Any parents of gifted children here ?

[metz]

Being 'Gifted' is overrated


TO PARENTS who rush to get their children into the Gifted Education Program (GEP) so they can get further in life, I say, relax. It's overrated.

I'm gifted.

Or more correctly, I was Gifted, according to a letter I got from the Ministry of Education telling me so when I was nine. (This, after I checked a few boxes on a worksheet full of tetris-like blocks.)

But I have often wondered if being selected to get a headstart in life meant my missing out on some sights along the way.

For example, while other kids spent afternoons at Far East Plaza figuring out the birds and the bees, my idea of fun was staying back in school to dissect frogs.

Or, while my friends chipped their nails waitressing in pubs or chasing celebrities in their holiday time, I pursued resume-boosting internships with the aim of landing a scholarship.

If I have had one more date, one more party, or spent one more 'unproductive' hour daydreaming or doodling, life might have been more colourful.

But opting out was not an option then. If nothing else, it was pure pride that fuelled my dogged determination to excel. I had to justify why I had my nose stuck up in the air.

I remember clearly an incident in Secondary 4, when our teachers herded my sobbing, perfectionist classmates and me into the school lab after we had just sat through a devastatingly difficult O-level science practical examination.

'You are gifted girls. If you can't do it, nobody else can,' our teachers rahrah-ed by way of encouragement after they had shut the doors tight.

We were told we were capable of achieving extraordinary things, but had to remember to give back to society.

It turned out most of us did well in the O levels, except that I did not score straight As which made me question if I was gifted at all.

During my junior college days, whenever I felt intellectually stumped, I would scrawl in frustration on my A-level revision notes: 'Come on, you're in the GEP!'

But gradually over the years, it became a non-issue. In my university days overseas, I kept mum about having been labelled gifted. I aced no sport, mastered no musical instrument and derived no mathematical formula.

I sought self-definition from opinions and hobbies, which I had sidelined in my academic pursuit. I also learnt to let my hair down. I befriended people from diverse backgrounds far beyond the boundaries of my sheltered circle of friends back home and learnt how narrow-minded I was.

At work, I have realised that a headstart is just that: It gets you off the starting block, but winning the race is still a matter of how you pace yourself.

Gifted, top boy, scholar, overseas-educated - all these labels quickly fly out of the window as the playing field is levelled. The quality of work one produces speaks for itself.

I also learnt that getting something wrong was not the end of the world, and that other factors like teamwork and humility counted, too.

So whether or not my children will be gifted does not matter as much to me now. I just want them to discover their own gifts in their own time, and on their own terms - hopefully, by standards other than just correctly checking off a few boxes in a test.

Debbie Yong
Mon, Oct 22, 2007
The Straits Times

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/Office/Ask/Story/A1Story20071029-32922.html

[tamarind]

chamonix:

Being 'Gifted' is overrated


TO PARENTS who rush to get their children into the Gifted Education Program (GEP) so they can get further in life, I say, relax. It's overrated.

I'm gifted.

Or more correctly, I was Gifted, according to a letter I got from the Ministry of Education telling me so when I was nine. (This, after I checked a few boxes on a worksheet full of tetris-like blocks.)

But I have often wondered if being selected to get a headstart in life meant my missing out on some sights along the way.

For example, while other kids spent afternoons at Far East Plaza figuring out the birds and the bees, my idea of fun was staying back in school to dissect frogs.

Or, while my friends chipped their nails waitressing in pubs or chasing celebrities in their holiday time, I pursued resume-boosting internships with the aim of landing a scholarship.

If I have had one more date, one more party, or spent one more 'unproductive' hour daydreaming or doodling, life might have been more colourful.

But opting out was not an option then. If nothing else, it was pure pride that fuelled my dogged determination to excel. I had to justify why I had my nose stuck up in the air.

I remember clearly an incident in Secondary 4, when our teachers herded my sobbing, perfectionist classmates and me into the school lab after we had just sat through a devastatingly difficult O-level science practical examination.

'You are gifted girls. If you can't do it, nobody else can,' our teachers rahrah-ed by way of encouragement after they had shut the doors tight.

