Hi,

This has been interesting reading for me. I used to teach in the Gifted programme so I have a couple of comments on what I have read thus far:

1) Nature of gifts vary: We do come across a pupil who is gifted in all respects i.e. in math, science, english, second/third language, music, art, drama, sports. Often, the pupils I am in contact with would excel greatly in two/three subjects (disciplines) and fair just above average on the rest. Some have no aptitude in a particular subject so they do not do as well during exams but when pitted against the mainstream pupils during common exams, they would still score or average well. Some develop their interests in these areas at some tipping point later on. The key thing is, they develop at their own pace and pursue their interests according to their needs. We should never stifle their quest for knowledge, skills or answers.

2) 10-year-old first : While they may be gifted, all the pupils undergo the angst of being 10 -year-olds first, regardless of their gift. They face the growing up anxieties of being a child of that age even if they are gifted. We must not lose sight of that. Just because at times they think like adults or respond like one, we forget that they are still children. It is important that as parents we do not neglect 'coping strategies' i.e. teaching a gifted child how to cope with his gift, the peer pressure from other gifted kids, as well as those from mainstream pupils. See Little Man Tate where Jodie Foster put up a stellar performance in that movie.

3) Value system : Without the proper parental guidance and value system, our kids can become gifted criminals too.

I was told by a parent that her gifted son had enrolled into a prestigious university overseas and had hacked into the department's computer system, changed the passwords and some assessment scores, 'for fun'. Fortunately, the Head was an understanding person and channelled her son's ability to more productive use by getting him to re-write a security programme.

The gifted programme in schools is an alternative to nurture high ability, gifted children to achieve their gifted potential. The curriculum is based largely on enrichment, expanding the mind and stretching the individual.
I used to tailor my lessons to the learning abilities of my pupils (some are more audio-visual, some more experiential) while balancing the requirements of MOE from the school (X assignments per term etc). Each class of pupil is different so there is a lot more preparation involved to pitch the learning at the right level. Too high and you lose those who are not interested in that subject matter, too low and you lose their interest.

Today, I hold fond memories of having touched their lives, many of whom are friends who hold successful jobs in both the civil service and in the private sector.