The Pivotal Role of Parents in Expanding the World of Young Gifted Children

Abstract

O ne of the greatest joys known to parents of very young children is the wonder in their faces when they encounter something new. A large shaggy dog is every bit as extraordinary as a praying mantis clinging to a leaf. Their determination to touch, feel, and taste whatever they can get their hands on comes from a deeply felt need to be fully in the world. Parents often remark that taking their young children on outings changes their own experience of the world around them. They remember the sense of wonder they had as little children and delight in knowing it never really left them. I mention this because young gifted children begin life already filled with a sense of the large and expansive world at their feet. There are ways that parents can keep the world a wondrous place for their young gifted children and for themselves as well. Between Home and the Outside World: “Gifted Programs” by Parents Parents often ask what they can do for their gifted children now that cutbacks have reduced or eliminated funding for gifted education. I tell them that there is a “gifted program” waiting to happen in their own homes and communities. The most effective way for parents to create larger learning experiences for their young children is by coupling at-home explorations or interests with related activities outside the home. Gifted children discover meaningful links between the dinosaur facts they already know from home to the full-scale skeletons in a field museum. They apply their knowledge of constellations in a winter sky to the local observatory where they can then search for them in the real night sky. But there is a big difference between going to one of these places and actually investigating something there. The latter is inquiry-based, more active, and far more fulfilling for gifted learners. Although not a comprehensive list by any means, here are some options worth pursuing with young gifted children.