Most people believe that it鈥檚 easy to identify highly gifted students. They鈥檙e the ones walking out of awards ceremonies with an assortment of metals around their necks. They go to prestigious schools designed for overachievers with exceptional talent. You hear about them winning awards, read their creative masterpieces in legitimate publications and witness their above-average performances on stage.
It鈥檚 true that many gifted kids and teenagers find their way into the limelight even if only in their local communities. What many don鈥檛 realize is that there are some highly gifted students who may never receive the accolades that they deserve. These students are the gifted underachievers. While they have qualities associated with gifted students, their academic performance doesn鈥檛 reflect their full potential. They may act up in class and receive low grades even though they are incredibly smart. They may even fail tests on material that they know well.
What Causes Underachievement?
It鈥檚 easy to assume that a highly gifted student will earn high grades and stand out by nature, but that鈥檚 not the case. Many of the most successful gifted students have developed exceptional skills through nurturing, structured home environments and attention from teachers who recognize their abilities. Unfortunately, some gifted children don鈥檛 come from the most nurturing home environments and aren鈥檛 easily recognized in crowded public schools.
Some students lose track of their homework and remain severely unorganized at school because they鈥檙e busy learning about topics of interest outside of school. It takes incredible effort from hands-on parents to keep highly gifted students听on task with their schoolwork, which they may find boring and painfully repetitive. Finally, some gifted underachievers are suffering from undiagnosed learning disorders or have medical problems that receive more attention than their gifted potential.
How to Help听Highly Gifted Students Achieve Their Best
罢丑别听听recommends that parents provide ample opportunities for children to explore their interests and build self-confidence outside of school while listening closely when a child asks questions or gives their opinion. They also note that gifted underachievers may need a change in their current learning environment because every student has unique needs that allow their gifted abilities to shine.
If you know a gifted child who is currently underachieving, you may also consider these suggestions for intervention:
- If they are bored with schoolwork that is below their true ability, take steps to get them into a gifted educational program that will provide more challenging work. If admission into a gifted school isn鈥檛 possible, consider alternatives like skipping grades or placement in advanced study programs within the current school. Home-based advanced studies may help as well.
- Demonstrate the importance of school performance for the child鈥檚 future. Many students simply don鈥檛 see school as a valuable pursuit.
- Create a parent-teacher alliance to monitor the child鈥檚 performance, identify destructive patterns and work together on goal setting and achievement. Sometimes all it takes is more active attention from key adult figures.
- Reward the child for improvements and small achievements rather than reserving praise for big successes.
- Consider any听听that may encourage the child to under perform on purpose or due to anxiety.
Finally, it helps to discuss the issue with highly gifted students听and listen closely to their answers. Try asking about their favorite subjects and what they like about each teacher鈥檚 classroom system. You may pick up on environmental issues that are holding the child back from their full potential.
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