by Hanna Vock
Quote one participant in my course: „All children are gifted“. In the sense that all children are endowed with certain gifts or talents I entirely agree. It is important to pay attention and cater to all the gifts and talents of all children in kindergarten.
In this manual we do, however, repeatedly try to consequently consider the vantage point of gifted children („gifted“ being defined by a numerical measurement of intelligence as explained in the following paragraph). The focus lies upon their potentials, their advancement is being pondered, their playing and learning needs are in the center of all pedagogical considerations.
This manual is about the 2 -3 percent of an age-group whose intellectual potential is within the highest range. Certainly, there are another 12 to 13 percent in every age-group whose intellect ranges far above average and whose needs are not always catered to sufficiently.
See also Gaussian Distribution of Intelligence
To differentiate between those children far above average and gifted children in kindergarten does present some degree of difficulty. In my own practical work as a nursery teacher it certainly was not always entirely clear: Is this child indeed gifted, is it somewhere in between gifted and bright or „only“ above average?
In the daily routine of working with pre-school aged children this differentiation does not present an urgent priority.
At the same time it is important to specifically and repeatedly point to the needs of the gifted; they are, after all, quite different from the average child, who is in the focus of the educational routine in kindergarten. The usual educational approach in kindergarten most of the time does not meet the playing and learning needs of the gifted.
The gifted display their abilities, yet also their problems, much clearer, and it is therefore wise to take a closer look at them.
Out of this objective this manual is dedicated to the gifted child.
According to my own as well as to the participants‘ in my courses experience the insights and expertise resulting from concerning oneself with the advancement of the gifted also does a lot of good to the bright and the average child.
Integrational Advancement What is meant by This?
Date of publication in German May 5 th , 2007.
Translated by Arno Zucknick
Copyright © Hanna Vock, see Imprint