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ESL forum >
Ask for help > language gifted children
language gifted children
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hania_arshes
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language gifted children
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Hi,
I need your help. The headmaster of the kindergarten I teach in asked me to
check if one of my students (a 4-year-old girl) is language gifted. The reason
they believe it is the fact that she can
recite English alphabet, but she has problems learning her mother tongue alphabet.
As for me, I had only few classes with her (and 25 other children) and I didn�t
notice anything special. In fact, she�s very quiet, and although she seems quite
interested in my lessons she stays in the back, and doesn�t repeat after me. I
don�t know yet if she remembers what I teach.
So, can you
give me an advice? I know that there are tests, but this girl is very young -
she can �t write or read - so tests that I know of won�t work with her. What
else can I do? Do you have any ideas? I�d be glad for any help.
Thanks in
advance! And have a wonderful teachers� day!! :)
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14 Oct 2011
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cheezels
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Reciting something is not the same as knowing something. Maybe someone at home has done the Alphabet song with her over and over and over again until she can recite it by heart.
Now if she can say what the letters are out of order if you hold up a flashcard, that �s another thing entirely.
Has she any other English skills besides being able to recite the alphabet?
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14 Oct 2011
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hania_arshes
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I really don �t know. I just started classes with her group and it �s too early for me to say anything about the children. It �s the headmaster who believes she might be gifted.
I �m going to talk to her on Tuesday, so I �ll check if she knows the letters out of order (btw, it �s a great idea - thanks!). I �ll also check if she remembers what I �ve been doing with her group so far, but I don �t know if there �s anything else I can do...?
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14 Oct 2011
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maryse pey�
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You can show her flashcards saying aloud the words, make her repeat them. Then show her the cards in a different order and ask her to say what it is. |
14 Oct 2011
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hania_arshes
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Well, that �s part of what I do during our everyday lessons, and most of the kids manage without problems, so it wouldn �t tell me that she �s special.
But, trully, I believe all kids are gifted in that sense. It �s only that they need to have fun while learning, if they do there �s nothing too difficult for them. Only the kids that are present at the lesson but don �t participate don �t learn - and there are exceptions to that rule.
It �s a pity the headmaster won �t take that for the answer. ;)
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14 Oct 2011
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