While many presume that academically “gifted” students must thrive in school, the reality can be quite the opposite.
Often, the traditional school environment simply isn’t designed to meet the needs of learners with high academic potential. For example, since everyone in a classroom typically learns at the same pace, gifted students often get bored by easy work. In turn, they can quickly become demotivated. Physical classrooms can also be filled with distractions (for example, behaviour concerns) that make it difficult for gifted children to focus and reach their full potential.
Sadly, research also shows that over 65% of gifted children may be victims of bullying before they even reach adolescence. This can be a particularly big concern for the many gifted children who are “twice exceptional,” meaning their academic strengths sit alongside autism, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, or special educational needs.
To truly thrive, your gifted child needs a school environment that suits the way they learn — like online school, for example. Read on to learn three ways online schools are helping gifted children accelerate their learning.
1. Learn at a Faster Pace
It’s often recommended that gifted students skip a year, or even several, to avoid becoming bored in class. However, skipping a year can bring its own challenges. Just because a child is performing above their age in class, doesn’t mean they’re developing faster emotionally too. Gifted children often have the same interests, social skills, and maturity level as their friends of the same age, so moving them into classrooms with older children can lead to students feeling out of place or struggling to make friends.
With online school, however, students can learn at a faster pace without having to leave their friends behind. The best online schools give families the opportunity to move their child into a higher year group for one lesson or the entire curriculum while still ensuring they can socialise with children their own age through virtual clubs and activities. Since online schools are a popular choice for gifted children, your child may even have fellow classmates who are the same age as them in their accelerated lessons.
Some online schools also offer personalised education programmes, allowing children to learn ahead of the rest of the class without moving year groups at all. These programmes match to each child’s pace, giving them the right activities and materials for their progress level.
2. Eliminate Classroom Distractions
If your gifted child already feels like they’re being held behind by the pace of their classes, lesson distractions are likely to be even more frustrating. It’s hard to focus and make progress when fellow students are chatting or not following classroom rules.
One of the advantages of online classrooms is that they’re designed to eliminate these disruptions. Since students are learning in their own home, they won’t need to worry about what their classmates are doing at their desks. They’ll still be able to raise a hand or talk to their teachers and peers via typed chat or microphone, but there’s no background chatter to worry about.
This gives learners all the benefits of studying together, collaborating in discussions and doing group work without any of the usual disruption.
3. More Time to Explore Interests
No matter how high your child’s academic potential is, even the most gifted students shouldn’t study round-the-clock. In fact, having time to explore interests can actually help students accelerate and deepen their learning even more. While a lot of great education can happen in a classroom, applying that knowledge in the real world is of great benefit too.
Plus, hobbies and pursuits outside of school can help children become more well-rounded young people and ease some of the stresses of modern-day academic life. Even leisure activities like video games and playing outdoors are important for a child’s wellbeing, helping them stay motivated to learn.
That’s why having more time to explore interests is so useful to online school students. The flexibility and shorter, disruption-free classes at online schools mean students often have more time between and after classes to spend on whatever they’re passionate about. If you choose an online school where lessons are recorded, your child will also be able to take on commitments like sports competitions, acting auditions, and internships without missing out on their learning.
4. Welcoming School Environment
Online schools are unique in that they tend to attract students for a huge variety of reasons. Some students may study online because they’re living abroad or staying in a remote area with little access to good schools. Others choose online school because they’re neurodivergent and want an environment that affirms and supports them. Some even go virtual to fit their education around acting, sports competitions, and more.
This makes for a truly diverse, inclusive school community. When everyone’s uniqueness is embraced and celebrated, students tend to be kinder, more accepting, and more understanding of their classmates who are different to them. If your child is one of the 65% of gifted students who’s been bullied, moving online can be life changing.
King’s InterHigh: The Leading Online School
If you’re looking for a better fit for your gifted child, consider King’s InterHigh. At King’s InterHigh, students learn in small, live, focused, and engaging classes each school day. Every student gets their own, tech-powered personalised learning pathway, and families can choose to enrol their child in a higher year group than their age. Plus, with flexible timetables, a warm school community, and lots of social activities, students are always happy to learn.
