By Dr Martina Geromin, Co-Founder of School Beyond Limitations.
Parents play a crucial role in stimulating their child’s intellectual curiosity at home. For exceptionally able children, much of this is about spending quality time with your child, observing their behaviour and interests, and providing opportunities for open-ended exploration. As parents we need to involve our children in a variety of activities from an early age, whether that is reading more challenging books, playing strategy-based games or enjoying more tricky quizzes, there are many shared experiences parents can enjoy with their child which can help to inspire and stimulate thinking.
Modelling curiosity and a love of learning as a parent will also help to encourage the same behaviours from children. Share your own discoveries or pursuits with your child and if your child asks lots of questions, take time to acknowledge them, even if you don’t know the answer right away. Rather than disregarding a question that is more complex, actively listening will ensure the child feels seen and heard. You can then suggest that you look up the answer or investigate it together at a convenient time, providing an opportunity to revisit curiosity-led topics.
Acknowledgement and Direction
Curiosity is an innate trait in children and as adults we need to nurture that as well as create the time and space for shared moments, so that we can reflect on our children’s thoughts and ideas with them. As the most influential role models for their children, these moments are extremely powerful for parents. If we show a deeper interest in our children’s personal interests and are mindful of the language we use and how we interact with them, we can help them to develop as well-rounded individuals who are driven to learn.
Many bright children will want to question what they see around them, perhaps to a greater extent than other children their age. Sometimes this level of constant questioning might feel all-consuming or overwhelming for parents, but it is important to encourage curiosity at the point it happens. This doesn’t mean that exceptionally able children don’t need direction of course; parents play an important role in giving children clarity in a variety of scenarios so that they understand how to behave and interact, and when it is appropriate to ask questions and when they need to take time to listen, pause and reflect. It’s important as parents to let children know that while you might not have time to listen or engage fully in that specific moment, you value their ideas and will gladly make time to talk when you are free – acknowledging that their thoughts and contributions matter.
Part of nurturing a high ability thinker is about helping them to develop the vital emotional sills needed to pursue their interests at an advanced level while being mindful, tolerant and accepting of others – this requires empathy, understanding and patience. These are some of the personality traits that might not come naturally to a highly able child that gets bored easily or struggles to concentrate on one thing at a time.
Building Positive Attitudes
Bright children may often hear comments from others around them that they are ‘gifted’ or special in some way (usually from adults and teachers) – which if not managed correctly, can be limiting and could impact the child negatively. While there is nothing wrong with healthy competition or striving to be the best you can be, having an awareness that everyone is gifted in their own way is important, as is being careful about labelling others. Having a sense of realism and appreciation of various skill sets and talents out there can really help children to shape positive attitudes and build strong relationships and emotional resilience as they grow.
Nurturing high ability thinker requires a great deal of patience and encouragement from parents. Enrichment is vital as is trying as many new experiences and activities as possible with your child. Whether that is walking in woodland to identify local wildlife and their habitats or cultivating more complex problem-solving skills such as building a suitable ‘house’ for the wildlife you have discovered. There are lots of things you can do to together to develop critical thinking from puzzles to scientific experiments and creative tasks.
The trick is to find ways to tap into enthusiasm to better understand how to help your child. This takes practice, time and presence as a parent. If your exceptionally able child is home schooling and has no exposure to other children, that will limit their opportunities for growth. It is important for your child to see other children, to build friendships outside of school, with neighbours or at clubs or societies – whether in small or larger groups. What is important is that they have regular interaction with other children in order to build resilience and to challenge themselves.
Sparking Deeper Discussion
Resilience itself comes from having strength within. This needs to be nurtured in a safe, well-balanced environment where children feel able to push themselves and take risks without fear of failure. Parents can help to foster that growth mindset by giving praise for perseverance as opposed to having an innate ‘ability’. Encouraging children to embrace challenges and learn from failures is all part of the development process. As a parent, try to engage in conversations with your child on a regular basis, encourage critical thinking and ask open-ended questions about their own interests to spark deeper discussions.
Creating the right environment at home to learn in will also help more highly able children to develop further. Designate a space at home for study and exploration – one that is comfortable, well-lit and filled with books and other resources that cater to their own personal interests. Try to limit screen time by stimulating critical thinking creatively to help redirect and focus on more enriching experiences.
Developing cognitive brilliance is about taking a personalised approach to learning and supporting children to discover their own unique essence. By connecting learning to real life, parents can encourage their child to apply their knowledge and interests to real world situations. This might be baking a cake to further maths understanding, or gardening to explore biology, or even getting involved in community activities to develop deeper understanding around social issues. By actively supporting learning, acknowledging questions and providing opportunities for enrichment, parents can create a nurturing environment to fuel greater intellectual curiosity while developing a lifelong love of learning.
About the expert
Dr Martina Geromin, is co-founder of School Beyond Limitations, www.school-beyond-limitations.com an international online school based in London, which seeks to disrupt the boundaries of traditional education. Dr Geromin is also a multi-time published academic author with 35 years in education and research. She has worked internationally as a teacher, university lecturer, trainer, adult educator and executive within global educational institutions. Her passion is focused on helping children to uncover and embrace their uniqueness, learning how to bring it to life in a meaningful way. She sees education and personal development as transformative and as a driver for real change. Holding a Doctor of Philosophy, a Doctor of Business Administration in Higher Education Management and a Master’s Degree in Giftedness, Dr Geromin has also authored numerous articles and books over the last 35 years including Tacit Knowledge Sharing at Higher Education Institutions (which is a widely used reference source for academics in the field of knowledge transfer).
School Beyond Limitations (SBL) is an international online school head-quartered in the UK (London) providing primary, secondary and sixth form education for students aged 4 to 19 years. Disrupting the boundaries of traditional education, its students receive a meaningful, personalised learning experience delivered in a unique collaborative, mixed-age environment. Lessons are designed to empower students, unlocking their full potential while bringing their own unique essence to life. Established in 2019, SBL students learn in small groups of eight and are inspired by curiosity-led, project-based learning including entrepreneurial and financial education. All students are involved in the design of their own learning and educational pathway, whether that means working towards IGSCEs and A-Levels or taking an alternative route. The school also runs three in-person school residentials per year for experiential learning and delivers personalised one-to-one mentoring for students, as well as a bridging year for post-sixth form adults needing support with their future. Find out more at www.school-beyond-limitations.com
