Last week I did a segment on the Today show, “Is Your Child Gifted?” In the dozens of segments I’ve done for Today, none has generated as much interest among parents. My email box is over loaded. While I unfortunately do not have time to answer your individual questions, I will be adding more information about this topic these next few days. So stay tuned. Your question may show up in the blog. Just know that regardless of your child’s IQ, these same principles work for every child. After all, our real parenting goal is to make sure every child reaches their potential. 

Noted educator, Benjamin Bloom[i], and a team of researchers at the University of Chicago conducted a five-year study of 120 immensely gifted or talented young people. Among them were exceptional mathematicians and scientists, concert pianists, Olympic swimmers, and accomplished sculptors. Bloom’s research found that these world-class talents weren’t simply born talented—they were brought up to become talented. Although each child’s road to achievement differed slightly, their parents all used remarkably similar practices to nurture their gift. As most of us know, the odds that our children will become superstars are remove, but using these parenting practices will help your child live a richer life. Here are the steps to apply Bloom’s research to nurture your child’s unique gift:

·      Identify “the gift.” The parents’ first step was to recognize their child’s unique talent. Gifted children typically show exceptional talent in one or two areas only—not in everything. So watch for areas your child shows intense interest or passion (such as piano, computer, geology, violin, English history, mythology, math). Be sure it’s your child’s interest—not yours. Then choose one –and certainly no more than two-talents or strengths at one time so your child can really explore that interest more in depth and you can discover just how strong the interest is.

·      Emphasize encouragement.  The parents made sure their children’s early talent development was positive, fun and not pushed.

·      Make practices enjoyable. The parents made their practices enjoyable and usually sat with their kids as they practiced.

·      Provide resources to cultivate the talent. The children’s talents improved because parents constantly provided the necessary resources to nurture their skills.

·      Show interest. Parents attended every major activity to show support, and often learned the skill just so they could spend more time with their child.

·      Stand by–win or lose.  Each superstar had an encouraging parent standing by his side, celebrating his wins and cushioning his loses.

·      Focus on the talent.  All parents placed great emphasis on their children’s evident talents and spent tremendous time cultivating it for years.