How to parent gifted child

Tips for Parenting Gifted Children

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Parenting any child comes with its highs and lows, but when raising a gifted child, the highs might look like Mt. Everest and lows like the Mariana Trench! The joys of parenting gifted children are many, as parents in our Young Scholars program will tell you. You glow with pride when they start an underground newspaper or startle in amazement when they start speaking well ahead of schedule.

However, parents may feel at a loss when dealing with the challenges of raising a gifted child. You may find that your gifted child doesn’t respond well to “conventional wisdom” or that parenting magazines don’t always prepare you to drop your 13-year-old off at a community college class. In this article we review some of the common issues parents of gifted children may encounter with tips and insights to help you along the way!

Challenges while Parenting Gifted Children

Parenting Gifted Children Challenge #1: Gifted Underachievement

Gifted children are a special population with special needs, although they are often not thought of in these terms within the general education system. Many gifted parents worry when their child’s grades slip into Bs and Cs and may be met with the response, “Those grades are passing – it is fine!” from peers or even educators who don’t understand the unique challenge of raising gifted children.

Many gifted children experience a kind of “potential gap” because their abilities are often beyond what the classroom can provide for. Gifted children may become disengaged and start underachieving when they feel the schoolwork is beneath them, or is not connected to real world issues.

What parents may see if their gifted child is underachieving:

• Lack of interest in achieving good grades despite having demonstrated the ability to do well in the past or outside of school, like in an enrichment or distance learning program.
• Children may push back on work that is repetitive or considered meaningless (queue the homework battles!).
• Authority struggles with the teacher in the classroom.

What parents can do:

• See if the schoolwork can be connected to subject areas that the child is passionate about
  • For example, turning the history of the solar system into a game design challenge.
• Replicate strategies or approaches that allowed the child to do well in the past, such as those outlined in Paving the Path to Meaningful Achievement
  • Increase the child’s buy-in through self-advocacy
• As Jim Delisle describes in “Doing Poorly on Purpose: Underachievement and the Quest for Dignity,” put aside the blame-game and get parents, teachers, and children into a dialog about what is working and what is not

Parenting Gifted Children Challenge #2: Underachievement as it Relates to Twice-Exceptional Students

Underachievement may also be present in gifted children who also have a learning difference, disability, or deficit in one area. These children are referred to as twice-exceptional and they tend to be underserved, especially when their challenges mask their gifts. This becomes especially problematic for twice-exceptional children when it comes to gaining access to gifted programs if the teacher or parents aren’t aware of how their challenges might be affecting their ability to perform in certain areas.

What parents may see if underachievement stems from being twice-exceptional:

• A large achievement gap between different subjects, such as getting consistent high marks in math paired with low marks in writing.
• Children may be defensive or avoidant when it comes to completing work in specific subjects, often writing it off as “stupid” or engaging in negative self-talk like “I’m stupid”.
• Children taking hits in their grades for forgetting to turn in assignments, forgetting textbooks at home, being disorganized, engaging in off-task behavior, and/or being late to class.

What parents can do:

• Use a strengths-based approach.
  • For example, let the child demonstrate mastery in a different medium, such as a diorama with an oral presentation in place of a book report.
• Set up an IEP or 504 Plan with the school to make sure the child is getting appropriate accommodations in the classroom.
• Learn about executive functioning (EF) and its important role in helping children initiate tasks, project follow-through, and more. Then, help the child with scaffolding strategies to support the development of EF.

Parenting Gifted Children Challenge #3: Gifted Perfectionism

Perfectionism is a special kind of challenge for gifted children that parents will need to be aware of. Children who have perfectionist tendencies can’t accept mistakes or failures in their work or regular activities. It might mean tearful episodes when a child comes home with an A- or came in third place in the science competition.

Perfectionist children often seem like regular high achievers until the stress and anxiety of perfectionism begins to cause damage to the child’s wellbeing.

