영재 아동의 이해와 육성

영재 아동은 종종 오해를 받기도 하는데, 잠재력을 발휘하기 위해서는 특별한 양육이 필요합니다.

### 영재 아동의 이해와 육성
* 🎁 "백 년에 한 번, **수백만 명 중 한 명은 실제로 그렇게 될 수 있습니다**."
* 🧠 영재는 일반적으로 **상위 2~3%**에 속하는 어린이로, 똑똑한 것 이상의 독특한 특성을 가지고 있습니다.
* 📚 '영재'라는 용어는 국가마다 번역과 역사적 기원이 다르기 때문에 **개념적 혼란**이 있습니다.
* 🦄 영재 아동은 종종 **극단적인 감수성과 과제 몰입도** 등 각 아동에게 도전적이고 독특한 행동을 보입니다.
* 🔍 조셉 렌줄리 박사가 제안한 영재성의 **'세 가지 고리 모델'**에는 높은 IQ, 창의성, 과제 몰입도가 핵심 요소로 포함되어 있습니다.
* 🧒 아이큐가 높은 영재는 종종 **고급 언어 능력이나 조기 읽기 능력**과 같은 발달의 초기 징후를 보입니다.
* 🧠 영재를 판별하는 데는 일반적으로 **IQ 테스트**가 사용되지만, **창의성과 과제 몰입도를 평가**하는 것은 더 주관적이고 어려울 수 있습니다.
* 🛠 부모는 영재 아동의 고유한 특성을 보호하고 육성하는 동시에 **정서적 안정의 토대**를 제공하는 데 우선순위를 두는 것이 중요합니다.

Once every hundred years, there might be one person out of a few million people who actually becomes one. Academically, there is a slight difference among scholars, but it is most commonly seen as the top 2% to 3% of children. Gifted children are different from typical children. They are quite different in many ways. Instead of simply saying they are smart, they have different characteristics. Hello, my name is Hyungbeom Lee. I graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Mathematics, worked in IT, and now work as an education consultant. By chance, while working at Mensa Korea, I became interested in highly intelligent children. Then, by another coincidence, I started focusing on advising parents of gifted children who face challenges in raising them as a major part of my work. In 1996, when Mensa landed in Korea, I had the opportunity to organize the national organization by chance.

I got involved a bit, then served as the head of the secretariat, and was re-elected as the chairman, serving for about four years. During that time, I became interested in gifted individuals, and by chance, I started reading related books. The book was titled Education White Paper, published in the United States in 1996 and displayed in bookstores. I translated that book, and while introducing the translated contents online, I started to feel that some people were afraid. They began consulting with me online for the first time, and my voluntary online counseling gradually accumulated. Eventually, my career changed. The term gifted seems to have some conceptual confusion. In Korea, we say 영재 (gifted), but in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, they don't call it 영재 (gifted), they call it 자우라 (talented).

Children use the term gifted child in English, which means that it is like a gift because it is said to be receiving a good head like a gift. So, it could be translated literally as a child with a good head. The word 영재(Prodigy) actually originates from the book of Mencius, Mencius: Jin Xin Pian. In that book, it mentions three joys in the life of a Confucian scholar, and one of them is obtaining a prodigy under heaven. It is a great joy to take a clever prodigy under heaven as a disciple and teach that child. This is a shortened expression for the three joys of life in Confucian scholars' lives. Therefore, the word 영재(Prodigy) is derived from there. That's why the word 천하(under heaven) is attached to 영재(Prodigy) - whether one will appear once in a hundred years.

There is a feeling of being one in a few million people, so the word gifted is a bit awkward in terms of economics. However, academically, although there are slight differences among scholars, it is most commonly seen as the top 2% to 3% of children. Therefore, the difference between gifted children and typical children is actually quite ambiguous depending on how terminologies are defined. In the case of Mensa, for example, it is now based on the top 2%, which is the most commonly used academic criterion. So, if we look at it that way, we can say a few words. Gifted children are indeed different from typical children. They are quite different, and these differences are not simply about being smart. They are a bit more challenging to handle, have strong personalities, are quite sensitive, and have delicate sensibilities. Therefore, they are children who are difficult to raise.

And the behaviors exhibited by these children are very unique to each child. Some children talk too much, while others try not to talk much, some are perfectionists to an extreme extent. Usually, when I talk about two characteristics that are the strongest, I talk about excess and deficiency. Excess means going a bit too far in anything. So, when I counsel with parents, some mothers are too controlling, too stubborn, too picky about things like food preferences, too sensitive to smells, or have very intense reactions. Easily, they are sensitive in touch, hearing, etc., so while others are okay, this child is very easily stimulated, gets startled, cries, or holds their ears in pain, or makes a distressed expression.

