Need help understanding my gifted child

[Mukaziwanga]

DS2 is 5, 6 in April. We are fairly relaxed and a bit Charlotte Masony, so I've done little formal education with him. We've done a bit of RSM and he reads fairly well (ORT level 7, Arnold Lobel easy for him). We've done no formal reading instruction other than a few sight word flashcards (literally 2 minutes a few times a week for a few weeks). He started reading on his own a couple weeks after his 4th birthday.

 

DD is 3, 4 next month. Reads Frog and Toad like a BOSS. I read my 5 yo a bedtime story the other night and she picked I up and read it to herself afterwards, perfectly. She is clearly advanced and reminds me a lot of myself as a child. I 'get' her. But it has been dawning on me that my 5 year old is quite gifted in his own way but because he is so different to me I haven't fully recognised this. Actually, he picked up reading much earlier and easier than my eldest (I put this down to being the second child and the fact that he never went to school so never developed confidence issues like my eldest did, which I'm sure is partly the reason). He started decomposing numbers on his own months before I started him on a math curriculum. He is also very intense and emotional, with difficult behaviour at times so I guess I have been more focused on meeting his emotional needs. He is very curious. This afternoon in the space of 20 seconds he asked me why do hoovers suck things up, how are airplanes made and what is metal made of...shortly followed by how does electricity work. I am becoming aware that he probably needs a bit more learning support than what I've up to now been offering, or that I at least need to be better prepared in the near future. I suppose I am looking for guidance on how to approach this type of learner. I feel confident with my daughter because she is so much like me, but would love to hear from parents with kids more like my son. Understanding the behaviours, emotions, etc., plus supporting the insatiable curiosity. (He's like the elephant's child! Lol) Thanks. Experiences and resources for further reading welcome.

[rubyslippers]

I have a 5th grader who sounds a little like your DS.  Over the years, I have found it is really important to keep her mind active.  She began embroidering when she was 4, knitting and crocheting a few months later, baking by about age 6.  Even now, she always has a crocheting project going and I have christened Monday afternoon her baking day.  She has always loved history and has read countless books about varying historical events. She finishes her schoolwork early and strikes out on her various hobbies and interests.  She has sold bath bombs, written stories and small books, baked breads and cakes, crocheted and knitted many things, read more about World War II than I probably ever will in my lifetime, and the list goes on.

 

All this is to say - teach him to do many things to keep his mind active.  If you run out of things to teach him, call in for reinforcements.  I have found that a bright, idle mind breeds a little bit of depression and anxiety and whatever else goes along with giftedness.  We all are a little mad (so says Lewis Carroll), it just manifests differently in some minds than in others.  Gifted kids fight their own demons in a way much different from those around them. Maybe because they are just more aware of their existence.  

[mom of 2 boys]

My 5 year old's behavior improved a bit when he was finally able to start getting some of the intellectual stimulation that he craves. He's really enjoying the DK "How things work Encyclopedia" along with the Thames and Kosmos "intro to engineering" kit, if that helps at all. We've had a lot of luck with Snap Circuits, a beginners microscope, and we got him a Chromebook so that he can have access to various educational websites whenever he wants. Oh, he also loves the DK Picturepedia. Hope that helps! 

[Jackie]

We're still figuring out some of the emotional intensities with 6yo DD, so I don't know that I'm much help there.

 

For the insatiable curiosity, I've loaded her up with resources. Some of the most useful/successful have been:

- magazine subscriptions: Highlights, Ranger Rick, and a pile of the options from the Cricket magazine company, both at her age range and above

- BrainPop subscription (BrainPop Jr was outgrown very quickly, but the regular version still holds her attention well)

- library books. In addition to simply keeping the book bin full, when she asks a question I don't know the answer to, I offer to pop online long enough to find and reserve a book for her.

- physical activity. She needs both her body and her brain worn out in order to get a decent night's sleep, which in turn is necessary for any shot at emotional regulation. She's in gymnastic, dance, whatever we can find and afford.

- art supplies. I don't know that this really helps with the insatiable curiosity, but it keeps her busy, sometimes for hours at a time. It might not be art for your kid, maybe Legos, Snap Circuits, marble runs, music...

[Mukaziwanga]

Thanks for your replies. Yes, I think loading him up on resources of interest is a good idea. He's currently fanatical about deadly reptiles and carries his library book around the house. I'm thinking of getting him a BBC animal documentary series he keeps asking about.

We have snap circuits but it's his brother's and he's not been allowed it, though he's always wanted to play - I often struggle with whether to buy educational toys for a particular child for this very reason...He does do Lego, playmags, marble run, Camelot jr, etc. Art is an area we could do a bit more with, he loves it and is very creative, musical too.

 

Today he read the tale of Peter rabbit, the original, so I think his reading ability is a bit further than I'd realised too. I probably need to challenge him a bit more, it just hadn't been on my radar.