What parents may see if their child is a perfectionist:

• Children with perfectionism may experience intense anxiety, feelings of moral failure
• Engage in “catastrophic thinking” if they perceive they are not living up to a certain standard.
• It can also look like procrastination or underachievement.
  • Many perfectionists tend to not initiate any task unless they can do it perfectly the first time around or may not turn in work they find less than perfect.
• Perfectionism might be expressed outwardly by having high to unreasonable standards that they hold others to, including an unhealthy amount of competitiveness, which makes it difficult for them to cooperate with authority figures and peers.

What parents can do:

• Perfectionism is often a self-esteem issue for gifted children. They may hear praises like “You are always the smartest in class,” which can later be a real blow to their confidence if they are struggling with an assignment or subject. Parents need to be cautious about how and what they praise their gifted child for. Healthier options might be “You put so much care into that project” or praising students for their effort and other growth-mindset approaches.
• The pressure to be gifted 24/7 in all walks of life can be very intense for these children, which is why parents should try to remember that these children are children first and gifted second. Make time to connect and do activities that have nothing to do with their college trajectory like a cooking class.
• Perfectionism tends to be accompanied by anxiety and intensity, which is why it is important to practice self-soothing skills with your child when they get upset, such as mindfulness or even a short walk.

We know this has not begun to cover the full scope of gifted parenting challenges. Educational fit in particular is an ongoing struggle for most gifted and twice-exceptional children. Parenting a gifted child means working within an educational system that may not be aware of, or prepared to meet, their needs.

• Understand your child’s learning profile through above-level testing, achievement tests, or intellectual assessments so you know what their strengths are and where they need additional support.
• Do a yearly assessment of the child’s educational environment to determine what is working and what isn’t. Don’t be afraid to try something new! Many of our members have cycled through public, private, homeschooling, and distance educational options.
• Acceleration is your friend.
• Talk to your child about their educational goals and be prepared to advocate on their behalf.
• Provide the opportunity to meet like-minded peers through gifted summer programs or enrichment programs.
• Practice parent self-care! Your child is your world, but they can’t be your whole life 24/7. Making time for yourself can provide perspective and balance, so don’t be afraid to give yourself a break or make special time for you and your partner.

Whatever highs and lows you experience raising your gifted child, it’s probably not exactly what you imagined when you had just become a parent. It might mean that your child’s library is bigger than the school’s library or that you must change schools three times in two years.

That’s okay.

Above all, take the time to connect with your child and let them know that you’ll be there to celebrate the highs and support them through the obstacles.

Resources from this Article:

Parenting Gifted Children

• Tips for Parents: Doing Poorly on Purpose: Underachievement and the Quest for Dignity
• Paving the Path to Meaningful Achievement
• Tips for Parents: Advocacy and Working with Your Child’s School
• Parenting Self-Care 101

Programs

• Gifted Summer Programs
• Enrichment Programs
• IEP or 504 Plan
• Types of Acceleration
• Young Scholars program

Assessment and Testing

• Achievement Tests, or Intellectual Assessments

Twice-Exceptional (2E)

• Executive Functioning (EF)
• Twice Exceptional: Definition, Characteristics & Identification
• A Strengths-Based Approach for Children Who Are Twice-Exceptional

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30 tips for parents of gifted kids from parents of gifted kids

By Maria Blackburn

Sometimes parenting an academically advanced child feels like working on an impossibly hard jigsaw puzzle. You sift through pieces of information to find what best fits your kid, always wondering if the information you need is out of reach.

Advice from parents familiar with this challenge can help solve sections of the puzzle. When Christina R. asked members of the CTY Parents Facebook Group for the best advice they had received or things they wish they had known earlier for parenting their gifted child, members came through with a bevy of helpful tips. Here are 30 of our favorites:

“Gifted kids are not just really bright kids. Their brains work differently and they have different needs. Your child needs the guidance of people who understand that. You have to advocate for them at every step, even with people who are trained to work with gifted kids. Listen to the kids, not the teachers, about whether their needs are being met. Read a couple of books about parenting gifted kids. It’s hard and often lonely. Good luck! — Sarah D.