We were told we were capable of achieving extraordinary things, but had to remember to give back to society.

It turned out most of us did well in the O levels, except that I did not score straight As which made me question if I was gifted at all.

During my junior college days, whenever I felt intellectually stumped, I would scrawl in frustration on my A-level revision notes: 'Come on, you're in the GEP!'

But gradually over the years, it became a non-issue. In my university days overseas, I kept mum about having been labelled gifted. I aced no sport, mastered no musical instrument and derived no mathematical formula.

I sought self-definition from opinions and hobbies, which I had sidelined in my academic pursuit. I also learnt to let my hair down. I befriended people from diverse backgrounds far beyond the boundaries of my sheltered circle of friends back home and learnt how narrow-minded I was.

At work, I have realised that a headstart is just that: It gets you off the starting block, but winning the race is still a matter of how you pace yourself.

Gifted, top boy, scholar, overseas-educated - all these labels quickly fly out of the window as the playing field is levelled. The quality of work one produces speaks for itself.

I also learnt that getting something wrong was not the end of the world, and that other factors like teamwork and humility counted, too.

So whether or not my children will be gifted does not matter as much to me now. I just want them to discover their own gifts in their own time, and on their own terms - hopefully, by standards other than just correctly checking off a few boxes in a test.

Debbie Yong
Mon, Oct 22, 2007
The Straits Times

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/Office/Ask/Story/A1Story20071029-32922.html

The above should be posted in this thread instead.

All about GEP.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=120

It will be helpful to those who are interested to their kids into GEP. As I mentioned before, this thread is for parents who think that their children are gifted or exceptionally bright, and to discuss about how to develop them from a very young age. Not everyone is interested to get their kids into the GEP.

[tamarind]

kiasulang:

You can try some private preschools,perhaps they can accommodate. My son was in one of the preschool who allow him to stay in their K2 class for 3 years. They allow him to learn at his own pace, in fact, the school allow the children to learn at their own paces. He graduated 3 times and had to say goodbye to his best friends time after time. He was coping fine, made him emotionally strong and more sociable.

Doesn't he get bored learning the same thing over and over again ?

Don't you think that a special program that suits his intellectual capability will be better for him ? For example, if he is capable of learning fractions, why only learn addition/subtraction of whole numbers over and over again ?

[metz]

tamarind:

The above should be posted in this thread instead.

All about GEP.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=120

It will be helpful to those who are interested to their kids into GEP. As I mentioned before, this thread is for parents who think that their children are gifted or exceptionally bright, and to discuss about how to develop them from a very young age. Not everyone is interested to get their kids into the GEP.

I'm responding to Sleepy's question on getting the kids tested for giftedness.

Quoting from the article -

\"Gifted, top boy, scholar, overseas-educated - all these labels quickly fly out of the window as the playing field is levelled. The quality of work one produces speaks for itself.

So whether or not my children will be gifted does not matter as much to me now. I just want them to discover their own gifts in their own time, and on their own terms - hopefully, by standards other than just correctly checking off a few boxes in a test.\"

Hi Sleepy,

Whether a gifted test is required at preschooler age, it depends solely on the parents. Other than giving the parents an idea and better understanding about their kids, it's just a number that shows where the child stands in relation to kids of his/her age. Well, unless the parents can justify to MOE that their kids warrant special arrangements. Of course, it would also come in handy if the parents prefer their kids to be accelerated at preschool level. But I'm not sure about the gain though. Ultimately, the kid still starts on the same footing with his/her cohort when he/she starts formal education in primary school.

To understand what Gifted Tests and the results mean, it might be of interest for you to read this http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests.htm and http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests_tell_us.htm.


Hi Kiasulang,

I heard of one case whereby a P2 kid was accelerated directly to P4 GEP. However, I'm not clear on the actual events leading to this acceleration.

[kiasulang]

tamarind:

kiasulang:

You can try some private preschools,perhaps they can accommodate. My son was in one of the preschool who allow him to stay in their K2 class for 3 years. They allow him to learn at his own pace, in fact, the school allow the children to learn at their own paces. He graduated 3 times and had to say goodbye to his best friends time after time. He was coping fine, made him emotionally strong and more sociable.

