THE GIFTED CHILD

A gifted child in the family is a great joy and may be born in any family: rich or poor, urban or rural, educated or illiterate. In some children, mental abilities are just above average but there are special abilities or aptitude-unlearned abilities which become apparent very early in life aptitudes can be mechanical, musical, literary, numerical and artistic. The child with a special aptitude for something takes to that activity like a fish to water. Any small opportunity is enough for its expression and the picks up the skills quickly and effortlessly. Another type of giftedness is superior mental ability or intelligence. Such a child needs as much or even a little more attention than the normal child. He can grasp everything very easily and is always on the look out for new things. His mental ability needs to be nurtured. Directed and encouraged It is a great responsibility for parents to provide optimum opportunities and training to a gifted child. It is a pity that we do not have proper schools for the gifted. Almost all schools are geared for average children, and there are schools for all kinds of deprived children. Gifted children often have to fend for themselves. Sometimes they are neglected as parents and teachers assume that they don’t need any help. Gifted children require challenging tasks and schools rarely provide them. So schoolwork becomes boring. By not encouraging his initiative and abilities you may destroy the child’s desire to excel. He may become satisfied with just ‘getting on’. Due to lack of economic support, many gifted children never achieve their full potential. Superior intelligence is not enough to gain recognition and achieve success.