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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m not going to read through the whole thread so sorry if this is repetitive.  But I would not worry about developing a good “work ethic” too much at this point.  [b]Elementary school homework is often profoundly boring for the gifted and forcing them to do it may just make them burn out or turn off school.  Focus on the assignments that are inherently challenging (Like writing a biography) and ignore the stuff that is just busy work for them. [/b] Focus on encouraging and feeding heir interests and also try to encourage the thinking that a challenge is good, and of something is hard, hat just means it’s more interesting.  Most gifted kids skate through early elementary and then when they get to something they actually need to learn, they get frustrated quickly because they’ve never had to actually try to learn something.  Focus on feeding their passion for learning and curiosity—I think that’s worth investing some of your income there (so if they are passionate about archaeology, take them to Jamestown and, if you’ve got the cash, Italy.  Or at least take them to the museums downtown and hit the library to find books on that topic.)

Also, I actually don’t think mediocre grades in hS are the end of the world.  A lot of gifted kids are really bored by many HS classes so they check out.  In college, they can find more challenging classes that are in tune with their interests and then real bloom and end up at a great graduate school.  Sometimes the kids that are more focused on getting across the board A’s and being “well rounded” for college applications never really find their passion.  That was sort of me.  I went to a top college, did great, but never really focused in on what I love.  I’ve got a fine career, but I know others that did much worse in HS that have careers they really love.[/quote]

I really disagree with the bolded statement.  First, if the assignments are ridiculously easy, then they can be polished off quickly and accurately and kid can move on to other things.  The “that’s beneath you”/“ignore the boring stuff” attitude is really damaging in the long run for a host of reasons.  By contrast, developing speed and accuracy wrt rote tasks is quite useful.  Secondly, the boring vs inherently challenging distinction removes the kid’s agency.  It’s worth recognizing, from an early age, that you can raise the bar yourself.  Finding what’s interesting and learning how to engage/motivate yourself are important life skills.
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I disagree with this though - early elementary school busy work is totally overdone and not a good use of anyone’s time. A little bit, sure. But really playtime, building things or just about any other activity is more valuable at this age. A lot of kids become totally disengaged from school when they are inundated with a lot of boring unnecessary busy work. [/quote]

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