Is your child bored in class, does he or she feel misunderstood, or react to every injustice with disconcerting intensity? He or she may have a high intellectual potential (HIP), a profile that concerns children whose IQ is above 130.
If that is the case, rest assured: a gifted child does not need a separate curriculum, but support that takes their particular way of functioning into account.
Many of these children are actually doing very well, provided their needs are understood and taken into account. Parents, would you like to best help your gifted child? Our bilingual English school in Paris’ 16th arrondissement supports you day to day, starting with the article below.
Key Takeaways
- A gifted child is not defined solely by an IQ score, but by a different intellectual and emotional way of functioning.
- Boredom at school and social isolation are among the most common difficulties faced by gifted children.
- Their intellectual maturity does not always come with an equivalent emotional maturity.
- Suitable support relies mainly on personalising the school pathway.
- An ongoing dialogue between the family, the school and specialised professionals remains the child’s best support.
How can you recognise a gifted child?
A gifted child can first be recognised through certain precise characteristics, even before a formal diagnosis is made. Indeed, the official guide “Scolariser un élève à haut potentiel” (“Schooling a high-potential pupil”), published by the French Ministry of National Education, notes a particularly fast understanding and grasp of new knowledge, combined with a curiosity that pushes the child to keep questioning. This same sensitivity to their environment often comes with a strong need for their abilities to be recognised. The CAF (the French family benefits agency) also details several characteristic signs regularly observed in these children:
- They have a rich vocabulary for their age and show a curiosity that far exceeds that of their peers.
- They notice details and nuances with unusual sharpness.
- They react with marked emotional intensity in the face of injustice.
- They get bored quickly with repetitive tasks.
A reliable diagnosis also requires a psychological assessment, combining an intellectual efficiency test with a personality evaluation. An IQ score alone is not enough to define a gifted child: it must be paired with a broader assessment of how they function.
What difficulties can a gifted child face?
According to the French Ministry of National Education’s guide, gifted children are particularly prone to boredom when faced with repetitive learning, as well as to a position within the group that is often difficult. If it persists, this isolation can lead to dropping out of school or lasting psychological difficulties.
Moreover, intellectual maturity does not mean emotional maturity, the CAF points out. A gifted child can grasp complex concepts while struggling to manage their emotions or relationships with classmates. Left unheard, they sometimes gradually “switch off”, losing their vitality and their desire to learn. Fortunately, this is not the case for every high-potential child: many of them are doing very well, as soon as their way of functioning is understood and respected.
How can you best support a gifted child day to day?
Understanding how the child functions is essential, but not enough: action is also needed, both at school and at home. This same guide recommends activating several teaching levers, from cross-class enrichment to accelerating the school pathway when relevant. The CAF, for its part, stresses the importance of an equally decisive emotional support.
Adapting the school pathway to how the child functions
A genuinely personalised pathway relies first on differentiated teaching, rather than simply adding more exercises. The guide mentions enrichment through areas of interest, peer tutoring, or, more rarely, skipping a grade. A personalised plan dedicated to the child’s educational success then formalises these adaptations with the teaching team.
Taking into account the specific emotional needs of the gifted child
A gifted child above all needs to understand how they themselves function. So help them put words on what they feel, rather than playing down their emotional intensity. In addition, a full psychological assessment, combining an intellectual efficiency test with a personality evaluation, sheds light on which adaptations to prioritise. Finally, regular dialogue with the school prevents the child from feeling alone in facing their differences.
Our experience in the field: at École Galilée, every gifted child benefits from individualised support, built together with psychologists and neuropsychologists who have partnered with the school for over 10 years. Our small class sizes and our objective-based assessment, with no ranking between pupils, allow every child to move forward at their own pace, without ever getting bored or feeling judged.
Relying on a network of experts to better support your child
Supporting a gifted child does not mean taking everything on alone. Associations such as ANPEIP (the French national association for gifted children), which has supported families since 1971, offer a listening ear, resources and a network throughout France.
This collective of parents and professionals usefully complements the work carried out by the school. At École Galilée, this tailor-made approach for gifted children begins as early as our bilingual preschool in Paris and continues through to our bilingual high school in Paris, giving every child the time and framework they need to grow with confidence.
Does your gifted child need support that truly recognises the specifics of how they function? Meet the École Galilée team and discover our bilingual support designed for high-potential children.
Sources
- CAF, “Diagnostiquer et accompagner son enfant surdoué”, caf.fr. https://www.caf.fr/allocataires/vies-de-famille/articles/diagnostiquer-et-accompagner-son-enfant-surdoue
- Éduscol, French Ministry of National Education, “Vademecum: scolariser un élève à haut potentiel”, eduscol.education.gouv.fr. https://eduscol.education.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/document/vademecum-scolariser-un-eleve-haut-potentiel-67815.pdf
- ANPEIP, “Qui sommes-nous”, anpeip.org. https://www.anpeip.org/qui-sommes-nous/