“A lot of teachers do not ‘get’ gifted kids. You will have some fabulous ones that do–and they will love your kids. You will [have] others that don’t and make sure those teachers do not squeeze the zest for learning and creativity out of your child. Teach your child to behave appropriately, of course, but safeguard their curiosity and ability to think outside the box.” — Debbie W.

“You may need to re-evaluate your child’s education every year or even semester. A school or program that fits one year may not fit the next! We’ve found this to be true.” — Mireya B.

“Do not rely on your public school or private school. Do your own research and talk to other parents and educators in your community. Gather information from multiple resources!” — Mary Kate G.

“If they are truly gifted, provide access to information or things they are interested in — they will go from there. And that may mean new things every 3 weeks–Rubik’s cube in every form, then magic, then butterflies. It’s exhausting. ” — Yvette K.

“When my daughter was in kindergarten, at recess she didn’t want to play with the other kids. She preferred to read or do an art or craft project. The teacher told me that “now” (age 5) was when she would develop lifelong friendships and that kids who didn’t form bonds with other kids often suffer mentally. I reached out to my pediatrician whose first question was ‘Is she happy doing what she is doing?’ The answer was YES! Her very active brain needed that time to disengage from others. She is now 17, a junior in high school and will be the valedictorian. She ‘found her people’ in high school doing activities she loves like theatre and choir, instead of being forced to play kickball like she was in kindergarten. My advice is: guide them but let them lead the way. Offer opportunities to explore all different things but don’t push. Not all kids love sports, not all kids want to be at the center of the crowd.” — Angela L.

“That they are truly ‘special needs’ and that my life as a parent will end up revolving around meeting their exceptional needs. I pictured my youngest getting to full-day kindergarten and me heading back to work. Turns out we had to become homeschoolers (what kind of weirdos homeschool?!?!) and now I’m chauffeuring my 11-year-old to college most days of the week. That is 100% not what I pictured when bringing my babies home from the hospital.” — Britt V.

“The best thing I did was delete a ton of parenting social media groups when my son was 3.

He fits no mold. (And certainly every child is unique.). But he loves things that keyboard warrior parents will assure you kids don’t want to do or can’t do or shouldn’t be made to do.

When I ignored everything and asked him what he wanted to do, he flourished.” — Tracey B.

“Model failure to show them how a person recovers and learns. Laugh a lot.” — Ka J.

“So much is easy for them, they can literally sail through to adulthood without learning how to meet a challenge. One failed task can rock their little worlds and set off an existential crisis. Let them do hard things, let them fail, teach them resilience, and when you see those weaknesses, that’s a great opportunity to put some effort in. It might be math for the kid down the street and it might be social skills for your kid, but don’t just write off a major weakness.” — Anya M.

“No two gifted children or paths are the same. The goal is to learn how to learn, whatever the level that has to be. Find peers. And model failure and provide safe spaces for failure as much as possible.” — Sarah S.

“Don’t let them be in a class where they’re significantly stronger than the rest of the class. Put them with kids of their level.” — Inna K.

“Take care of their heart and their mind will follow. It’s easy to get caught up with their intelligence, but their happiness is just as important.” — Allison L.

“Keep them physically engaged with sports/socializing. Not just academics 24/7.” — Theresa D.

“The goal is to help them become adults–but not too soon. No school will ever meet any child’s needs. Cultivate lots of interests and get out–go to museums, theater, sports. Don’t overlook what’s at your local level–kids don’t care if you do it with them.” — Kristin R.

“Music. Don’t forget to feed a love of music. Our child played violin and one day we stuck a guitar in his hands and they are soul mates.” — Amy B.

