Archive for the ‘Gifted Homeschooling’ Category

Experts note that the population least likely to achieve its potential is the highly gifted. This is hardly a surprise. The public school system is best equipped to deal with the average student, and this may include slightly above or below average. But if your child is highly gifted, as much as the traditional school system can try to give her enrichment beyond what is offered to the other students, it likely won’t be enough to truly help her reach her full potential.

One of the main issues with having highly gifted children in the traditional school system is that even if they receive enrichment, they all receive enrichment on the same level, and that enrichment is again geared towards the average, so that the very advanced kids, those who are years ahead of their peers in terms of their academic ability, will simply not benefit enough, even when placed in an advanced class.

“We must be careful not to lump all gifted students together. There is a wide range of abilities and needs within the group. One size does not fit all” says the author, and we completely agree. even if the school cannot truly support a gifted child’s need, acceleration may give the answer – and if you worry about him being the youngest in his class, he may be able to start taking college classes while still in high school, or to spend most of his time in his grade classroom while being accelerated on just a couple of topics such as math.

Of course, homeschooling is a wonderful solution for highly gifted children and the only way to truly make sure your child learns at his own pace. An added bonus is that a homeschooling program such as WiloStar3D also answers the need of most gifted children for a highly creative, stimulating, visual way of learning. It’s the best way to make sure they not only go through grades at their own pace, but also enjoy learning and are never bored.

“We just couldn’t let her stay in school, they were basically holding her back,” Emma’s parents told me, and I knew exactly what they meant. Gifted children are a wonderful gift – but they also create a challenge for parents and for educators, a challenge that most traditional schools are unable to meet.

While some schools supply gifted children with special programs, mostly in the form of after-school activities, many parents of gifted kids feel that for their child, sitting there for six hours each day learning in a pace that is excruciatingly slow for her just won’t cut it. For the gifted child too, having to sit in a traditional classroom is often torture. They often become so bored, that they begin to act out, which causes them to be labeled as “difficult children.”

One option is to see if there are any special schools for gifted children in your area. Another option is to homeschool your gifted child. Homeschooling is wonderful for gifted children because it allows them to work at their own pace – usually much faster than average kids – and to focus on the areas that are of the most interest to them.

For example, if your child is gifted in math, homeschooling will enable him to spend more time on math and to advance as fast as he is willing and able to advance. He will never be held back becuase other children have yet to grasp a concept that he has understood ages ago.

A 3D online homeschooling program with a strong technology focus is especially exciting for most gifted students, since many of them are very interested in technology.

Having a gifted child is certainly a blessing, but it is also challenging. Gifted children are demanding. They crave lots of stimulation and are easily bored. It is a real struggle to keep them challenged, since they learn and grasp new concepts so quickly.

Generally speaking, traditional schools are not doing a very good job when it comes to keeping gifted children engaged. The passive, teacher-led atmosphere and the relatively slow pace, designed to accommodate the average students, are very hard on gifted students and are often causing them to rebel and to be labeled as problem students. This really isn’t fair, because if the same student had received proper stimulation, she would have been labeled as an exemplary student.

Online homeschooling in general, and 3D online homeschooling in particular, are an excellent learning method for gifted students. Homeschooling can be adjusted to the needs of the specific students and allows students to work at their own pace, which solves the issue of boredom.

3D online homeschooling is especially suited for gifted children. WiloStar3D’s learning methodology is based on the theory of Constructivist Learning, a learning theory which encourages and accepts student autonomy and initiative. Under this theory, students construct meaning by doing. They are never expected to be passive learners – on the contrary, they are encouraged to be active, creative and to interact with other students.

3D immersive education enables students to take responsibility for their own learning and become problem solvers and, perhaps more importantly, problem finders. This is a great way to channel gifted students’ natural curiosity and their constant need for new challenges.