Social-Emotional Health & Gifted Children
How can I help my gifted child be emotionally healthy?
Children’s Social-Emotional Health
“One of the wisest lessons gifted children have taught me is this: In order to lead happy and meaningful lives, all people – and especially gifted people – must spend at least as much time developing socially and emotionally as a person as they do focusing on their intellects. So often giftedness is equated with the knowledge or artifacts that people produce – be it a theorem or computer design. But what’s equally as important, I believe, is the memory they leave behind of what kind of person they were.”
~ Judy Galbraith
What is Social Emotional Learning?
We know that social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical to student success in school, work, and life. But what exactly is social and emotional learning? The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines social and emotional learning as, “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” These skills allow our children to calm themselves when angry, make friends, resolve conflicts respectfully, and make ethical and safe choices.
SEL skills include:
- recognizing and managing our emotions
- developing caring and concern for others
- establishing positive relationships
- making responsible decisions
- handling challenging situations constructively and ethically
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What does it look like in Lake Bluff?
In our district we approach SEL through curricular and instructional components (such as Capturing Kids Hearts) to help develop safe, caring, engaging and participatory learning environments. Our goals include building an attachment to school, motivation to learn, as well as academic achievement.
What can it look like for Gifted Learners?
We realize that some gifted children may be very emotionally intense, others have trouble connecting with same-age peers, and still others may have extremely high expectations for themselves. All of these characteristics impact a child’s social emotional well-being. You may have experienced some of these social emotional challenges in your own child(ren)! Several of the “Success Secrets” in Christine Fonseca’s book 101 Secrets of Success for Gifted Kids are related to helping gifted and talented children talk about social emotional wellness. The journaling page at the end of chapter 2, for example, offers questions to talk about with your child;
- What are the ways in which you demonstrate your giftedness (talents)? For example, How do you think, act, and feel about things?
- What aspects of your giftedness give you the most trouble?
- How can you stay in balance?
Resources
Consider reading further on this topic by digging into the following resources to support your child’s social and emotional health.
- SENG: Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted: SENG’s mission is to empower families and communities to guide gifted and talented individuals to reach their goals: intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
- CASEL: CASEL’s mission is to help make evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) an integral part of education from preschool through high school.
- The Smart Teens’ Guide to Living with Intensity by Lisa Rivero
- 101 Secrets of Success for Gifted Kids by Christine Fonseca
Happy Reading!
The Lake Bluff School District Enrichment Team
