Practical Tips
Abraham Lincoln’s wisdom offers invaluable guidance for nurturing gifted children. His insights on happiness, motivation, and resilience can inspire young minds to embrace their unique abilities and strive for excellence.
Happiness
“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
― Abraham Lincoln
With gifted learners experiencing an intensity of feelings, they feel all feelings more than is typical, including happiness.
Motivation
“Whatever you are, be a good one.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Gifted students have many opportunities available to them because of their high cognitive ability. They need to learn early that success comes from hard work.
Kindness
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”
― Abraham Lincoln
If your gifted child doesn’t feel that he or she quite fits in, just consider that treating others with kindness can go a long way in being accepted, even if you don’t quite fit into any mold.
Reading
“My Best Friend is a
person who will
give me a book I have not read.”
― Abraham Lincoln
The best friend might be the person giving a good book, and it might be the book itself.
Uniqueness
“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves”
― Abraham Lincoln
All children need to feel empowered to be who they are. Schools need to appreciate all children regardless of differences.
Resilience
“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
― Abraham Lincoln
When the pressures of life start to take a toll, think about hanging on. Then remember to stop and find time to relax and reflect. Don’t allow your child to over-schedule.
Moxie
“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Parents should advocate for their gifted children, and more importantly, gifted children need to learn to advocate for themselves.
Tenacity
“I am not bound to win, but
I am bound to be true.
I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what
light I have.”
― Abraham Lincoln
The growth mindset teaches us that we may not always be right or best, but hard work makes progress and success, never perfection.
Virtue
“I would rather be a little nobody, then to be a evil somebody.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Be that person who is making good choices even when others are not.
Sense of Self
“You can fool some of the
people all of the time,
and all of the people
some of the time,
but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Your gifted child may feel like an imposter if he or she has the mindset that he must always be right, be the fastest, be the smartest, and never make a mistake. He or she may not understand what giftedness really means and have unfair expectations of self. Teach them that they don’t need to pretend or worry about doing any of those actions. They don’t have to fool anyone. They can be the best they can be, and that is good enough.
Commitment
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed
is more important than any one thing.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Success comes with practice and perseverance.
Goals
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Gifted children can be very creative. They can set goals, stick with it and think positive about what their effort can produce. This needs to be taught from a very early age.
Activity Time
How well were you concentrating on what you were reading? Here is a crossword puzzle. All the answer are found in what you just read. Have fun.
Crossword Puzzle
How to Use The Crossword Puzzle PDF
Interactive Puzzle
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3 Takeaways
Pause To Ponder!
Lincoln’s lessons teach kids to embrace challenges, lead with kindness, and stay true to themselves. By fostering resilience, motivation, and a love for learning, parents can help their children grow into confident, capable individuals who make a positive impact.
How can you incorporate Lincoln’s values into your child’s daily routine to support their personal and academic growth?
Let us know if we can help you in your journey.