Gifted Preschools: Finding a Preschool for Gifted 3 and 4 Year Olds
Gifted preschoolers face some of their toughest struggles when they go off to preschool for the first time. Nurtured at home or in day care previously, the first experienced with organized schooling can be both a blessing and a curse. For gifted preschoolers, that first step in organized learning sets them apart: gifted preschoolers learn quickly that they are different. So do parents. And teachers may struggle when confronted with gifted preschoolers. All of these factors come together when identifying which preschoolers in a given classroom or at home are indeed gifted. This is why a gifted preschool is so important for these three and four year olds: teachers at gifted preschools can differentiate the learning experience.
While many teachers, when parents ask about their child's potential giftedness, may comment "Every child is gifted in some way," true giftedness stands out and cannot be brushed aside in a misguided attempt to be egalitarian--and teachers at gifted preschools know this. It is true that each person has unique abilities and inherently positive traits: it is not true that every preschooler is gifted in the educational sense of the term "gifted." A truly gifted child tests a minimum of one standard deviation above the norm; many psychologists and researchers note that two standard deviations above the norm is more a more appropriate target for labeling a preschooler "gifted."
Tests alone do not tell the whole story, however. Some signs to look for in gifted preschoolers include:
1. Advanced academic ability. Reading early (before age five), doing two-column addition and subtraction, multiplication or division (or even more advanced math) are all signs of gifted preschoolers.
2. Advanced motor skills, both fine and gross. Preschoolers who bike better than their older siblings, who roller skate or ice skate with precision and coordination, or who paint with the control of a child ten years older may be gifted.
3. Verbal and reasoning skills years ahead of their age. Does the four year old ask deep, insightful questions about racism? Can the five year old take apart a radio-and reassemble it properly? What about the three year old who corrects Grandma's grammar?
4. A strong sense of social justice. While many five year old will be focused on learning appropriate social skills, gifted preschoolers may struggle with simpler notions while grappling with larger ones. A gifted four year old may shove another child off playground equipment in what appears to be aggression; a careful teacher will listen to the aggressor as he tells her the child he pushed was cutting in line, and had to stop being unfair to the others. Because gifted preschoolers have advanced thinking but not necessarily advanced coping skills, many precocious children can be labeled "troublemakers" or given diagnoses of ADHD or Asperger Syndrome when in fact they are gifted and struggling with asynchronous development.
Once your child has been identified as a gifted three or four year old, some tips for finding the right gifted preschools include:
1. Contact your local university. Schools such as Columbia University in New York City have preschools for gifted children.
2. Ask around. Your child's current preschool teacher may be able to refer you to a local gifted preschool.
3. Consider Montessori school. In many Montessori classrooms, gifted three and four year olds can work at a six year old or higher level.
4. Google the term "gifted preschools" to find schools in your area.
Published by Lea Barton
Published in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, on websites, and in academic reference guides since 1986, I have more than 2,000 articles, reviews, and columns as part of my portfolio. View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentAlthough I have researched 'gifted childre I still am clueless as to what it really means. My second son (who is 3) is what I call unusual. He has done almost everything very early for his years, He spoke his first sentence just shy of reaching the age 1, He said 'This is my soccer ball", to a lady sitting beside my husband, He walked at 8 months, started reading a age 2, Somehow knew all the names of every car emblem by age 2, can count to 100 by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10 and also count by 100 to a trillion. This is just a very short list. Latest example is he asks me if a compound word is the opposite of a contracting word. His brain just never seems to shut down, More than anything else, it is his wisdom that flabbergasts me, My older son is very bright but seems to lack common sense (hope I am not making that sound bad) but cause and effects, he just does not seem to grasp whereas the little one grasp things way beyond his age, Does that make a child gifted or just unusual?
My daughter is 3 years old and my hunsband and I see what might be signs of a gifted childe. When she was 2 she started having a very vivid imagination and to this day her imagination is becoming more in depth and amazing. Her memory is very impressive, We took her to the zoo when she was 2 and got to feed a girrafe crakers. She will still tell us about it like it happened yesterday. She knows her alaphabet,all colors,all her shapes, and numbers. She is very sensative, my husband was having a bad day he wasn't crying or anything, And my 3 year said to him " It will be ok don't be sad! Every since an early age I have also noticed she seems to strive for perfection in alot of things. When she's doign a puzzle and a peice wont fight right she will get fustrated. She has a very advanced vocabulary for her age!
I'm forwarding this to my sis. Her son just got kicked out a pre-school (I know that sounds horrible), but I really think it may be because he is gifted and has different needs than the other kids. Thanks so much for the info!
he is fond of adult movies that consist of Comedy and Sci-Fi. His favorite movie is Transformers. Also he memorized a book that I read to him only a couple times and loved reading it to anyone and this was when he was 2. Now he can count to 20 he always knew his colors and he can also count by 10's. Most of the things he learned he taught himself. When he was almost a toddler he knew every body part there was. Also he knows all 5 generations and who belongs to who. He's not really into T.V. he loves books. He's really inquisitve. and extremely talkative and notices everything.. EVERYTHING!!!!! I know all children are smart in many ways but is he Gifted?
Many people say that my son who turned 3 in May is very smart for his age. His teachers and my family also friends noticed signs such as asking in depth question We were watching Bridezilla and he knows me and his father my ex-fiance is no longer together and he says" You and daddy are not getting married but you have the ring why don't you give it back ?" and "When are you getting married?" Roman which is my sons name was walking in school but never at home. It was a while until they told me that he has been walking for MONTHS!!!Also when he was an infant he use to pretend to sleep all day and whenever I went in to check on him and he heard me he would smile and look up. He was never sleeping he just didn't want to be bothered with anyone there.He rather hang out with older children but he adjusts very well with all children no matter the age. He was fully potty-trained at an early 2, his vocabulary has over 350 words still counting. He's not really fond of children shows but he is f