Today we are going to tell you the story of a gifted 4 year-old boy who experienced a horrible situation at school. Some people might think every child learns the same way, but this is not true because each child has different needs and rhythms. For example, some students have a more developed mind than the rest of the class, so they already know things people of their age normally don’t.
The case we are going to tell you has one of these students as a protagonist, a French boy whose story is special and complex. So, let’s learn more about him.
Difficult beginning
From the moment this boy started nursery things didn’t go so well… The teacher didn’t understand he was way more intelligent than the rest of the children of his age. Instead of assigning him tasks that motivated him, she asked him to do basic exercises like tracing lines with a pencil.
The thing with this exercise is that the boy found it very boring and non-sense. He couldn’t focus on the task because his mind was on another level. Unfortunately, the teacher scolded him in front of the rest of the children and telling him he was ‘’bad’’ and that ‘he couldn’t do anything.’’ Imagine how sad and frustrated the boy must have felt just because the teacher didn’t understand this boy was that intelligent for his age.
No more school
Because of this traumatizing experience, the boy started to hate going to school, he didn’t want to go back. This was a difficult situation for his parents because they knew their son had an incredible talent, but needed a place where he was truly understood. What should you do as parents in this case?
Starting all over again
In the end, the family found a kindergarten in Niza, France, that was better prepared to teach gifted children. There, teachers started to pay attention to the boy and they found amazing things.
Even though he was so young, the boy mastered complex verbal tenses, like subjunctive. Don’t think this is easy, most adults still find it difficult. What’s more, he had a rich vocabulary and could express himself very clearly. That’s not all! He showed great interest in difficult topics for his age like dinosaurs, and he spent hours and hours researching them.
The boy’s family
The parents quickly understood their boy needed a different treatment, so they decided to adjust their work schedules so that they could pick him up earlier from school. They did this because the boy found spending so many hours at school exhausting. Fortunately, this method was a success since the boy started to feel safer and calmer.
Step by step, the boy started to show everything he knew, for example: his handwriting was impeccable, he corrected first-graders when they confused letters when reading, and he had an advanced level on Maths.
What he really needed
The headteacher of the school explained that the boy had been hiding his skills because he feared the rest of the people were going to criticize him, as it happened in his previous school. However, when he felt safe, he started to show who he really was and that what he needed was challenges according to his level.
Lesson learned
As you can see, this case is a great example of how important it is that children learn in an accurate environment and receive support. With the proper tools, gifted children can develop their talents. What nobody should ever do is criticize or limit them just because they are different from what they are supposed to be or do for their age.