One of the challenges the educational institution faces is how to deal with kids who insist on departing from the average. One side of the problem is, how do you adhere to "no child left behind" without slowing the whole class down to the glacial pace of the slowest student. The other side: what about those who are "gifted"?
Gifted children present challenges of their own, such as:
- It's tempting to "skip" a child a grade, throwing him into a social group above his level of maturity.
- Enrichment programs, tailored to the child, cost money and resources.
- It's often hard to tell the difference between a gifted child and one with ADD. (And indeed, there are some who assert that ADD, ADHD, and similar problems don't exist.)
- Being labeled "gifted" can cause problems. A child who's told he's "gifted" may feel pressure to succeed at everything he does. This results in a sort of perfectionism which causes him to avoid trying anything unless he's sure he will succeed.
No cures here. No quick fixes, either. Some suggestions, and lots of food for thought.
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