The tween and middle school years can be a challenging time for any child, but gifted middle schoolers often face unique struggles as they navigate this transitional period. As a parent, you play a crucial role in supporting your child’s intellectual, emotional, and social development during this time. Here are ten ways you can help your gifted tween thrive:
1. Enroll in Specialized Programs
Gifted children often crave academic challenges that go beyond the standard curriculum. Look for advanced programs that cater to their specific talents and interests.
For example, if your child has a passion for mathematics, consider enrolling them in Project MEGSSS’s Elements Program. This program offers a rigorous curriculum designed to supplement gifted middle school students and set them up for future success in STEM. This program is available online and you can learn more about it here
2. Stimulate Intellectual Curiosity
Encourage your child to explore a wide range of subjects and pursue their passions. Take them to museums, libraries, and educational events that align with their interests. Engage them in discussions about current events, scientific discoveries, and philosophical questions. By fostering a deep love of learning, you’ll help them develop a lifelong enthusiasm for intellectual growth.
3. Expand Their Resources
Provide your child with access to a variety of educational resources that match their evolving interests. This might include books, websites, documentaries, or educational software.
Consider setting up a dedicated study space in your home where they can work on projects and delve into their favorite subjects. By giving them the tools they need to explore their passions, you’ll support their intellectual development and help them build a strong foundation for future academic success.
4. Promote a Growth Mindset
Gifted children often struggle with perfectionism and fear of failure.
Teach your child to view challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than threats to their self-esteem. Praise their effort, perseverance, and progress, rather than just their innate abilities. Encourage them to take on new challenges and embrace mistakes as learning opportunities. By promoting a growth mindset, you’ll help your child develop the resilience and adaptability they need to succeed in both academic and personal pursuits.
5. Validate Emotions
Take the time to listen to your child’s concerns and validate their emotional experiences. Help them identify and name their emotions, and teach them healthy coping strategies like deep breathing, mindfulness, or journaling. By creating a safe and supportive environment where your child feels heard and understood, you’ll help them develop emotional intelligence and build strong relationships with others.
6. Teach Coping Skills
The tween years and middle school can be a stressful time, as children navigate changing social dynamics, increased academic demands, and physical changes.
Equip your child with strategies for managing stress and anxiety, such as mindfulness, exercise, or creative expression. Encourage them to take breaks when needed and prioritize self-care. By teaching them healthy coping skills, you’ll help them build resilience and maintain emotional well-being throughout their adolescence and beyond.
7. Ensure Leisure Time
While it’s important to support your child’s academic and intellectual pursuits, it’s equally crucial to ensure they have time for fun and relaxation. Encourage them to participate in extracurricular activities, pursue hobbies, and spend time with friends and family. Make sure they have unstructured free time to play, explore, and recharge.
By promoting a balanced lifestyle, you’ll help them avoid burnout and maintain a positive outlook on life.
8. Foster Social Connections
Gifted children often struggle to find like-minded peers who share their interests and abilities. Help your child build social connections by encouraging them to join clubs, teams, or enrichment programs that align with their passions.
For example, if your child is mathematically inclined, a program like Project MEGSSS can provide opportunities to connect with other gifted math students. You can also help them find online communities or pen pals who share their interests. By fostering social connections, you’ll help your child build a support network and develop important interpersonal skills.
9. Build Executive Skills
As your child enters middle school, they’ll face increased demands on their time and attention. Help them develop strong executive functioning skills, such as organization, time management, and goal-setting. Teach them to use calendars, to-do lists, and other tools to stay on top of their responsibilities. Encourage them to break large projects into smaller, manageable tasks and celebrate their progress along the way.
By supporting the development of executive skills, you’ll help your child build the independence and self-discipline they need to succeed in high school and beyond.
10. Encourage Resilience
The tween years can be a time of intense self-doubt and insecurity, as children compare themselves to their peers and face new challenges. Teach your child the value of persistence and resilience in the face of setbacks. Encourage them to view failures as opportunities for growth and learning. Help them develop problem-solving skills and encourage them to reflect on their experiences. By instilling a sense of resilience and grit, you’ll help your child navigate the ups and downs of adolescence with confidence and grace.
Supporting a gifted middle school child through the tween years requires a combination of academic enrichment, emotional support, and practical skill-building. By enrolling them in specialized programs, stimulating their intellectual curiosity, expanding their resources, promoting a growth mindset, validating their emotions, teaching coping skills, ensuring leisure time, fostering social connections, building executive skills, and encouraging resilience, you’ll provide a nurturing environment that allows your child to thrive. With your guidance and support, your gifted tween will emerge from these challenging years with the skills, confidence, and passion they need to succeed in high school and beyond.
References:
¹ Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Gross, M. U. (2004). A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students.
² Renzulli, J. S. (2003). The Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness: A Developmental Model for Creative Productivity.
³ Winner, E. (1996). Gifted Children: Myths and Realities.
⁴ Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
⁵ Peterson, J. S. (2009). Gifted and Talented Children in (and out of) the Classroom.
⁶ Sisk, D. (2008). Engaging the Spiritual Intelligence of Gifted Students to Build Global Awareness.
⁷ Webb, J. T., Gore, J. L., Amend, E. R., & DeVries, A. R. (2007). A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children.
⁸ Cross, J. R., & Cross, T. L. (2015). Handbook for Counselors Serving Students With Gifts & Talents: Development, Relationships, School Issues, and Counseling Needs/Interventions.
⁹ Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2009). Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential.
¹⁰ Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner: An Overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64-70