“Our family motto is, ‘The smarter they are, the dumber they are.’ You get so used to them being advanced in some things, it comes as a shock how behind they are in others.” — Alina W.

“If I had to do it all over again I would not focus on the academics so soon. I wish I had sent my son to a nature program until he was 10. I would have introduced music earlier. I would have focused more on the love of reading and writing for pleasure and having him keep a daily journal. More art.” — Laura K.

“Don’t force them to do stuff. Introduce them, and those gifted in that area will move ahead on their own. But introduce a LOT of different topics. ” — Stephen C.

“Realize they won’t be gifted when it comes to everything. So don’t push. Mental health is paramount. Gifted children feel a lot of pressure to live up to the moniker.” — Rebecca D.

“It’s not a bad idea to have a good therapist who specializes in working with gifted children. Their minds are always spinning and processing and it can be overwhelming for them. A therapist can also help you with their 504 and IEP or EP (depending) plans for school and advocacy to provide services needed.” — Loren S.

“The pressure doesn’t seem much at the beginning. They learn strategies to mask it. But ultimately the pressure to always perform can become too much. I would have really backed off all the goals/achievements that my child claimed to have wanted. In the end, she wasn’t doing it for herself. It’s a hard road back. — Diana S.

“They don’t know when they’re burnt out, so keep an eye on them and their activities, and scale back as needed.” — Darice F.

Put the pedestal away.

“The best advice: Always praise their efforts, not their achievements. That way they learn that making an effort is more important than the outcome/result. — Tahiya S.

“Don’t make them the center of your world. From what I witnessed, gifted kids treated fairly within the family fend better than the ones that are put on a pedestal. If they receive too much attention growing up, they might be left to keep seeking for the same attention for the rest of their lives.” — Chloé G.

“Focus on expanding horizons in all areas (academic, cultural, artistic, athletic and social) and do your part to help your kid not be an incorrigible jerk. Achievement will come on its own, but learning from and working with others are skills that are required for success as a human. — Carol K.

“Never ever focus on your child’s intelligence or how smart they are, especially when talking to them! Always focus on effort and hard work. If you focus on intelligence, when they fail they will equate the failure to being dumb, get frustrated, and then just stop trying. ” — Jaye S.

“Follow their lead regarding subjects of interest or things to dive deep into. Give them your leadership regarding subjects of life, life skills, and executive function. The first, they know better. The latter, most don’t have a clue, but they’ll need these skills eventually.” — Juliana K.

“Don’t burden them with too much time spent on academics which results in the shrinkage of other important areas of life skills, like physical fitness and mental and social health. Keep unsupervised free play time as a fixed part of their daily schedule and treat it as a sacred time no academic deadline can ever touch.” — Sarira M.

“Help them find their people. (Hint: their people might not be at their school). Don’t give up until you do. It’s a game changer when your child finally finds other kids s/he can relate to.” — Jacqueline R.

Share your best advice. Got a tip about what you wish you had known earlier about parenting your academically advanced child to share with others? Submit it here.

How to raise a gifted child - Lifehacker

October 26, 2018LifeColumn

What you need to know to help a talented child develop abilities and not deprive him of a happy childhood.

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Valeria Obydenkova

Teacher of courses for teachers at Foxford Online School. Coach of the open coaching community "Coaches of the Future".

Who is considered a gifted child?

For each parent, his child is special, and each achievement seems to be something significant, but before the age of three it is too early to talk about talents. But by the age of 4-5, you can already notice certain abilities: if your child is ahead of his peers in any area, then you should take a closer look at his success.

The future Olympic champion may be distinguished by excellent coordination, an opera singer - the ability to accurately reproduce music, an engineer or programmer - a penchant for design, or, conversely, the desire to disassemble any thing in order to understand how it works.

Watch your baby on the playground and at home, ask grandmothers and kindergarten teachers. Children intuitively prefer activities that they do better than others. In psychology, this is called addiction.

At what age and how should abilities be developed?

