LITTLE THINGS ABOUT LITTLE ONES

Dr. Gayatri Bezboruah

It is said that God blesses every person with at least one talent, if not more.

Talents are those special gifts in people which if nurtured and developed to the point of perfection can make the person admired and known for it. The recognition that usually comes with it helps build self – esteem and pride.

Identifying talent at a young age can be very beneficial, because then parents can work towards polishing it and bringing out the beautiful diamond within. Observation is the key and as parents we need to keep our eyes and ears open so that we can spot their areas of interest or liking. Once the area of potential is identified, steps can be taken to develop and nurture that talent by parents, teachers and others.

So how should we go about identifying talent in our children? It has been seen that the more the number of opportunities children get and the more the number of different activities they participate in, the easier it becomes to identify their talents and skills.

Make hay while the sun shines. Sometimes children may show a heightened level of interest in a particular field. For example, we take them to a sports shop to buy say, a football, but the kids may run towards a badminton racket hanging on the wall. Could be, they have never played that game ever, but suddenly that’s the main point of focus and interest. So, there is a situation where a football is of no interest all, and the need is for a badminton racket! Should we ignore this, or should we do something about it? Difficult question to answer, really, but good to remember that these could be signs of a budding badminton enthusiast....!

Teachers often play a major role in identifying talent in children. This is usually based on performance in class tests, assignments, classroom discussions and general observation of the children during school hours. Excellent academic performance in a particular subject in school also points to inherent talent in the subject. So we need to discuss with them and strike when the iron is hot.

Talents which are not present in conventional fields like drawing, singing, dancing, sports or studies are sometimes missed. Children who are very good at repartee and are always able to make their point firmly while debating and arguing any issue have qualities that can make good lawyers.

There are certain other signs we need to be aware of and look for. For example, look for the little ones who enjoy games which challenge the brain like solving puzzles, number games, riddles and crosswords. It means they enjoy pastimes which involve use of the intellect. Look for kids who begin to speak at a very early age and their ability to grasp languages and vocabulary is amazing. Some are quick learners and display signs of a strong and powerful memory at a young age. Others have unusually good analytical and reasoning ability. Its just a question of spending a little time and looking for it, really!

Dr. Gayatri Bezboruah is Associate Professor of Paediatrics, Guwahati Medical College. She can be reached at drgbezboruah@sify.com or melange.sentinel@rediffmail.com