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By Suzanne Day
Many parents are wondering if their child might be gifted, and some need to discover that behind the learning difficulties there might be giftedness. We hope that you will benefit from this introductory article.
The Gifted Developmental Center, directed by Linda Kreger Silverman from Denver, Colorado is the most recognized research centre of its type in the USA. They have successfully used a list of descriptors for nearly 19 years. I am summarizing here the most important traits of third and fourth graders: rapid learning, extensive vocabulary, good memory, good problem solving, thrive on challenge, long attention span, vivid imagination, sensitivity, curiosity, perfectionism, preference for older companions, excellent sense of humour, ability to sight read, interests in books, maturity, and perseverance.
Human brain thinks in two ways
Giftedness is not a straight-A average. Many gifted children and adults are hiding, trying to remain unnoticed because of the fear of being rejected, or misunderstood. Giftedness is mainly a superior ability for abstract reasoning. Human thinks in two ways: verbal conceptualization (with the sounds of words) and nonverbal conceptualization (in pictures). The child who reasons easily with words would be called an auditory-sequential learner. He is often identified as a left brain thinker. The left brain, or dominant hemisphere, is responsible for temporal, sequential and analytic functions. This child would be strong at reasoning abstractly with words. For example, if asked how a fork and a knife are similar, he would easily answer that they are silverware or utensils, in comparison to a child less capable in this ability who would describe each one as a separate entity.
On the other hand, the child who manipulates and constructs complicated Lego structures would have a strong ability to abstract in space without the use of words. We would describe this child as a visual-spatial learner. He is a right brain thinker, using the right hemisphere which specializes with spatial, holistic, and synthetic functions. He is thinking with the picture of concepts or ideas.
The visual-spatial learner
We all use both brain hemispheres, but not with equal facility. Ideally we need both abilities to be an efficient learner. Highly gifted children appear to have unusual facility in integrating sequential and spacial functions, but most seem to naturally favour one or the other mode of learning. Students with stronger discrepancies between the two areas witness learning difficulties, and/or underachievement. Too often, as educators, we concentrate on the disability and forget the talents. The child may be gifted in math, but struggle in reading or writing. This is often the profile of a visual-spatial learner, which is typical of children I evaluate and for this reason I would like to further discuss this type of giftedness.
The visual-spatial learner perceives the interrelatedness of the parts of any situation. He has an ability with puzzles and mazes, has a keen visual memory, exceptional ability in geometry and science, and has a highly developed intuition but may not be able to tell you how he came to the conclusion. This process is many times faster than verbal conceptualization which occurs at about the same speed as speech. In spite of their strengths as visual-spatial thinkers some are underachieving and may present potential weaknesses such as: difficulty with phonics and spelling, poor performance on timed tests, illegible laboured handwriting, may act first and think later, and/or may seem "spacey" and inattentive.
The higher the child's I.Q. the more likely are both visual-spatial abilities and introversion to be present: the child needs extra thinking time before entering into tasks and often needs time to observe others. Introverts gain their energy from themselves and find people very draining. They need their regular time of privacy. The spatial learning style is not well suited to school tasks. They get easily bored with rote memorization, drill, routine, and practice which is more designed for sequential learners. Once they understand the basic concept they are ready to go on to something new.
Usually a visual-spatial learner is good at sequenting but does not like it. However, if the child has several sequential weaknesses he may present behaviour problems. These children do not have a back-up system: they seem to be more volatile because their reactions are not mediated by a clear understanding of consequences. These children may do better in a homeschooling context. The parents would benefit from clear guidance to address some neurodevelopmental based weaknesses and sensory integration, subjects that we cannot cover in this short article.
The homeschooling option for gifted children
These gifted children learn best when they deal with whole systems, abstract relationships, major concepts, and problem solving. They learn best through inductive or discovery techniques, these being the use of manipulatives and unit study approaches. Visual-spatial students should be encouraged to arrive at answers in their own ways, rather than be required to follow a step-by-step approach. Homeschooling, which offers increased flexibility, is particularly suited for the gifted learner since many gifted students are uneven in their abilities. However, many of these children also benefit from the competitive atmosphere of a gifted program in a regular school. These children surely benefit from learning music, performing with their talents, and from being involved in volunteer work in the area of their strength.
In order to clearly identify giftedness, a professional assessment will analyse the intellectual quotient or I.Q. . However, parents are often good judges of their child's tendencies and they should follow their common sense if they cannot afford a professional assessment.
Copyright 2005 Suzanne Day, Neuropsychologist member of l’Ordre des psychologues du Québec
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Resources
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The Gifted Development Center with Dr. Linda Silverman - www.gifteddevelopment.com |
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Kathi Kearney's Homeschooling Gifted Bibliography |
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The Spatial Child 1983, by John Philo Dixon |
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