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The gifted child
Citation
Lim, T. K. (1997, January 5 ). The gifted child [Paper presentation]. Public Seminar on Enhancing Children’s Learning, Chapter of Psychiatrists, Academy of Medicine, Singapore.
Author
Lim, Tock Keng
Abstract
The future course of a society depends on the developed potential of its young. Every country need to nurture its human resources, particular! y the gifted. The top 1 % to 2 % of a population is normally considered as gifted. There are five broad areas in which giftedness can show itself: general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude, creative or productive thinking, leadership ability and visual and performing arts. The focus of this paper is on the intellectually gifted. We can nurture the special characteristics of the intellectually gifted through gifted programmes. A good programme will attempt to recognize gifted students' special abilities such as curiosity, imagination, elaboration, originality, perseverance, risk-taking and sensitivity . The Chinese High School, an independent school in Singapore, embarked on a pull-out gifted programme in 1993. A group of Secondary 1 students were selected each year to attend a special pull-out challenging, differentiated and enriched curriculum in the subjects that they excelled in: Mathematics, Science and Computer Science. An important feature of the Chinese High programme is its interdisciplinary approach to curriculum and its individualised project work with mentors. Over the last few years, the Chinese High gifted students have clone some good projects in the broad areas of Applied Science, Biology, Innovation, Defence Science, Robotics and Mathematics. The Chinese High is also aware that no programme could be successful if the socio-emotional well-being of students is not taken care of. Some gifted children do encounter social and emotional problems. Quite often, the development of gifted children is asymmetrical; their mental superiority may not be matched in degree by physical, social or emotional precocity. It is important for gifted programmes to give support both in the academic subjects as well as in socio-emotional aspects.
Date Issued
January 1997
Description
This paper was presented at the Public Seminar on Enhancing Children’s Learning, held in Chapter of Psychiatrists, Academy of Medicine, Singapore on 5 Jan 1997