I'd like suggestions as to various activities that challenge a Gifted child's critical thinking skills; complex but entertaining at the same time. Can anyone direct me to any resources in particular that can give me some ideas? Thanks!
2007-06-07 16:10:03 · 10 answers · asked by g 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
I'm so sorry I forgot to mention our daughter is 8 years old.
2007-06-07 17:40:09 · update #1
I am not sure how old your child is and what areas he/she are gifted in but you may want to check out MAKE magazine for it's awesome ability to inspire invention. It's a bit pricey for magazines but fun and the usability quotient is high for both kids and adults. Kids love working along side adults. One great project in the latest issue involved building a battery to light up an LED light bulb with water, an ice cube tray, paper clips, and coins! There are also creative and exploration based projects for kids at Hobby Lobby. One of my favorites is the you build it mouse trap car and the you build it fiber optic flower. Radio Shack has a number of great kids electronic sets such as a build your own transistor radio and the build your own battery set. Taking music lessons of any kind is always a great activity for children in the summer. And of course, the simple act of having a library day where a child can pick out any books they want for free reading time is always a winner!
2007-06-07 16:56:44 · answer #1 · answered by Pastor Gordon Blossom's Special Kind of Love Child 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Do things that are fun and though provoking--not computer games or video games or worksheets. You want to expand her horizons.
I don't know where you live, but taking her to museums, or some kind of science museum that is interactive will help her develop critical thinking skills. Is there something she is interested in? Art? Even letting her paint or create things expands the mind. Maybe she interested in music--music develops the brain as well.
I looked around on the web but didn't find anything that would be helpful. Just remember this--even if she is doing something fun that doesn't look very complex,--she is still expanding her mind and learning in the process. Have fun!
2007-06-08 05:46:04 · answer #2 · answered by sidnee_marie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You didn't state how old the child is. That would help alot. I would say to do things that the child likes to do. My son was in the gifted program from the time he was about in 3rd or 4th grade. Several of the things that he particularly liked were going to the planitorium ( the Hale-Bop Comet was around) and he got to talk to one of the founders about finding the comet. My son was also WONDERFUL IN KARATE. HE WAS A 1ST DEGREE BROWN BELT WHEN HE WAS IN THE 6TH GRADE.
While my daughter wasn't in the gifted program per say - she was very good in math and one of the things that she liked to do was the logic puzzles - for fun!!
Talk to your school 's gifted teacher and get their input on what might be challenging to your child in particular. They have training in this area I believe. If you feel like your child is not being challenged enough - do research in the library or perhaps on the web. Talk to other parents whose kids are also in the gifted program - perhaps you'll can exchage ideas.
I know when my son got bored, he didn't get in to trouble, but you could tell that the work was not interesting and not challenging to him.
I hope this is of some help.
2007-06-07 16:25:44 · answer #3 · answered by Su-Nami 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am a teacher of the gifted and I have a gifted child. Some activities would include games like scrabble and monopoly. My seven year old loves these. I always teach my students to play chess. It is a very complex game that teaches critical thinking skills as well as many other skills.
What is your child interested in? I would take something she is interested in and build on it. For example, my seven year old loves to read. I encourage her to read and give her suggestions of books to read. Reading develops vocabulary and thinking skills. We make weekly trips to the library and she loves it. I have a student who loves animals so anytime I find an interesting tidbit about an animal I pass it along to him.
You can check out websites like hoagiesgifted.org and prufrock.com
(Just remember that while your child is gifted she is not perfect. Sometimes people expect these children to know things they have never been exposed to.)
2007-06-08 02:51:10 · answer #4 · answered by mm 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it is critical that you make sure that your daughter's whole being is stimulated, not just her head. What activities are you doing to increase her emotional flexibility, her empathy, and her courage? What are you doing to increase her physical development? I'd recommend reading "The Hurried Child" by David Elkind.
Spend as much time as possible with her outdoors in nature. Really explore a forest floor, the beach, a creek, or your neighborhood's nearest meadow. Observe. Draw. Let her experience and explore. Do not stuff her with factoids that will kill her questioning spirit. When she wonders something, wonder with her. If she asks, "Why is the sky blue?" don't give a lecture on the properties of light and atmosphere; instead, say, "Hmmm. I wonder." Then just listen to what she comes up with. Her exploring of the ideas, and your acceptance of her hypotheses (how ever far out they might be) will do much to encourage her critical thinking skills.
Albert Einstein was asked by someone how to make children smarter. "Tell them fairy tales," he replied. And how to make them really smart? "Tell them more fairy tales." For yourself, explore fairy tales (not Disney-ized) and investigate the meaning and wisdom contained in them. "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell is an excellent starting point. NEVER explain the meaning of the fairy tales, but let them live in your child as seeds planted that will come to fruition in the future.
Basically, help your daughter by giving her as many living experiences as possible, read healthy stories to her daily, and let the experiences serve her over time.
2007-06-07 18:40:57 · answer #5 · answered by stoneinthestream 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What is she interested in and what is her personality? Feed her passion. Is it art, music, math, science, athletics? Get with some homeschooler sites and parents for ideas and to get with other kids on the same wavelength. Spend time at the public library. When my kids were that age they really enjoyed making up their own reciepes "chemistry" in the kitchen with my supervision. We made costumes from different countries and each week picked a new one to study.
2007-06-07 19:40:28 · answer #6 · answered by atheleticman_fan 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
How about some science investigations? not out of the box demonstration type.. but real investigations....
Are there areas near you that you could investigate bird or amphibian populations? Are they being affected by human activity? Local investigations are of value as there usually is no one studying it.
2007-06-08 15:21:37 · answer #7 · answered by eastacademic 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
puzzles & board games, chess, you know all the fun stuff, video games, trivia
2007-06-07 16:12:50 · answer #8 · answered by Sponge82 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
rubicks cube.
2007-06-07 16:12:39 · answer #9 · answered by marccat80 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
videogames...they work wonders
2007-06-07 16:12:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