Techniques for Approaching Gifted Children and Reading

We all want our children to be successful and to be considered gifted in life. Reading with our children and helping them to pick appropriate books for their own reading pleasure is essential, no matter what their intellectual ability. For gifted children, however, there is a specific set of considerations that can help these children to achieve. It’s important to understand gifted children and reading suggestions in order to set these children on the right path in their intellectual development.

Understanding the Meaning of Gifted
First, in order to look at gifted children and reading recommendations, we must understand the definition and characteristics of gifted as they relate to reading. According to the ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children (1985), there are three main characteristics of gifted children including their general behavior, their learning and their creativity. Gifted children tend to behave differently from their similarly aged friends in many ways. They generally learn to read very early, even before entering school; they read widely, quickly and have a large vocabulary; and they often work well independently, with extended concentration. This reflects in their learning and creativity in obvious ways. Gifted children are ready to read earlier, more voraciously and with more depth of topic than other children their age. They possess a great deal of creative energy and can understand complex topics and nuance well.

Gifted Children and Reading
With this understanding, it’s important to plan ways to approach gifted children and reading. Gifted children can read books that include a higher cognitive level of thinking, more critical reading, higher level vocabulary, more visualization and a larger spectrum of topics than is usually recommended for their age. In the school environment, they need less regimented reading activities; instead, they need more time to explore their own topic selections, to be challenged with critical thinking, and to be asked to perform multi-sensory tasks with their reading. One of the difficulties with gifted children and reading, however, is that while they can read at a high level, the higher level books aren’t always topic appropriate. There are many places, like this site http://www.just-for-kids.com/gifted.html where you can find great suggestions for appropriate, high level reading books.

How the Home Can Help
There are specific ways that the home environment can meet the reading needs of gifted children. Gifted children should have a vast selection of reading options from which they can choose. The more varied books and magazines that are in the house, the more likely the child will be to read and to select books covering a large range of topics. This selection can be supplemented with frequent trips to the library. Many gifted children prefer to read nonfiction. Bringing them to the library often emphasizes the importance of reading and allows them to pick selections that will meet their interests. Another important tip for gifted children and reading is to continue to read aloud to them. Even children who are competent independent readers love to be read to. This is a wonderful family activity, and one that strengthens their listening skills and develops their vocabulary.

Extra Creative Reading Strategies
There are many ways to create a fun, creative reading environment for gifted children in the home. Send young children to school with a note in their lunch each day. Young readers will love this short message from home and will look forward to reading it each day. Similarly, create reading scavenger hunts as a way to retrieve gifts or to learn about surprises. Give your child a note that has a destination explained on it. They get to the destination to find another note and so on until they reach their final destination. At this destination is their birthday gift, a ticket to a movie for the weekend, or the bathing suit that finally turned up after weeks of looking. This can be done anytime, with any purpose, and is a fun way to keep gifted children engaged and reading.

All children deserve our attention, our time, and our creative ideas to encourage them to enjoy reading. Gifted children are no exception. Finding the right reading materials and strategies for gifted children can make the difference between a frustrated child and one who flourishes and loves to read.