Supporting Mathematically Gifted And Talented Students

In this brief article I will discuss the challenges facing mathematically gifted and talented students in our secondary schools and at home. Many mathematically gifted and talented students (MGTs) face many challenges due to curriculum limitation and lack of teachers who are trained to diagnose and support MGTs. The inability to diagnose and support such students is particularly critical since many students end up performing way below their potential.

As a parent or teacher, before classifying your child as dumb or lazy and disruptive, ask yourself, could they be mathematically gifted and talented or could they also be suffering from a learning disability? If a student is performing poorly, it does not necessarily mean they are dumb. It may be they are mathematically gifted or talented but they have not been diagnosed and do not get the support they need.

Remember geniuses do not always come in form of bright and well-behaved children. Genius is sometimes hidden under some form of “dumbness”, disruptive behaviour or even misdiagnosed learning disability.

MGTs learn better when they are encouraged to think freely, develop mathematical thinking in a creative way and “day dream” about their own mathematical “pet” problems which are sometimes beyond the scope of the class syllabus. They also enjoy working independently and participating in intellectually stimulating group activities without excessive intervention by the teachers. MGTs are also likely to be demanding, challenging, critical and oversensitive and may even intimidate some teachers who are not trained to manage such students. Some MGTs may experience social, emotional and behavioural challenges. It is not surprising, therefore, that many MGTs may exhibit disruptive behaviour in the classroom and may even appear unruly at home because they are bored and no one seems to understand their needs.

When a mathematically gifted and talented student also suffers from a form of learning disability, and they are not diagnosed as such, the teacher and parents find it difficult to manage such students. For instance, MTGs with special learning needs like Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, dyslexia or dyscalculia pose special challenges to many teachers. They may be classified as dumb because of lack of capacity to diagnose their problem and it is also easy to do so. That way, they are taken to special needs (SEN) class where their intellectual power continues to “die” gradually. Inability to diagnose MGTs and to support them is a serious issue which affects the child for life. Many of our greatest mathematicians and scientists were diagnosed with some type of mental illness or disability. This did not deter them from becoming great scientists or mathematicians because they had a chance of doing what they do best. In today’s highly structured school system, however, this support system is not always available.

Could your child be mathematically gifted and talented? Let’s support our MGTs.