Talent can lie dormant for quite a long time, especially if the child does not have the opportunity to express himself: a child who has never held paints in his hands is unlikely to become an artist. Therefore, the main task of the parents of a preschooler is not so much to develop abilities as to create an environment for their natural manifestation.

Give your child the opportunity to try himself in different areas.

Travel, go to museums, make crafts, visit circles and sections, but do not insist if the child loses interest in them after a few lessons. The more he tries, the more likely it is that sooner or later there will be an activity that will awaken dormant abilities. Eyes lit up? So you are on the right track!

Don't go too far, though. The nervous system of children is not adapted to the consumption of large amounts of information and may not be able to cope with excessive stress. In this case, you will get the exact opposite effect - a complete loss of interest in any activity.

What is needed to develop abilities?

So, your child has a pronounced ability: for music, drawing, mathematics, sports or any other activity. They are like a gem that needs to be cut. This is what will help to give natural data a decent form.

Methodical and regular

They say that only a quarter of success is talent, and the rest is hard work. You can move little by little, the main thing is to do it constantly: even small steps can lead to big successes over time.

A good teacher

A competent mentor is very important for any child, and especially for a gifted one. This is not easy to find: for example, talented young athletes sometimes have to move to another city or even a country in search of a good coach. But a penchant for mathematics, computer science or languages ​​will not require such sacrifices: even if there are no worthy teachers near you, you can study remotely, via video link. This service is offered by both private teachers and educational projects.

Sensitivity and understanding

Remember that talent should serve the child, and not vice versa. Therefore, focusing on the development of abilities, you should not sacrifice children's feelings and needs. Listen carefully to your child, organize classes according to age, take care of the rest. Be sure to ask your genius - perhaps he himself will tell you how to make classes more interesting, effective and more enjoyable.

What do you need to know about teaching a gifted child?

The life of a talented child almost never fits into the usual scenarios, which means that parents first of all need to work on accepting the “features” of their child, because even the most gifted children need care, support and unconditional parental love.

You have to be prepared for problems with studying at school or, conversely, for the fact that the school curriculum will be too “cramped” for a young genius.

In the first case, do not scold the child for bad grades, it is better to help him understand incomprehensible topics. Show common sense, do not require a thorough knowledge of all subjects: those who sit at the easel for hours are not afraid of triples in mathematics, and the future programmer is quite capable of doing without fives in music.

In the second case, it makes sense to think about individual learning. Many schools, proud of their unique students, go to meet their parents and create personal educational programs, but even if you are refused, it does not matter. Homeschooling is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.

Externship is a way out for athletes who spend a lot of time at the training camp, and for children who make a career in cinema and show business. Remember Harry Potter? Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint had to learn on the set. Yes, and an ordinary child may well study externally, avoiding all the "sides" of full-time school education.

What mistakes should not be made?

Talent and passion is an important part of the life of gifted children, but it should not be the only one. Even the brightest child is just a child who needs to socialize with friends, go for walks, relax, have fun and have a little pampering. If you focus too much on the development of abilities and exclude simple childhood joys, then very soon you can get a complete loss of interest and unwillingness to do what you love.

And one more piece of advice to parents of talented children: respect the abilities of your children, but don't single them out among their peers if you don't want to raise an arrogant arrogant. You should not compare children with each other, it is better to pay attention to the personal progress of the child.

Good luck in raising geniuses!

How to raise a gifted child - advice from psychologists and teachers

November 20 is World Children's Day all over the world. Almost half a century ago, the UN General Assembly recommended that all countries introduce the celebration of World Children's Day as a day of world brotherhood and mutual understanding of children.

Today, much attention is paid to the issues of early development and upbringing of children. Psychologists believe that every healthy child can be potentially gifted. Under favorable conditions that are created for him at school and at home, potential talents develop into real ones.

There are many techniques that develop a child's intelligence, memory and creativity. All of them are aimed at maximizing the potential of the child.

