Gifted children show their hidden talents in all manner of ways, not all of which can be captured on simple pen and paper tests. A child can be gifted and talented right there under our noses. But unless you can read the signs the danger is their gift could remain hidden, slipping through the net and under the radar at school.
Einstein once said, ‘Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.’ He was talking about the limits of mathematics to capture fully the mysteries of the cosmos. The same can be said of the limits of tests to reveal gifted and talented children's true abilities.
A low boredom threshold, quick wit, tendency for day dreaming, being outspoken or quiet, having lots of imagination and sometimes seeming to lack focus, are all things which cannot be captured on tests. They might even be misconstrued as bad behaviour at school. Yet these are all important signs that a child may be gifted and talented in one or more areas.
Before any child can start realising their gifts, they first have to have them spotted and understood. Imagine for a minute, a young, strong silver stallion; nostrils flaring, mane flying as it gallops furiously around its paddock. To the untrained eye the horse is wild; to the expert, they just spotted the next Grand National champion.
To help you get the inside track on how to spot your child’s hidden gifts and talents, here is a list to get you started. Once you know where to look and how to read the signs, you and your child will find you have even more to celebrate about.
The Turbo-Chatterbox
On a flight from New York to Delhi this child has no problem chatting – all the way. They only really ever stop talking when they are sound asleep, and even then they may natter in their sleep!
Chatterboxes are gifted verbal communicators, thinking at high speed. Treasure and nurture this fabulous gift and they will excel in any field requiring superb communication. From brilliant barrister, actor, TV presenter, to United Nations negotiator, Turbo Chatterbox is the person to excel.
The Young Tycoon
When they started school, they didn’t spend their pocket money; they turned it into a bank and traded the contents of their lunch box. They focus on the big picture: how to win a competition or solve a problem. Less exciting to them are small details like doing homework neatly.
Take their business ideas seriously; you have the next Richard Branson or Anita Roddick on the school run – it’s all great practice for life in their chauffeur driven Bentley.
The Fairy-Tale Teller
From being knee high to a grasshopper, they have always loved making stories up. They often present you with their little book, poem, or new word they found.
Always listen intently and value their gift. When they experiment with new big words they can’t yet spell, praise them. Save all their stories, and you could have the next CS Lewis or JK Rowling in your midst.
The Great Entertainer
For this child being in the limelight comes naturally, they have a knack of being the heart and soul of the party, even if that happens to be the literacy hour at school! Pity the teacher, for this child knows exactly what to say or do to get the class rolling around with laughter. And of course their timing is perfect. Dependant upon the teacher, report cards will come back ‘class clown’ to ‘outgoing personality’.
Combine this with a gift for singing, dancing, acting, music or all of these, and you have the next Mick Jagger, Sandra Bullock or Richard Gere sitting at the breakfast bar.
The Visionary
They tune out for hours day dreaming and doodling, they appear to be in their own little world. Think Da Vinci or the aviator Howard Hughes and you would be on the right track. Visionaries don’t know any boundaries or limits to possibilities; that is their gift. Practicalities are not their concern. Their focus is on ideas that will take us all forwards, onwards and upwards.
Let them dream and you have a future innovator in almost any field from high fashion, revolutionary car design, to film making moghul.
The Bossy Boots
On their first day at kindergarten they re-arranged the Wendy House and the rest of the class. On reflection, their teacher made the changes permanent, because bossy boots was right. Bossy boots have an innate sense of what works and how to organise people to get the best results. Without fear, they will step in to sort any problems out. This isn’t bossiness. It is the gift of leadership. Think Elizabeth I in the Golden Age, the next Prime Minister, CEO of a massive corporation, or world champion for Human Rights, and they are on their way to success.
Taken from Make Your Child Brilliant by Bernadette Tynan, international best selling author and expert in gifted children, published by Quadrille £14.99 and out now.
