What does being More Able mean?

More Able is a term used in schools to describe children who have the potential to develop significantly beyond what is expected for their age.

It refers to a child who has above average abilities in one or more academic subjects, such as English or maths or to a child who has very strong skills in a practical area such as music, sport or art.

For parents:

If your child has been identified as being More Able in one or more of their subjects then how best can you support them?

Take an interest – not just in what they are doing but in how they are doing it. Get your child to explain to you how they are using problem solving in maths or how they are planning to write that essay in English. Push them to be able to explain.

Encourage them to think about what they do in order to achieve tasks successfully – did they persevere? Try a variety of approaches? Take a risk? Knowing how they learn best will help your gifted and talented child when the work becomes harder.

Recognise that being a high attainer can bring pressures – sometimes students expect to get it right every time – and this just isn’t possible. Sometimes students achieve highly in one subject and need support in another.

Outside of the home: encourage your child to take advantage of what London has to offer in terms of Art Galleries and museums.

Useful sites:

www.potentialplusuk.org

Reading for parents:

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S.Dweck

How to Help Your Child Succeed at School by Dr Dominic Wyse

Smart but Scattered by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare

Going Up! The No Worries Guide to Secondary School by Jenny Alexander

The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child by Mart Olsen Laney

The Challenge of the Able Child by David George.