In favor of early development is the fact that in the first years of life, brain cells develop rapidly, and the foundation is laid for the further growth of a person's abilities and qualities. Therefore, it is so important to engage in speech with the child, to help him in mental development.

Mental and spiritual qualities must not be overlooked. If a child is constantly scolded, he will learn to condemn, if he is praised - to evaluate, if insulted - to be guilty. But a friendly atmosphere and approval will give the child a sense of self-importance and need, help him understand how to find and give love.

Games

The upbringing of a little genius must begin with the game. Studies in rats have shown that an active play environment increases brain volume by 25%. The same thing happens with a person. Beautiful, imaginative toys have the same effect on the child. It is extremely important to provide him with free access to them and the opportunity to choose.

The optimal set of toys for a future genius includes paints, plasticine, colored paper, construction kits, balls, a sports corner (wall bars, swings, trampoline), role-playing sets (doll houses for girls, workshops for boys), simple musical instruments, Stuffed Toys. The latter should not be too much, in everything it is worth knowing the measure.

Children also need to be taught how to play. It is important that parents themselves play with their children for several minutes a day. To do this, it is worth delimiting the children's room into zones: play, sports and sensory. It should contain things of different textures, sizes and smells.

Music instead of foreign languages ​​

It is believed that teaching a child foreign languages ​​should be as early as possible. This is not entirely true. Psychologists assure that the optimal age for learning a foreign language comes only after the child speaks confidently in his native language, that is, at 5-7 years old. It has been proven that a child with whom parents speak two languages ​​begins to speak later. This is due to the fact that the brain of the baby is overloaded.

Since a child cannot always understand words and sentences, some psychologists say that it is best to start learning a foreign language from the age of 14. However, there is one little trick here: at a young age, you can lay the foundation for further learning. To do this, it is enough to learn one nursery rhyme with the baby. Then, at the age of 14, the rest of the language system will form its basis.

Another myth of the theory of early development is to show the child cards so that he remembers more. In fact, it would be much more correct to just play hide and seek with the baby. Alternatively, you can study simple cards with already familiar words with your child. Write a description of the item on it. As a result, the baby will replenish vocabulary, and he will quickly master the letter. Numbers will help to learn the game of loto.

Classical music, such as Mozart, stimulates the brain. However, there are some nuances here too. Firstly, you should not constantly exploit the same melody and musical instruments. Secondly, if the parents do not have a hearing, it is better for the child not to sing. This will not help the development of his musical talents.

The main thing is health

It is important to play sports with your child at home and on the street. In general, he must move a lot. This is much more important than learning foreign languages. That is why child psychologists talk about the need for a Swedish wall in the house. Climbing the stairs, the child becomes more confident. This is how leadership qualities are formed in him.

Do not severely restrict your child from watching TV and spending time at the computer. It will be much more correct to correctly allocate time, and give the child time to rest. It is also necessary to take care of the normal lighting of the workplace and proper posture.

In general, when raising a little genius, it is better to overdo it with the methods of early education than not to take care of a child at all. Meanwhile, if there is a choice between an occupation, for example, music and a walk, the latter must be chosen. Still, health is more important.

Methods of early development

Waldorf method

The Waldorf method is part of the anthroposophical teaching, which was created by the Austrian scientist Rudolf Steiner at the beginning of the 20th century. This technique has more opponents than followers. For example, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church spoke quite sharply about this education system.

The Waldorf method does not accept early intellectual development. For example, teaching a child to read and write begins no earlier than ten or twelve years old, when the child's spiritual and emotional world is already developed. A TV and a computer are considered contraindicated, as they can provoke stress or convey unnecessary information.

In Waldorf pedagogy, the emphasis is on the development of the emotional state of the child, his creative abilities. The main occupations according to the Waldorf method are ceramics, embroidery, music, theatrical performances, drama and puppet shows. Preference is given to homemade toys made from natural materials (wood, wool, clay).

