Is Your Child Gifted?

"500,000 potentially gifted children are born each year" according to this new program on recognizing "giftedness" in your child. According to the host, the five areas where children might display above average capabilities are: 1) general intellectual ability, 2) specific academic aptitude, 3) creative or productive thinking, 4) leadership ability, and 5) ability in visual or performing arts. Although one professional avers that "giftedness" is "one of those difficult to quantify concepts," educators have nevertheless identified 46 specific traits which may be indicative of a gifted child. On the minus side, there's a lot of general talk on the program from a handful of private school principals and parents of gifted children, but there's very little commentary by or footage of these gifted children themselves. The production itself is also fairly low-budget with the interviewer's questions and reaction shots not even filmed in the same room as that in which the interview takes place. Finally, one mustn't overlook the fact that all of these parents, kids, and educators are in California. Meaning that just because a number of costly private institutions exist for the nurturing of these gifted charges of moneyed parents, it doesn't necessarily mean that California is enjoying a heretofore unremarked surge in I.Q. On the plus side, there's not a whole lot available on video on the subject, and the title alone will ensure that this program is going to fly off the shelve. And while Is Your Child Gifted? won't tell eager parents whether their child is "gifted" or not (in whatever legal sense of the word there is), it will give them some general ideas. An optional purchase. (See CONCERTO! for availability.)