Motivating the Brightest Children

If you are someone who is interested in education jobs or counselor careers or you are in a place where you have any contact with children at all, you will find that there are children who are brighter and more academically adept than others. Jobs in education will certainly expose you to them and you may find that you are wondering how to nurture their intelligence. Education jobs and counselor careers do give you some training in dealing with a gifted or talented child, but if you are dealing with one on one, either as a parent or a guardian, there are things that you need to consider.

First, make sure that you have an honest assessment of your student's ability. How does their talent manifest themselves and how can you make sure that you are giving them the right encouragement? Look at your child's work habits. How does he or she move forward with the work that they are doing? For example, do they finish off everything quickly or do they move forward at a slow and steady pace? In either case, you can help them learn to maximize their strengths and their weaknesses through working with them and doing their exercises with them. Take a moment to consider how you are going to be able to observe their work.

Another thing that you should consider, if you are dealing with a gifted child, is getting them to a place where everyone is working on their level. A lot of gifted and talented children end up getting extremely bored and frustrated when they are left in a class of children who are not operating on the same level as they are. When they are put into an environment where they need to strive and to struggle, you will find that they can move forward very quickly and that they are going to be in a great place to really learn more about themselves. Remember that there is a lot of media out there that can help you get the most out of these formative years.




Take a moment and think about what you praise your child for. Do you praise them for being smart or do you praise them for working hard? Many people state that when you praise a child for being smart, they will actually get more frustrated if they cannot do a problem right and come to the solution right away; after all, being smart means being able to get the answer easily! On the other hand, if you praise a child for working hard, you will find that hey are much more likely to stick with a problem and to work it out until they get to a solution that works. This can be a good way to make sure that your child develops determination as well as skill.


When you want to motivate a bright child, take some time and make sure that you are getting the results that you need; it can really make all the difference.