Fröbel Method

Friedrich Fröbel - German humanist, teacher, author of the original system of education and training of preschoolers in a team, creator of the first kindergartens. Froebel believed that children express themselves and learn through play. For his kindergarten, he developed a set of games and toys that children received as gifts, such as blocks or balls. Also in the Fröbel kindergarten, children sang songs, played various games or listened to the stories of educators.

Friedrich Fröbel proposed the use of paper folding as a method for teaching children the simple rules of geometry. He advised children to practice origami in order to first understand geometry with their fingers, and then with the mind. In addition, the teacher is known as the author of the puzzle - the so-called "Fröbel blocks". The blocks are a cube and are stacked in a cubic wooden box.

Montessori method

Maria Montessori is a famous Italian teacher. At first, her method was used for the upbringing and education of children who were lagging behind in development for various reasons. But after the results of working with such children were successful, she decided to transfer her method to healthy children.

Maria Montessori believed that every child is naturally smart and talented. Adults should help him discover his potential, teach him to explore the world on his own. To do this, it is necessary to create an environment in which the child will be able and willing to show their individual abilities, develop and learn at their own pace.

The Montessori pedagogical system consists of three parts: the child, the environment, and the teacher. The focus is on the child. In an "immersive" environment, he improves his physical condition, learns to move, feel the world around him, gains knowledge from his own experience. The task of the teacher is to observe the child and create an environment in which the child can develop comprehensively. The principle of Montessori pedagogy: "Help me to do it myself."

According to the Montessori method, development takes place in 5 areas: the field of feelings (development of the sense organs), practical life skills, mathematics, native language, and cosmic education. Space education is a Montessori term, which includes the basics of geography, biology, physics, chemistry. There are Montessori manuals, for example, the well-known "frames and inserts". This is a set of frame-plates, in each of which holes are cut out, closed with a lid-liner of the same shape and size.

Glenn Doman Method

Glen Doman - American pediatrician, founder of the Philadelphia Institute "Better Baby Institute" (BBI), author of a unique method for developing the mental abilities of children of a very young age. By the beginning of the 1960s. through his famous work with mentally retarded children, he organized research to improve the mental growth of normal children. The basis of his methodology is the development of visual and physical abilities from birth.

Doman believes that learning is effective only during the period of brain growth. And the human brain grows up to seven - seven and a half years, but it happens most intensively in the first three years of life. Based on this, he developed his system for kids from 2 to 4 years old. During this period, a child can be taught a lot - from a foreign language to higher mathematics.

The purpose of Doman's methodology, in his own words, is "to give children unlimited opportunities in life. And the realization of this goal will be determined by what the child chooses for himself, who he decides to become, what he will like from a long list of possibilities."

Glen Doman prefers visual experience as a way of knowing the world. He recommends showing children from the first days of life a series of cards from different areas of life, ranging from written words, cards with dots (mathematics) to pictures of plants, animals, etc.

This technique has many opponents. Their arguments are as follows: the technique is very laborious and practically impossible. The child does not participate in the learning process itself. He only perceives information, and his creative and research capabilities do not develop.

Method Cecile Lupan

Cecile Lupan is a Belgian actress. Since 1981, she moved to the USA, where she taught acting. In the same period, when she was a young mother, she got acquainted with the Doman method. Cecile Lupan used her to raise her two daughters. However, she slightly altered this technique, making certain adjustments there.

Cecile Lupan's modified method differs from Glenn Doman's in that the latter observes many children at once, and therefore cannot penetrate into their spiritual world. Cecile Lupan, on the contrary, observes only her children and tries to understand what exactly they need, and gives it to them at the moment when they want it.

Cecile Lupan selects teaching methods more individually and adheres to the following four principles:

1) The best teachers for a child are his parents;

2) Learning is a game that should be stopped before the child gets tired;

3) Never test your child;

4) Curiosity is supported by speed and novelty.