Being Gifted-The Myths
Being Gifted
There are certain myths and stigmatizations surrounding children who have been identified as gifted. Below, you will find some common myths and the truths surrounding them.
"Gifted Students Don't Need Help; They'll Do Fine On Their Own"
Truth: Gifted students need extra support and guidance from their teachers to challenge and support them in order to fully develop their abilities. If a student is not challenged in their classroom, it can lead to boredom and frustration which can result in low achievement and unhealthy work habits.
"It Never Hurts Gifted Students To Teach Others What They Already Know"
Truth: Sometimes, gifted students are assigned the task of providing remedial assistance to peers in their class. This is faulty logic. Gifted students do not know how to properly "tutor" their peers and often times will feel frustrated that struggling students don't understand what they perceive as easy. Gifted students should be engaged in more advanced work involving higher-level thinking.
"Gifted Students Look "Nerdy" and Read All The Time"
Truth: T.V. shows and media play a large role in stereotyping the "look" of a gifted child. Big glasses, held together by tape, suspenders holding up pants (picture Steven Urkel). Like all other kids, gifted children come in many varieties. Some are successful in sports or music, while others are extremely talented artists. Some are extreme extroverts, while others are more introverted. Also, research indicates that up to 12% of gifted children experience problems in reading.
It Is Extremely Important That Gifted Children Are Treated As Individuals And Have Their Needs Met On An Individual Basis
Resources
National Association For Gifted Children Website: https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/myths-about-gifted-students
ABC Ontario Website: http://www.abcontario.ca/resources-support/understanding-giftedness/myths-stereotypes