How to Identify the Innate Abilities of Your Child

Every child has a distinct set of potentials. While some excel academically, others choose sports, arts, music, etc. to make the most of their abilities. Children, from a very early age, start displaying the signs of their potential in the form of interests, habits and passion.

If parents keep a keen eye they can easily discover where the heart of their child belongs. The strongest indicator of talent in young children is to track interest, curiosity and fascination with topics, toys, trends, pets or people; especially as they are exposed to new experiences. This process goes on throughout childhood, but when you know what to look for you can spot indicators as early as three or four and later on as well.

The type of education, extra-curricular activities, sports, summer camps, hobbies and college path are clearly mapped out when they know what they were born to do well; which prevents significant confusion and anxiety about the future.

Here in GIIS we include all these areas as a part of the holistic development along with various particular extra-curricular programs and after school programs to help the needs of our students and Advanced learning opportunities to the Gifted & Talented students along with support & guidance service.

Below are the few tips for parents to map out their child’s innate abilities-

1. Listen and understand your child’s curiosity & creativity as well as listen to what teachers or other family members & friends are saying about your son or daughter and never underestimate their passion.
2. Observe your child’s interests, mastery level about that particular area or areas & notice their love for those subjects.
3. Watch for their hobbies as your child’s hobby might be the area where her / his real potential actually lies.
4. Provide opportunity and let the interest grow & bloom by providing structure and guidance.
5. Study their behavior & be aware about the natural gifts and talents of your child that you can nurture to support their personal growth such as: Adaptability, Perseverance, Honesty, Enthusiasm, Teamwork, Entrepreneurship etc.

Children have innate creativity and ideas that they love to work on – through play, or other creative pursuits and encouraging them to pursue their ideas and asking them questions (think ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions to help develop their thinking) will help this gift continue to bloom