vegie patch or take them to the museum (the Qld Art Gallery and Museum often have excellent displays that even a 2 yo can enjoy).

Our daughter seems to learn without us trying *very* hard, so just try to expose her to as many new / different situations as you can. At this stage they are little sponges - picking up all sorts of things (both desired and undesirable!). I think it best to just show them as much as possible - don't think of it as "teaching", and remember "gifted" is a tag that can be difficult to live with.

Best of luck (and enjoy the journey :) )

[demeter05]

Hi Christie,

I have 2 gifted boys, age 3 and 5 and know what you are going through.

I did a lot of home extension work, playgroups, field trips and group classes, but it never seemed to be quite enough and it was exhausting for me.

We enrolled our eldest in a pure play-based program and he was a disciplinary nightmare, presumably due to boredom.

We then found a Montessori school which would take 2.5 yr olds.

We found the Montessori method to really suit the gifted profile of our children. A very rich prepared environment is available which includes practical life skills and "academic" materials (numeracy, literacy, spatial reasoning). The children are allowed to work on what interests them, at their own pace in a multi-age classroom. Plenty of time for unstructured play and socialising is also included. Extension in areas of interest/giftedness is also provided for. Both my boys started in the system when they were 2.5 - 3 yrs old and are really flourishing. Boredom is never an issue.

There are several Montessori pre-schools in Brisbane, and at least one takes children from 2.5 yrs old if they are ready.

You can find out more about Montessori at:
http://www.montessoriqma.com.au/index.htm

You can find more resources about gifted children at:
www.qagtc.org.au

Good luck!

Chris