“Cradles of Eminence”

I enrolled my two children in a gifted program (daughter as a 1st grader, son as a 5th grader). As a parent, I saw their scores but had no information to compare it to. I just thought they were pretty smart. Then I received training as a gifted teacher when my daughter was in junior high and that’s where I learned that my own children were at the moderately gifted level. When I got a gifted teaching job, I reviewed all my students files to find that most of them were also at the moderately gifted level.

From my experience, I would imagine that most gifted programs in a public school situation are at that level. If my children tested higher, I would’ve never known as a parent. However, I was totally keyed into their social and emotional issues. Were they happy, were they making friends, did they want to go to school, etc., etc. Having gifted children is not all about academic challenge – raising well balanced, inquisitive, independent learners who can function in society is. Raising children who can rise above difficult circumstances, learn to adapt and use their experience to help others through difficult times is also important. If you haven’t had the chance to look at this website, please do: http://crab.rutgers.edu/~goertzel/cradles.htm Not every gifted individual throughout history had a perfect childhood! After I read the book, I gave myself breathing room to let my children struggle (some) without feeling guilty. Maybe it will do the same for you.