All children are born in this world with certain special gifts, which are unique to them. There is no one ‘smart’ gene; many traits contribute to genius.  Brain connections grow throughout one’s life span.  Since many factors are involved in shaping the structure and function of the brain, it is possible to modify the brain and improve on its aspects, thanks to the brain’s plasticity and our own efforts.

Every child is born not only with numerous talents but also the ability to combine learning, thinking and creativity to become a genius.  To enhance the mind’s own natural developmental process we should consider enriching the following:

1. Appropriate opportunities and exposure

2. Emotions [happy learning = effective learning]

3. Multi-sensorial learning [involve all 5 senses in learning]

4. Curiosity [what/why/how/where questions]

5. Creativity [Ideas and imagination]

To identify a child’s genius, make up a list of areas as exhaustive as possible to find out what s/he is good at.  You should also ask him/her what s/he is interested in.  Eg. writing, dancing, sport, music, history, singing, art, languages.  Make another list of traits to identify response styled, eg. practical, energetic, talkative, impulsive, etc.  Then for each area / ability from the list, write down an example of how this gift is demonstrated.  Next, harness every learning opportunity to map out how these gifts can be developed best using the resources available to you.  These could be opportunities at school or at home.  Brainstorm and come up with ideas to tap these resources.

It is important for you and your child to believe in the child’s genius or innate abilities.  Visualise a picture of success in your mind – the child manifesting its giftedness in various ways.  When interacting with your child, express confidence and appreciation, particularly for effort, without being over-focused on the result.

Make sure your child is as eager as you to partake in these activities.  Remember not to overdo things! Trying to pack in too much may make the child feel stressed.  Does s/he enjoy the activity?  Is it fun?  Are you balancing out all the activities over the day and across the week?  Is there still time for unstructured play time and just chill?  This is because all children do need time to relax and unwind.

In conclusion, in today’s world, there is unprecedented opportunity afforded for all children to develop their genius.  Make the most of it!

 

DR. SULATA SHENOY [Ph.D], CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST, TURNING POINT CENTRE FOR CHILD GUIDANCE