Child Genius

myonlysunshine

I think the term 'gifted' is wrong and shouldn't be used to describe children.

All children are special and unique and have different abilities in different areas, describing them as such is putting them on a pedestal in life that they will find hard to shift and could cause them more harm than good in the future.

Lou67

I haven't watched this yet, but I find the whole idea of pushing your supposedly uber-clever and supposedly gifted children into the public eye, absolutely repugnant. I never ever ever discuss how good bad or indifferent my daughter is with her studies and so on. A parent bragging about their little darlings' being gifted and talented is just vile.

SmallL

I always hated with a passion the 'Gifted and talented' label at school.
I wasn't labelled so, but those that were had special meetings and opportunities, they got 'shortlisted' to get extra help to apply for Oxbridge etc.
We were already in a selective school, i didn't see the point in adding another tier!

Lou67

I agree SmallL My daughter was quite good at music and drama and English, and I never understood what the gifted and talented register thing was about, as she never got on it, but several of the pals who were less academic got on. I guess it isn't all about acedemia though. My daughter frequently asked why she wasn't on it, and it made her feel low and insecure.

HALF WAY through her last year, when she was almost SIXTEEN: they suddenly decided to put her on it! She had been very active in the theatre group and had helped write a play, and they put her on the gifted and talented register because of this. But it was in the January, and she left school in the May!

I do hate people being selected as better than others though; it does nothing for the self esteem of the others. Like, I don't even like Mother of the Year awards and stuff like that: somebody being labelled as better than others leaves a bad taste in the mouth,

Madmel

Post deleted

Treevo

SmallL wrote: »

I always hated with a passion the 'Gifted and talented' label at school.
I wasn't labelled so, but those that were had special meetings and opportunities, they got 'shortlisted' to get extra help to apply for Oxbridge etc.
We were already in a selective school, i didn't see the point in adding another tier!

I don't see anything wrong in helping children achieve their potential - regardless of whether is helps the most able students or the least able.

FBaby

I also dont see the point of the register, however, I totally disagree that T and G shouldn't receive some specific attention. They are children with different needs than the 'average' pupil, the main one being exactly what ajsexton describes, learning to actually produce efforts to achieve. This is my only criticism of the education my daughter has currently received. There often seem to be an attitude that because she is so ahead already to the rest of her tutor year, there is nothing else they can or should do. However, it is important to me that she is challenged to her level, not so she can achieve even higher levels, but so that she can learn to cope with facing difficulties and having to work hard to achieve. As ajsexton, at the moment, my DD finds school work very easy, is always finished early without much effort, homework is done in the evening before bedtime, yet always to her teacher's satisfaction, tests are never really revised for. My daughter explained that the issue is not that she already knows everything she is being taught, just that one lesson, one exercise and she has processed it all. She has therefore found groups arranged specifically for G&T children challenging and interesting.

I have never considered my children above others because they are academically gifted. Some have said they don't like the word 'gifted', but to me, that's exactly what it is. She was born with the brain she has and it is a gift, however, no different to a child born with coordination skills above average, or a child born with natural abitilies to perform on stage. As much as I agree that parents can often appear smug when they children achieve high levels at school, I believe there are also parents who are happy to snob those parents/children just because they are high achievers.

FatVonD

Madmel wrote: »

I am not trying to cause offence by describing my student as "the sibling" but I did not want to identify the child further so have tried to be gender-neutral and as non-specific as possible.

I think you have given enough information to identify yourself (and the student!) If you value your job you should maybe consider deleting before the parent (who will no doubt be googling the programme) reads your post!

red_devil

loved it a breath of fresh air better than watching scummy fly on the walls about familys on council estates.

tesuhoha

red_devil wrote: »

loved it a breath of fresh air better than watching scummy fly on the walls about familys on council estates.

Yes, I agree with you there. It was interesting.