How To Spot And Encourage Your Child's Talents

Parenting

- Fatema Agarkar

Talent Spotting is an art, and must be initiated only when the child reaches a level of maturity (translated as Middle/ High School). Research does suggest that South East Asian countries, in particular, are fascinated and obsessed with 'outcomes' and performance to a point that any deviation from the benchmark that they are used to that boosts of some skill enhancement is considered as an opportunity to 'optimize'.

The National Education Policy adopting the global practiced structure of 5 plus 3 plus 3 plus 4, defines the age group 8 to 11 as Preparatory Years (Grades 3 to 5). These are formative and developmental years that exhibit many changes including the child's need to experiment and explore more. For one, there is the independence that sets in, and children during these primary years are developing a mind of their own and willing to 'try' many activities or tasks being enthusiastic, open-minded, and fearless.