Thoughts on Why Knowing [about giftedness] Matters

What’s most important? Is It the social, emotional, or cognitive needs of the gifted?

When my own children started school, I was primarily concerned about their cognitive needs related to academics. I wanted them to be challenged in school and to learn to their capacity, not limited by grade-level expectations.

I realize now that these three attributes are equally important. In most ways, you can’t have one without the others!

Social and emotional needs cannot be met if we ignore academic and cognitive needs.

When we support the gifted child with appropriate intellectual stimulation and academic pacing, the child often finds him- or herself among true peers and their social and emotional needs are more likely to be met. It is when we do not fit in with the group with whom we spend the majority of our time that we can feel awkward, lonely, and generally out of sorts.

What are true peers?

True peers are people with whom you share common interests and ways of being. Someone who gets your jokes even when no one else does. You don’t need to know everyone’s IQ score to find out and know when others have a lot in…