Three Benefits of Putting Your Gifted Student in a Special Academy

Whether you realize it or not, your gifted student has abilities that other children do not have, and with those abilities comes some difficulty. Many children that are highly intelligent have a hard time in social aspects of life. It is no fault of their own, but often just because they already know what their teachers are trying to teach them. This makes them bored and possibly disruptive. Anxiety often sets in, and they may feel uneasy in the presence of their peers. An academy set apart for gifted students could benefit your child in the following ways:

• Keeping Up the Pace – Teachers at gifted student academies keep up with the demands of each individual student. If one child learns faster than another, the instructors will adjust the work just a bit for that child. Because gifted children learn rapidly and use more advanced language, the teachers teach more rapidly and use language the children will understand.
•   Allowing Leadership – Many gifted children enjoy and demand leadership roles and responsibilities. Children at a specific academy will be allowed these kinds of opportunities. They will be able to make decisions that a local schoolteacher might not allow them to make.
• Encouraging Creativity – A lot of children with special abilities have a desire to create and express themselves through visual projects. Instructors at a gifted academy often allow students to express themselves in the creative way that they enjoy. From music and dance to painting and drawing, each child is unique and their creative expression is allowed to be also.

If you have a gifted child, you may want to check into an academy set apart for such students. Keeping up with the pace of the child, allowing them leadership roles and encouraging them to be creative are only a few of the benefits that you may notice upon enrollment. With so much to offer, your child could really thrive in that specific environment.

Can Any Child Enroll in a Gifted School?

Children are all unique and carry with them distinct talents and abilities. Some are more gifted than others and may require a special educational plan to help them succeed. Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) is a program that caters to those special needs. Parents often wonder if all of their children can attend such a program, or if only their gifted children can. Beyond gifted programs, there are also gifted schools that focus specifically upon building to address the learning styles and diverse needs of gifted students. There are some things those parents may want to consider.

Speed of Learning

Gifted schools and GATE programs often move at a faster pace than regular schools do. This is because gifted students are sometimes many grade levels ahead of their peers and can think at a faster rate than other children their age. If a child does not fall into the gifted and talented category, they may not be able to keep up with the speed of learning as the other children. Of course, they may be gifted in other ways, which could be highlighted with a special education, so it is best to speak with a guidance counselor.

Qualifications

Most programs will have a list of qualifying factors that you can look at to see if your child meets the requirements. If you are unsure, an administrator at a gifted academy can help you to go over what is required to see if your child is a candidate. There are also tests that can be taken, and with a certain score, you will know whether or not a gifted and talented program is right for your child. An IQ test might be required, with a particular score that is the standard for the institution you are looking into.

As you can see, GATE programs and gifted schools are not for every child, but they might be for yours. If you are interested in learning more, it is a good idea to contact the administration of an academy near you.