The Gifted Child: Born or Bred? | HudsonWay Immersion School (2024)

Many parents who value academic excellence want to ensure their children have academically rigorous experiences and may search for gifted and talented programs. Are children born gifted? What can we do as parents to nurture a child’s potential for giftedness?

Barbara Clark, author of Parenting Gifted Children, defines giftedness as “an advanced and accelerated development of functions in the brain that allows for more efficient and effective use. Giftedness is not limited to analytical and problem-solving abilities, but also includes softer skills of intuition, leadership, creativity, and empathy.

The research shows that while children are born with the potential to be gifted, the environment and nurture plays an important role in developing those innate abilities. In fact, researchers estimate conservatively that environmental influences can add 20-40 points on measured intelligence. Babies are born with 100-200 billion nerve cells and how those cells are wired and connected in early childhood will show themselves later, in language skills and mathematical skills, the ability to focus or executive function, or in the ability to think rapidly and connect disparate ideas.

Immersion education places children in an environment where the teacher speaks in a second language and has been shown to make children smarter and improve them social emotionally. The language acquisition process creates connections in disparate parts of the brain, as a child is beginning to understand, think, and converse in another language –making their brains superior to that of monolinguals. But this cannot be achieved In an environment with only a few hours of language instruction a week. Full immersion, students spending up to 90% of their time in another language such as Spanish or Mandarin, which is what is offered at HudsonWay Immersion School, has been shown to impact giftedness.

Using the coGAT, a common tool for assessing cognitive ability to identify giftedness in public and private schools, HWIS was able to show that while 64% of students who spent one year at HWIS were average or gifted, 100% of those spending 4+ years at HWIS were above average or gifted. This data supports the research on immersion programs and is one reason parents looking for the best private school options are increasingly considering immersion programs.

The Gifted Child: Born or Bred? | HudsonWay Immersion School (2024)

FAQs

What education is best for gifted child? ›

There is no one right educational trajectory for gifted students. Like all students, gifted individuals benefit from guidance, encouragement, and scaffolding throughout their educational experience to help them succeed with their individual goals.

Are gifted kids born or made? ›

The research shows that while children are born with the potential to be gifted, the environment and nurture plays an important role in developing those innate abilities. In fact, researchers estimate conservatively that environmental influences can add 20-40 points on measured intelligence.

What is the educational approach for gifted children? ›

In theory, there are three ways of educating children who are intellectually and academically more advanced than their peers: (1) acceleration, whereby the gifted child is allowed to learn material at a more rapid pace or is promoted more rapidly through grades; (2) enrichment, whereby the gifted child works through ...

What causes a child to be gifted? ›

THE CAUSES OF GIFTEDNESS

There are two schools of thought: one is genetic and the other is environmental. Here is the simple genetic explanation: Smart people marry smart people and have smart children. Generally, this is true. Occasionally, however, two very smart people will have a very dull child.

What is the IQ cutoff for gifted children? ›

Although there are no standard IQ levels of intellectual giftedness, some experts suggest the following IQ ranges: Mildly gifted: 115 to 129. Moderately gifted: 130 to 144. ighly gifted: 145 to 159.

Should a gifted child be homeschooled? ›

Even popular gifted children with a full social calendar can feel that they lack a true peer who understands them. Just like their advance intellectual needs, many gifted children seek more mature friendships as well. Because of these reasons, homeschooling can sometimes be very liberating for the gifted child.

Does giftedness run in families? ›

And they might also make your gifted child feel they're special only because of their gifts and not because of all their other special and lovable qualities. Advanced natural abilities run in families. If your gifted child has siblings, there's a strong chance that they might be gifted too.

Does giftedness go away? ›

Giftedness has no age limit and does not increase or diminish with age. Giftedness is an inherent trait regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic background or culture.

Is giftedness a form of neurodivergence? ›

“One thing we know about giftedness is that it is quite literally a different brain — it's a piece of neurodivergence,” said psychologist Matt Zakreski, a former gifted kid himself who now works with and consults on the topic of gifted children.

What are the 4 C's of gifted education? ›

These Cs (critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration) set students up for success in today's world. Learning these four skills will go a long way towards helping your child show up as a super student.

How do teachers teach gifted students? ›

Teach interactively.

Emphasis should be on working together in the classroom. Cluster gifted children together as a table within the regular classroom and utilize advanced materials, as well as other suggested resources and modification, to meet their exceptional needs.

How to push gifted students? ›

Let's take a look at a few teaching strategies and best practices!
  1. Treat Students as Individuals. ...
  2. Let Students Explore Their Passions. ...
  3. Infuse Enrichment into Activities. ...
  4. Build in Time for Flexible Learning Groups. ...
  5. Embrace Creative Questioning. ...
  6. Encourage Self-Directed Learning With Your Students.

