Be careful of—even inadvertently—sabotaging your children’s perceptions about themselves, their peers, and their teachers.
Do
Don't
Gifted children need to understand that they control their own destinies: They succeed because they have the skills and put forth effort, and that failures may be attributed to lack of effort.
Even at a very young age, gifted and talented students need to find meaning in their lives.
It’s important that high-ability children understand that they have gifts and talents…but it’s up to them to put forth effort, persevere, and accept challenges to grow.
Gifted children want their voices to be heard.
Authors’ Note Del Siegle, Ph.D., is director of the National Center for Research on Gifted Education, and D. Betsy McCoach, Ph.D., is professor and program coordinator of the Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment program, both at the University of Connecticut. Betsy and Del are married, life partners, and parents of two young gifted and talented children. They have authored numerous books and papers on a multitude of topics, including Motivating Gifted Students: The Practical Strategies Series in Gifted Education, and were recently co-editors of Gifted Child Quarterly.
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Copyright 2017 NAGC. Reprinted with permission of the National Association for Gifted Children http://www.nagc.org. No further reprints are permitted without the consent of NAGC.
This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.
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