Now, because many of these incidents are occurring frequently, it's a bit difficult. Next is the immersion characteristic. When something they like appears, they can't control their minds and get deeply into it, sometimes for a long time. It can go on for hours, two hours, three hours. Young children can't do that. Usually, no matter how good something is, after 10 or 15 minutes, they start to get bored. They might want adults to do something fun for them. These kids, on the other hand, can immerse themselves for hours. For example, they might chase after ants they saw on the street for a long time. It's difficult to predict their immersion characteristics, which can suddenly appear unpredictably, making it challenging to nurture them. Dr. Renzulli from the University of Connecticut in the United States is now probably the most famous and influential scholar in the field of gifted education. Of course, Dr. Renzulli is talking about this.

Besides Park Se, there are now quite a few famous people entering this field, but Dr. Joo's Cow Three-Half Circle Model is the most famous. So, just because someone has a high IQ, how can you call them a prodigy? Therefore, two more things are being presented. One is creativity, and the next is task commitment. When you commit to something, you try your best to solve it no matter what, putting effort into it, not giving up or being wishy-washy. Some element like that is needed. Later on, if this person really shows extraordinary abilities as a prodigy and can achieve results, wouldn't that be possible? So, when these three elements overlap, let's see it as a prodigy. This model was presented by Lens Lee Park, and now, if you look at the actual documents related to prodigy education in various countries, it's not just regulations or laws.

Nowadays, the expression of looking at three elements is often seen everywhere. In fact, in academic books and papers, there are many discussions based on the three-ring model as a basic concept. When I meet many children in the field, the evaluation of creativity is not yet firmly established. Creativity is discussed in various ways. For example, there are elements where even without being asked, they can elaborate on details in a very articulate manner, and then there are elements where when presented with a single topic, they can come up with various associations from different perspectives. There is a tendency to measure these two elements, but from one perspective, there is a tendency to completely break the existing framework and come up with completely new ideas, turning things upside down, or looking at things backwards, or even thinking of other things that others have not considered.

Throwing objects or breaking frames can be seen as a characteristic of challenging authority. Then, the obsession with tasks also has quite a subjective element. In other words, they delve deeply into what they like, but when it comes to what they dislike, they either show no interest, ignore it completely, or even act strangely. So, the focus on tasks is still influenced by how a person evaluates it, and different indicators come out depending on that. Therefore, although there is some persuasiveness, when we actually look at it, besides IQ, it is somewhat difficult to evaluate more objectively and fairly. Personally, I would like to see these children from the perspective of having a very high intellectual potential. In reality, even IQ tests evaluate the amount of knowledge or the level of development of a child.

Rather than evaluating what we see, it is more about evaluating potential, which is why at present, it can be considered realistic to talk about giftedness with an emphasis on IQ. In reality, even now, in many places, eligibility is granted based on a simple IQ test. Children with high IQs actually have strong gazes and their language skills are quite high. They can use sophisticated vocabulary that might seem beyond what a three, four, or five-year-old can say. They may come across as bold or even overly so, using advanced vocabulary that adults use, but they do so with a logical structure, expressing their thoughts clearly. When parents observe them, most of the characteristics of their development will show up quickly. Simply put, usually around the age of one or two.

You can think of it as children starting to speak, even at a much younger age, there are children who can speak. Generally, there are quite a few starting from about 3 years old. They have learned to read letters here and there. There are quite a few children who have started reading Hangul. It's quite fast for around 3 years old. But there are even faster children. There are children who can read even before they turn 2, and there are even faster ones. Children who read before the age of 3 and started speaking something about 6 months before that, if you consider that very fast, it's the easiest to see, Oh, this one is a bit different. It may be necessary to objectively evaluate giftedness once, and it's hard to say when it will be evaluated uniformly. From a practical perspective, as intelligence tests and technologies have their own history for about 140 years, we can evaluate even at a young age. We use the most widely used Weschler.

In the case of check-ups, they can be conducted from 2 years and 6 months, which is 30 months old. Even younger children now have Bailey or developmental tests. These tests can objectively evaluate the responses of children by showing them various items, even for infants around 15 days old. However, there is no urgent need to evaluate them so early. In our Bailey Infant Developmental Cognitive Development Test, there are tools that can identify children with significantly delayed development or developmental disabilities in advance. It is generally known as a necessary test in cases where early intervention is needed. What I recommend is to consider getting a test done once before the age of 5. Because early admission works much better for such children.

In order to examine the need for early admission, it is recommended to assess children around the age of 4 to 5, before the age of 5 and a half. I suggest conducting evaluations such as the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) every month, approximately 60 cases, and around 700 cases in a year. Cumulatively, it would be around 8,000 cases. What I emphasize here is that excessive behaviors, being too extreme, whether it's crying too loudly, being too long, being too sensitive, or being too fast. Focusing excessively on one thing, delving into it to the point where it may be considered overly obsessed, can be seen as one of the most intense characteristics. However, this could be related to letters, numbers, obsession with toys, specific images, and therefore, it cannot be generalized.