Doesn't he get bored learning the same thing over and over again ?

Don't you think that a special program that suits his intellectual capability will be better for him ? For example, if he is capable of learning fractions, why only learn addition/subtraction of whole numbers over and over again ?

During his 3 years, I'm playing a supportive role. I'm just a driver who drove him around to places of interests. e.g. Zoo, Bird Park, Science Centre, Discovery Centre, Wild Wild wet, Theme Park, Museum, Sun Yat Sen, etc....

He is not bored. In fact, he loves to go to school. He is able to explore freely. Every day is different for him. There is no repetitive work there. Children learn to play and play to learn. Children learn faster when they are able choose their area of interest to learn and be able to explore at their own pace. The school worked very closely with parents and have very good PT relationship.

[metz]

kiasulang:

He is not bored. In fact, he loves to go to school. He is able to explore freely. Every day is different for him. There is no repetitive work there. Children learn to play and play to learn. Children learn faster when they are able choose their area of interest to learn and be able to explore at their own pace. The school worked very closely with parents and have very good PT relationship.

Do you mean the school has a different K2 syllabus every year for 3 years consecutively? If so, that's indeed an interesting school. Is it possible to reveal the school name?

[tamarind]

kiasulang:

tamarind:

[quote=\"kiasulang\"]
You can try some private preschools,perhaps they can accommodate. My son was in one of the preschool who allow him to stay in their K2 class for 3 years. They allow him to learn at his own pace, in fact, the school allow the children to learn at their own paces. He graduated 3 times and had to say goodbye to his best friends time after time. He was coping fine, made him emotionally strong and more sociable.

Doesn't he get bored learning the same thing over and over again ?

Don't you think that a special program that suits his intellectual capability will be better for him ? For example, if he is capable of learning fractions, why only learn addition/subtraction of whole numbers over and over again ?

During his 3 years, I'm playing a supportive role. I'm just a driver who drove him around to places of interests. e.g. Zoo, Bird Park, Science Centre, Discovery Centre, Wild Wild wet, Theme Park, Museum, Sun Yat Sen, etc....

He is not bored. In fact, he loves to go to school. He is able to explore freely. Every day is different for him. There is no repetitive work there. Children learn to play and play to learn. Children learn faster when they are able choose their area of interest to learn and be able to explore at their own pace. The school worked very closely with parents and have very good PT relationship.[/quote]I guess you found the right preschool for your son. Care to share which school is it ? Or just the area where it is located ?

[kiasulang]

chamonix:

Hi Kiasulang,

I heard of one case whereby a P2 kid was accelerated directly to P4 GEP. However, I'm not clear on the actual events leading to this acceleration.

I believe it's possible. The kid must be emotionally and socially ready at that time. To my knowledge, the GEB will discourage and advise the parents otherwise.

The question is the kid is ready now. What are about ten years later? Is he/she able to cope with the emotion and social thingy then?

[kiasulang]

Hi Tamarind and Charmonix


Most international/private schools have their own unique preschool syllabus. My son was recommended to the school after he had his assessment.

[tamarind]

kiasulang:

Most international/private schools have their own unique preschool syllabus. My son was recommended to the school after he had his assessment.

kiasulang,
I thought in Singapore all pre-schools are private. PCF kindergartens are not operated by the government, they are operated by the PAP Community Foundation. It is difficult to find a suitable pre-school like the one your son is attending.

As for whether the child is emotionally ready to join a class of older children, I think that the adults may be worrying too much. My girl joined a class of mostly 5 year old kids when she was 3 years 8 months old for her phonics enrichment course. She enjoyed going to that class. In fact, she liked her phonics class better than her Berries class where all the kids are the same age. She is now attending an arts class where other kids are 6 - 10 years old and she is the youngest one there. I observed that she is quite comfortable in the class.

However, I think that there is not much point in skipping levels. For example, a child may finish his O-levels at 12 years old, and even if he can graduate from university at 13 years old, it is unlikely that he can find a job as a doctor or lawyer at that age.

I share the same views as you that it is best for the child to enjoy his/her years growing up.