The Gifted and Talented Child (continued)

It is important to provide a variety of stimuli and experiences geared to the child's natural interests. In addition to books, toys, stories, puzzles, and games, parents should also provide materials and experiences that encourage the use of imagination, challenge the child's abilities, and encourage the development of perceptual and motor skills. The computer can become a fascinating source of learning. Encourage your child to record his/her ideas in some way, even if the written word is not yet fully developed. Allow ample time for thinking and daydreaming. Assign household tasks that coincide with interests. Encourage your child to translate her/his interests into specific products, e.g., stories, pictures, collections, inventions, tools. Accept and use your child's tendency to see things differently and encourage active rather than passive learning. Play all kinds of word games whenever possible.

Parents should develop the habit of asking the children as many questions as possible. For example, "What would happen if...?" "How does it work?" "How would you change it?" "What else can you do with that?" "Why?" "What will it be like a (week, month, year) from now?"

It is important to remember that gifted and talented children are children first and gifted and talented second. Like all children, they need and respond to love, caring, interest, and guidance from their parents. Sometimes, however, being gifted and talented becomes a burden, especially if their environment does not meet their needs and expectations, or if peers react negatively to their abilities. The gifted child may become insecure, withdraw, or act out frustrations in the form of disruptive behavior. It is not uncommon for gifted and talented children to achieve at levels lower than their capabilities if lack of challenge in school produces disinterest or if giftedness is accompanied by learning disabilities. Meeting these problems will require a cooperative effort between parents, school officials, and, in some cases, a professional counselor.

Gifted and Talented Programs

In addition to public school programs, the following special programs for the highly gifted are available:

Governor's School for the Gifted at Mary Baldwin College

Students are selected from all high schools in Virginia to attend an intensive 4-week summer program of interdisciplinary studies in the arts and sciences. Past topics have included the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and the Idea of the Modern. Virginia residents abroad can inquire about being identified by their schools for this summer program by writing to:

Director of Governor's School for the Gifted
4100 Grace Street
State Department of Education
Richmond, VA 23230
Tel: 804-780-6155
Fax: 804-780-6043

Johns Hopkins Talent Search

The Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth (CTY), which is part of the Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth (IAAY), conducts an annual talent search to identify academically able students. The Search invites students who are in the 7th grade and who have scored at the 97th percentile or above on in-grade standardized tests in either mathematics, verbal, or total test battery to take the SAT I. Students may seek to qualify after the 7th grade, but qualifying scores rise with age from under 13 years up to 17 years. SAT scores are reported to CTY which recognizes ability according to a scale of scores that takes into account the recent "recentering" of SAT results. New applicants taking the SAT I after April 1995 must score at-or-above- 510 on Verbal to qualify for humanities courses and at-or-above 530 on Math plus a combined Math and Verbal of 1040 for math and science courses.

Those who qualify receive eligibility for special academic programs offered by CTY every summer at college campuses on the East and West Coasts of the United States and through cooperative programs in Europe. Students have the opportunity to study challenging liberal arts subject matter and be stimulated by their academic peers. In addition, CTY provides information on other U.S. advanced academic programs and guidance on getting the best pre-college education for able students. A variety of other services are available including newsletters, research findings, and publications and resources to guide parents and students as they plan an appropriate education.