Are gifted children born or raised? ›

No child is born gifted—only with the potential for giftedness. Although all children have amazing potential, only those who are fortunate enough to have opportunities to develop their talents in an environment that responds to their particular needs will be able to actualize their abilities to high levels.

How rare is a highly gifted child? ›

LEVELS OF GIFTEDNESS
LevelIQ RangePrevalence
Moderately Gifted130 – 1441:44 – 1:1,000
Highly Gifted145 – 1591:1,000 – 1:10,000
Exceptionally Gifted160 – 1791:10,000 – 1:1 million
Profoundly Gifted180+Fewer than 1:1 million
1 more row

What is the major problem of the gifted child? ›

1. Self-esteem issues. Not only do gifted kids have to live with the stigma of being “different,” but their sensitivity can also make them appear vulnerable. In combination, these two factors increase the likelihood of being bullied or rejected by peers, both of which are highly damaging to a child's self-esteem.

What is the best career for gifted children? ›

Good career goals for gifted children with harnessed perfectionism include the medical field, technology creation, aviation or aerospace, engineering, architecture, and the legal profession. All these fields and many more call for attention to detail and high reliance on self-direction.

What is the ideal classroom for gifted students? ›

An ideal classroom for gifted students has supplies to allow students to be creative and explore topics more deeply than in traditional classrooms. Designing, building and testing are important ways to differentiate lessons. Having a flexible classroom gives space to do so.

Why do gifted students need special education? ›

Gifted students often experience intense academic demands, which can lead to an internalized pressure to perform coupled with a fear of failure. This relentless pursuit of excellence can lead to setting unrealistic standards for themselves, anxiety, self-criticism, disillusionment, and procrastination.

What IQ does a child need to be gifted? ›

Although IQ represents only a partial expression of giftedness, according to a purely psychometric view, giftedness is defined by an IQ of 130 or higher, placing gifted individuals at least two standard deviations above the population mean.

Top Articles
Is Your Small Business Profit Margin Good? | Lendio
The Home of Everything Automotive - Car.co.uk
Cranes For Sale in United States| IronPlanet
Is Sam's Club Plus worth it? What to know about the premium warehouse membership before you sign up
Wordscapes Level 6030
Jazmen Jafar Linkedin
Unity Stuck Reload Script Assemblies
Blanchard St Denis Funeral Home Obituaries
Evil Dead Rise Showtimes Near Massena Movieplex
50 Meowbahh Fun Facts: Net Worth, Age, Birthday, Face Reveal, YouTube Earnings, Girlfriend, Doxxed, Discord, Fanart, TikTok, Instagram, Etc
The Powers Below Drop Rate
Unraveling The Mystery: Does Breckie Hill Have A Boyfriend?
Music Archives | Hotel Grand Bach - Hotel GrandBach
Texas (TX) Powerball - Winning Numbers & Results
Winterset Rants And Raves
Wordscape 5832
Sarpian Cat
Craigslist Pets Longview Tx
R/Afkarena
RBT Exam: What to Expect
Tnt Forum Activeboard
Officialmilarosee
*Price Lowered! This weekend ONLY* 2006 VTX1300R, windshield & hard bags, low mi - motorcycles/scooters - by owner -...
Great Clips Grandview Station Marion Reviews
Glover Park Community Garden
Yonkers Results For Tonight
Accuweather Minneapolis Radar
Colonial Executive Park - CRE Consultants
104 Presidential Ct Lafayette La 70503
Strange World Showtimes Near Savoy 16
Albert Einstein Sdn 2023
Walgreens On Bingle And Long Point
Big Boobs Indian Photos
Martins Point Patient Portal
Abga Gestation Calculator
Craigslist Cars And Trucks Mcallen
Rlcraft Toolbelt
Six Flags Employee Pay Stubs
Rvtrader Com Florida
Luciipurrrr_
Breckie Hill Fapello
Best Weapons For Psyker Darktide
Main Street Station Coshocton Menu
Umiami Sorority Rankings
511Pa
Linkbuilding uitbesteden
Promo Code Blackout Bingo 2023
Gas Buddy Il
CrossFit 101
53 Atms Near Me
Osrs Vorkath Combat Achievements
Heisenberg Breaking Bad Wiki
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Jonah Leffler

Last Updated:

Views: 6267

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jonah Leffler

Birthday: 1997-10-27

Address: 8987 Kieth Ports, Luettgenland, CT 54657-9808

Phone: +2611128251586

Job: Mining Supervisor

Hobby: Worldbuilding, Electronics, Amateur radio, Skiing, Cycling, Jogging, Taxidermy

Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.