There are none, but now, naturally, if adults around children see a child a bit differently, they might hear some stories like that. In that case, it is necessary to check once. Dr. Sally Anck provides about 30 self-diagnostic criteria in the form of a checklist. So, if it seems like there is a sense of humor, or if language development is very rapid, or if the child dreams very vividly and talks about it, she presents about 30 such criteria. Parents should check and give scores, and if the total score is above a certain level, there is a need for an objective evaluation. There is data on such things. So, you can search for that data on the internet and I recommend evaluating it with reference to that. The lives of young children are very diverse. What is our community's motto?

Did you catch it? How to raise a bird flying in the sky from a nest on the ground. That's the title. It's really about developing one's potential well, becoming an excellent talent, experiencing various experiences in life that others have not experienced, tasting the world of high achievements, and making accomplishments. It could lead to a very unhappy life if one fails to develop their abilities properly, feeling quite lonely, or leading a miserable life. However, the amplitude of this can be significant. So, why do some people with high intelligence and potential lead happy or successful lives while others do not? I believe that it is actually the parents who hold the key. Parents can either nurture their children's potential well or not maximize it.

When you look at it, what should parents prioritize? First of all, as I always say, it is not acceptable to exclude a child's happy childhood just because the child is highly intelligent. No one has the right to do that, not even parents. Therefore, it seems wrong for professionals to easily say, I will develop the child to enter a good school because they are highly intelligent. Instead, they should be aware that a child with high potential also has very difficult characteristics to handle. They should make a decision to actively protect, guard, and nurture the child's unique characteristics, so that the child's childhood is not ruined. If you focus on this and make efforts, you will create a foundation for emotional stability.

When those things are provided, a child can grow in many ways. If you force them to speak early, they can develop giftedness quickly. I absolutely oppose this. The more a child has strong characteristics and intellectual elements, the more actively they can study even if they start later. It is more important to actively make efforts for the emotional stability of the child or the formation of good relationships. When such a foundation is established, the child can excel in academic competition or achieve high academic achievements. With a solid foundation, they can excel to a very high level. It would be great if you have this perception.

'진짜' 똑똑한 아이들은 이것을 잘합니다, IQ가 높은 아이들이 보통아이들과 다른점 (지형범 전 멘사회장)

데일리어썸 DAILY AWESOME

학업성적 상위 2~3%에 속하는 영재는 단순히 똑똑하다는 것 외에도 여러 가지 면에서 일반 아이들과 다릅니다.

서울대학교를 졸업한 이형범 대표는 멘사 코리아에서 일하다 영재 자녀를 둔 부모들을 위한 조언자로 전향했습니다.

'영재'라는 용어는 문화권마다 다른 의미를 지니고 있어 이 특별한 아이들을 정의하는 데 모호함을 더합니다.

영재 아동의 독특한 행동과 특징

영재 아동은 과잉과 결핍, 활동에 대한 강렬한 몰입, 강한 과제 집착 등 독특한 행동을 보입니다.

이러한 행동은 양육하기 어려울 수 있으며 양육과 교육에 대한 다른 접근 방식이 필요합니다.

영재 아동의 평가는 창의성, 과제 몰입도, 이러한 요소의 중첩을 포함하는 세 가지 고리 모델을 기반으로 하여 뛰어난 능력을 파악합니다.

영재 아동이 물건을 던지거나 액자를 부수는 것은 권위에 도전한다는 신호일 수 있습니다.

과제에 대한 강한 집중력은 주관적이고 좋아하는 것과 싫어하는 것에 영향을 받기 때문에 평가하기가 어렵습니다.

영재성은 현재 많은 곳에서 자격의 기준으로 사용되는 높은 IQ와 연관되어 있는 경우가 많습니다.

영재 아동은 아주 어린 나이에 말하기와 읽기 등 언어 능력과 조기 발달을 보이는 경우가 많기 때문에 영재성을 객관적으로 평가하는 것이 중요하지만 일률적으로 평가하기는 여전히 어렵습니다.

어린이 조기 발달 검사의 중요성

조기 발달 검사는 잠재적인 발달 지연이나 장애를 파악하기 위해 생후 15일부터 실시할 수 있습니다.

조기 개입이 더 효과적이므로 만 5세 이전에 검사를 받는 것을 고려하는 것이 좋습니다.

샐리 앵크 박사는 부모가 자녀의 발달 상태를 평가하고 추가 평가가 필요한지 판단할 수 있도록 30가지 자가 진단 기준 체크리스트를 제공합니다.

자녀의 잠재력 키우기: 부모의 핵심 역할

아이의 잠재력을 개발하는 것은 성공적이고 행복한 삶으로 이어질 수 있지만, 이를 위해서는 아이의 정서적 안정과 고유한 특성을 우선적으로 고려해야 합니다.

지능이 높은 자녀의 조기 학업 발달을 위해 노력하는 것은 정서적 행복을 키우는 것보다 덜 중요합니다.

부모는 자녀의 개성을 적극적으로 보호하고 정서적 안정을 우선시함으로써 자녀의 성공 기반을 조성하는 데 중요한 역할을 합니다.