The argument whether a person is born with talent or it is grown has been going on for years. However, the truth is that great talent is more than just genes. Think about some of the most excellent musicians or writers. When you read their backstories, you find out that they put in a lot of hours practicing their craft. However, some studies differ and say that the most outstanding athletes or musicians are great even without practice.
For now, there is no definitive answer so let’s work with what we know. Everyone has a talent or gift that shows up at a certain point in life. Someone can have more than one talent, but they focus more on growing one more than the other. When discovered early, children can hone their talents throughout their lives and become professionals or experts in a particular field.
Besides parents, children interact most with their teachers in school. Teachers in schools in Ahmedabad are trained to notice and help a child grow their talent so they can reach their full potential. Talent is not limited to academics. A child can be talented in arts, sports, music, and much more. It is not easy to recognize your child’s talent because their interests change from time to time. Hopefully, the list below will help you realize and grow your child’s talent when the time comes.
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1. Don’t rush or pressure your child
As a parent, you want so much for your child to have a unique talent. If a child has not shown any increased interest in a particular area, you take it upon yourself to help them find out. You do this by putting them on a busy schedule of different extracurricular activities. They are occupied every day of the week after school and go for extra classes during the holidays. Unfortunately, this might not yield the results you want. It might end up being stressful to the child, and they might end up resenting you in the long run. Let the child be. His or her talent will show up soon enough.
Another common mistake that parents make is comparing their kids to others. As you know, children are different, and some realize their talents earlier than others. This doesn’t mean that your child is slow or has some disability. Instead, encourage them in what they want to do at the moment and fall back from insisting that they become the best at it like the other kid.
2. Reinforce signs of talent through praise
Praise is mainly to build a student’s confidence in whatever they do well. Too much praise can be harmful, but it can build a child’s confidence in their abilities when done appropriately. When children feel capable, they can challenge themselves to push harder and grow their skills in a particular area. When praising a child, whether a parent or as a teacher, it is best to specify what the child is doing right.
For example, if a child is talented in poetry, maybe not the whole poem is good, only parts of it. It could be how they rhymed some words in the poem. Compliment them on the rhyming and anything else you feel they did well. Let them also know the areas they should work on.
3. Structured learning activities
If there is something that parents appreciate today, it is the holistic approach of education in schools like GIIS Ahmedabad. Educators are putting a lot of effort into early childhood education because those are the most critical years of a child’s life. You have probably heard people talk about the formative years.
Today, early childhood education is designed to grow every aspect of the child, not only intellectual or academics. At GIIS Ahmedabad, preschoolers are taught using the Global Montessori program, which is child-centered and aimed to develop the whole child.
In the Montessori program, the learning environment and learning materials are intentionally designed to help students discover their interests. Teachers are mainly observers who notice a student’s interest and help them pursue it using more complex learning materials in the same subject. All the learning materials and classrooms are age-appropriate, so you don’t have to worry about a child being pushed into something they are not ready for.
4. Set some learning goals
Goals help you to focus on the task you are doing. It is also pleasing and encouraging when you set a goal and achieve it. Both teachers and parents need to help children set some learning goals in their talented area. Studies have shown that students who set learning goals end up growing and achieving a superior level of skills in their talents. This is because after achieving a set goal, they set another higher one. This pushes them to increase their knowledge, expand their network, do more practice, and do whatever else they need to achieve their goals.
As a parent or teacher in this scenario, it is best that you help a child set realistic goals. It is good to have big dreams, but people make the mistake of wanting to achieve too big too soon. This can lead to burning out and increased stress levels in children, which can affect their mental and physical health. Stress the importance of taking it one step at a time while still dreaming big.
5. Help the kids find the necessary resources
There is a process of achieving every set goal. A student might need access to some resources that he can’t get, but you can. Be on the lookout for summer programs, even those not offered by the school but can help students grow their talent. If there are competitions, local or international, that can help put your child on the map or get him spotted by leading universities, encourage them to compete. Help them where possible to achieve their goals and grow their talent.
Lastly, parents and teachers of international schools in Ahmedabad need to work together to realize and grow a child’s talents. A parent might see what a teacher doesn’t, and vice versa. communication channels open so your child can have the full support and proper guidance.
