Gifted Education Begins at Home

Think your school district is going to do all the work? Think, again. All the advocacy in the world will never replace what you as a parent can do for your gifted child. And not all educational experiences take place in the classroom!

I often hear that all children are gifted and that may be true. However, not all are academically gifted. These children need to be challenged and classrooms are not always the most ideal place to challenge them. Parents can be the best teachers in the world. They have the experience and the education to open new horizons.

You know your child better than anyone else in the world. Explore, expose, expound! Provide opportunities for intellectual exploration on the Internet, in your community, and through travel. Think in terms of finding the best nearby library, museum, cultural event, and higher educational resource. Expose them to books well above their grade level, a wide variety of music and art forms, and lectures by experts on topics in which they express an interest. Enroll them in classes and programs where they will meet other kids who are gifted.

In the end, it will pay off dividends that cannot be measured monetarily; but you will see a difference!