Teaching Thursday: Discovering and Encouraging Your Child’s Talents

My little one has always been obsessed with lining his cars up in a straight line, all facing the same direction. He also loves grouping his building blocks in pairs by colour and size. We see this behaviour while we are waiting in the queue at our local grocery store. He packs or lines up all the chocolates and sweets to ensure that they are neat and even. He also has an obsession with anything on wheels and machinery. When we take him to the park he spends most of his time investigating and observing how the rides work. I have to push the see-saw up and down so he can investigate why it goes up on one side and down on the other. He doesn’t accept that it works; he needs to know why and how it works. We saw all these traits as a gift that needed to be nurtured.

 

If your child likes to sort or pair objects he or she may thrive in a tidy environment. This kind of child may be an auditory-sequential learner. Auditory-sequential learners learn to memorise things by verbal instructions. They see the small details first and the bigger picture afterwards. An auditory-sequential learner listens and follows instructions easily and pays particular attention to finer details. They may excel in logic based subjects like mathematics and science.

 

You may want to encourage this type of gift by playing sorting and mathematics based games. They thrive by being taught using step-by-step methods with lots of repetition and revision.

Image from instructables.com

If your child likes to tinker with objects to find out how they work he or she may be a visual-spatial learner. He or she would probably thrive in an environment that allows them to tinker and explore. Visual-spatial learners learn in pictures. They see the larger picture first and then break it down into step-by-step sequences. They have an amazing memory and can recall even the smallest most insignificant things. Visual-spatial learners tend to be creative. They have an affinity for science, engineering, music, drama or inventing.

 

You may want to encourage this type of gift by getting or making a busy board, musical instruments or building blocks. Visual-spatial learners excel in difficult tasks more than easier ones. They don’t have to revise lessons many times over to remember it.

Image from Pixabay

 

If your child talks a mile a minute, that’s a gift too! He or she may have a vast vocabulary or come up with weird and wonderful stories. The gift of the gab is beneficial at school and in the workplace. People with such talents make fantastic public speakers, lawyers and journalists.

 

You may want to encourage your child by improving their reading and writing skills. Get lots of books, tell and make up stories and engage in mini debates. It is important to teach children with such talents the value of listening to others and quiet time (mostly for your sake).

Image from Pixabay

 

If your child seems like they are always in a faraway land, they may have the gift of imagination and creativity. He or she may love dressing up, engaging in pretend play or drawing and painting. Their creativity allows them to see an item and use it in a new and surprizing way. People with such talents make great artists, designers, decorators, filmmakers and scientists.

 

You may want to encourage your child by providing lots of art materials, instruments, doing science experiments, providing dress up clothing items and taking them to the theatre or art gallery.

 

Other talents your child might have is natural leadership skills, taking care of or loving others or the environment, an affinity for sports, the ability to captivate and entertain anyone they come into contact with; maybe they’ve always been a wiggly worm and love to move and dance or they may be excellent at solving puzzles. Every child is different and talented in their own way. It is our job as parents to hone in and support them and their talents.

 

 

What is your child’s talent?

Don’t be afraid to drop a comment in the box below. I’d love to hear from you. 🙂

 

Stay Blessed!