Socialization
Monday November 26, 2007
What do parents of gifted children and homeschooling parents have in common -- other than the fact that some parents fall into both categories? The answer is that they are concerned about the socialization of their children. And if they aren't concerned, someone around them probably is and will invariably ask: "Aren't you worried that your child's socialization?"
Homeschooling parents are asked that question because their children don't spend their days with a roomful of same-age peers. Parents of gifted children, those who aren't homeschooling,are asked that question when they want to send their children to a school for gifted children or get their child into a gifted program in their local school.
But these children are presumably all interacting with other human beings; they are being social. So what exactly do we mean when we talk about the socialization of children? Manfred B. Zysk, a homeschooling parent, says this about the school environment in his article Homeschooling and the Myth of Socialization:
Poll: What is socialization?
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Homeschooling parents are asked that question because their children don't spend their days with a roomful of same-age peers. Parents of gifted children, those who aren't homeschooling,are asked that question when they want to send their children to a school for gifted children or get their child into a gifted program in their local school.
But these children are presumably all interacting with other human beings; they are being social. So what exactly do we mean when we talk about the socialization of children? Manfred B. Zysk, a homeschooling parent, says this about the school environment in his article Homeschooling and the Myth of Socialization:
"This environment only promotes alienation from different age groups, especially adults. This is beginning to look like the real socialization problem."What do you think? As you think about your answer, keep in mind that I'm asking about defining the socialization of children. Is your answer too complicated for a poll? Share you views by clicking on the comment link below.
Poll: What is socialization?
- Learning to get along with same-age children
- Learning to get along with children of different abilities
- Learning to get along with everyone, all ages, all abilities
- Learning how to behave in society
- All of the above
- None of the above
- Have more to say? Share your thoughts.
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Comments
Socialization, for us, is letting our son play with children his own age and learning how to interact with them as well as adults and older children. He is a naturally friendly and outgoing boy but tends to be, because of his intellect, doing things on his own. We feel that socialization is more than ‘getting along ‘ with people, it is learning the process of interaction where you can be in your own space, interact with others and not violate their respective spaces. It is about respecting and sharing ideas and learning that not every grownup is correct and that not every child needs to be a playmate or friend. I had a very hard time as a child, and as a young adult, interacting with people my own age because of the social and intellectual gaps in our spheres. We don’t want those gaps to be a negative for him but rather an incentive to bridge and build paths to understanding.
Why does socialization for children have to be with peers of the same age group? My friends are of various ages, most are not the same age as I am. People form close friendships with others who are close to their own IQ, age has little to do with it.
I am a ‘gifted child’ who is now 25. Over the course of my education, I was home-schooled, went to private school, went to a Gifted Academy within a public school, and went to a public university.
I can tell you, based on my own experiences, that socialization is not something that comes naturally to gifted students. Frankly, this is because most people do not understand what we are talking about or how we think.
You can put a gifted student in any kind of social setting to try to help her develop social skills, but the only thing that matters is whether or not the people with which the gifted child is interacting, understand the thoughts the gifted child is trying to communicate.
It was my experience as a gifted child in a normal school class, that not only was I extremely isolated from my peers (because we simply just thought about different things) but often I would be punished by teachers who didn’t understand the differences between smart and gifted children.
I highly recommend to any parent with a gifted child to research “gifted child” and find teachers who are well versed in the differences between “smart” and “gifted”.
Gifted children can suffer from severe depression, isolation, and suicide.
Gifted children are constantly misunderstood.
Gifted children are special needs children! Their brains work differently!