During early education, one of the most important environmental factors that can help lead a child to later academic success is finding the proper level of introductory difficulty, pace, and stimulation. Different students will have different natural aptitudes: some will prefer reading exercises while others prefer math, and some will prefer visual data representations while others prefer to hear a teacher read aloud from a book. Identifying your student's learning preferences and tendencies can be an incredibly meaningful step toward making his or her educational experience as engaging and effective as possible. Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs, also referred to as Talented and Gifted (TAG) programs, are provided in some school systems as an opportunity to present different curricula and challenges to those students who demonstrate advanced aptitudes from an early age. Admittance into these programs can be determined with any one of a variety of elementary standardized tests, such as the CogAT, OLSAT, or NNAT, though many others may be offered, depending on your geographic location.
The quicker pace and increased difficulty of material presented is designed to keep students fascinated with academic concepts, where they may have become bored or disinterested in a class moving at a slower rate. If your child has been accepted into a GATE or TAG program, then there can be no doubt about the advanced nature of his or her cognition. Even so, the different ways that different subjects may appeal to your student may cause him or her to excel in one area, but struggle in another. Such discrepancies can be highlighted in a GATE or TAG curriculum, causing frustration that can lead to academic aversions and future difficulties simply based on this negative experience. If your child has demonstrated exceptional academic ability, but still struggles to completely master some of the concepts presented in his or her coursework, consider enlisting the help of an instructor. GATE/ TAG tutoring programs are designed to keep your student challenged in the areas in which he or she excels, while building foundations and strengthening conceptual understanding in those areas in which your child has difficulty. Private GATE/ TAG tutoring can provide a personalized environment, allowing your child to receive one-on-one instruction.
