Everyone has a special talent. However, the conventional educational paths of yesteryear often were unable to detect abilities for those who thought and created “outside of the box.” Students were considered gifted and talented only if they outperformed others on IQ tests or achievement tests. Homeschooling has revolutionized not only the way children are educated, but the homeschooling movement has educated the public and raised consciousness concerning its definitions of which students are gifted and talented. The homeschooling environment provides the personal attention required to identify a child's talents, and a homeschooling curriculum is flexible enough to enable students to develop their abilities. Many exceptional students are uneven in their abilities; for instance, a student might excel in math but need extra attention in English. A homeschool schedule, without its restrictive categorizing according to grade, can allow a student to learn math at an advanced level and English at a remedial level, if necessary.
Many studies support the idea that independent development, such as that provided by homeschooling, fosters and nourishes talent. Gardner defined many different areas of ability in students: linguistic, logic, spatial, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. It is likely that your student is talented in more than one of these areas, and it is possible to design a homeschool curriculum that develops all of these areas. You can also include activities outside of your regular homeschool routine to foster other skills. For instance, your child can use his or her interpersonal talents in the form of volunteer work. Areas of difficulty and outstanding ability both require time and training for further development. Homeschooling will allow you to create a flexible schedule that will meet all of your child's needs.
Contact other parents who homeschool their kids, and offer assessment tests and exercises together. You can create tests or make the activities fun and engaging. Students who have talent in specific areas can meet with other homeschoolers who have this strength, and the students can pursue group projects. For instance, you might find that the child you are homeschooling has a profound musical or acting ability. Although many homeschool children are allowed to participate in activities at a public school, you might prefer to work with other homeschooling children to put on a small play in a basement or living room. The list of activities for gifted and talented homeschoolers is endless, and there are plenty of ways to foster your child's talent in a homeschooling setting.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.
Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.