{"id":423,"date":"2013-10-15T11:38:17","date_gmt":"2013-10-15T15:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/?p=423"},"modified":"2026-04-01T19:48:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T23:48:31","slug":"is-my-child-gifted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/is-my-child-gifted\/","title":{"rendered":"Is my child gifted?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\u00a0\"DSC_0769\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There is one comment that I often hear from parents that still catches me off guard: \u201cHe really responds to music!\u201d The sentiment is usually expressed with a mix of surprise and awe, but seeing children respond to music with delight, enthusiasm, passion, abandon, inventiveness and curiosity would likely surprise few teachers of young children. We are more surprised \u2013 concerned, even – when we don\u2019t<\/i> see those things.<\/p>\n

Our notions of what children are able to perceive have changed drastically in the last 40 years. Whereas we used to regard infants and young children as blank slates waiting to be inscribed, every month brings more reports on the remarkably sensitive distinctions babies are able to make in the language and music that they hear. By the time they are 4 years old, they have logged thousands of hours listening to the sounds that surround them. They are absolutely ready to engage.<\/p>\n

Along with the surprise that parents often express when they see their child so passionately responding to an art form that they themselves may now have little involvement with or feeling for, a question sometimes follows, \u201cDo you think he is gifted?\u201d (Not always stated so baldly, but\u2026) Though I often suppress it, my first instinct is to unequivocally shout, \u201cYes!\u201d no matter what child I am talking about. Having watched so many children over the years, I am constantly reminded that most are supremely gifted artists in that stage of their lives. We all used to be so: actively engaged in our environment during our waking ours, as all committed artists are; constantly creating and exploring in order to make sense of \u2013 and take delight in \u2013 our surroundings, ourselves and others.<\/p>\n

Over the coming year, if you peak in the door or window, you may see your child skipping with abandon, totally immersed in a drama or story, or lost in a sound world of his or her own creation. Our culture has made a fetish of musical ability – either you have it or your don’t, and only the lucky few who do should spend their days making music. However, the longer I teach, the more respect and awe I have for that special moment in their lives when they are all able to do these things with complete unselfconsciousness.<\/p>\n

I am very interested to know what music is to them, and I will carefully try to introduce to them my own conception of it as well.\u00a0It will be difficult to for them to express what they are learning in class, because in the early ages they are completely full of their own music, and I am loath to disturb that process. (See my earlier blog post<\/a> for more on this subject). I do have an agenda \u2013 a curriculum, if you must \u2013 but my primary goal is to let them enjoy their gift while it is still unequivocally theirs.<\/p>\n

Michael Joviala<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 There is one comment that I often hear from parents that still catches me off guard: \u201cHe really responds to music!\u201d The sentiment is usually expressed with a mix of surprise and awe, but seeing children respond to music with delight, enthusiasm, passion, abandon, inventiveness and curiosity would likely surprise few teachers of young […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[113,94,130,132],"class_list":["post-423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dalcroze-reference","tag-children","tag-early-childhood","tag-for-parents-families","tag-parents"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9ohMj-6P","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":435,"url":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/drawing-music\/","url_meta":{"origin":423,"position":0},"title":"Drawing Music","author":"Michael Joviala","date":"March 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"For the past few weeks, you may have noticed your children leaving the classes clutching drawings. In the spring of the year, I usually begin to focus the children\u2019s attention on ways that musical events and phenomenon can be visually represented. However, the longer I teach, the more I find\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Dalcroze Reference"","block_context":{"text":"Dalcroze Reference","link":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/category\/dalcroze-reference\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":362,"url":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/what-were-working-on\/","url_meta":{"origin":423,"position":1},"title":"For Parents: Classes for 4-5 year-olds","author":"Michael Joviala","date":"October 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Parent: \"What did you do in class today?\"Child: \"I was a cat.\"Parent: \"Oh.\" It is difficult for young children to express exactly what they are 'learning' in a Dalcroze classroom. What happens in the room after we take off our socks and shoes and close the door? Of course, in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Dalcroze Reference"","block_context":{"text":"Dalcroze Reference","link":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/category\/dalcroze-reference\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":447,"url":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/infrequently-asked-questions-about-early-childhood-dalcroze-classes\/","url_meta":{"origin":423,"position":2},"title":"Infrequently Asked Questions About Early Childhood Dalcroze Classes","author":"Michael Joviala","date":"July 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Aside from one or two perennials, I don't get asked too many questions during my Dalcroze classes for young children. With busy toddlers demanding attention, there just isn't a lot of time for chatting. (There are one or two questions I am commonly asked. See if you can guess what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Dalcroze Reference"","block_context":{"text":"Dalcroze Reference","link":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/category\/dalcroze-reference\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":455,"url":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/7-9-year-olds-september\/","url_meta":{"origin":423,"position":3},"title":"7-9 Year-Olds: September","author":"Michael Joviala","date":"September 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome parents and family members of the new Dalcroze class for 7 to 9-year-olds at the Lucy Moses School. I am pleased we were able to expand our program to include older children this year! Because it is sometimes difficult \u2013 even for adult Dalcroze students \u2013 to be able\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Dalcroze Reference"","block_context":{"text":"Dalcroze Reference","link":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/category\/dalcroze-reference\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":161,"url":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/reinforcing-the-classwork-at-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":423,"position":4},"title":"Reinforcing the Classwork at Home","author":"Michael Joviala","date":"November 14, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"The Dalcroze classes are now in full swing (ok, pun intended), and the kids have heard and experienced music with a variety of tempos, rhythms, and dynamics. They\u00a0 have been encouraged to express those changes in movement. Children naturally learn in many different ways. Some like to watch in class\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Dalcroze Reference"","block_context":{"text":"Dalcroze Reference","link":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/category\/dalcroze-reference\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/swan1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12334,"url":"https:\/\/joviala.com\/jovialaworks\/ensemble-skills-for-1st-2nd-grade-part-4-of-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":423,"position":5},"title":"Ensemble Skills for 1st-2nd Grade (Part 4 of 4)","author":"Michael Joviala","date":"December 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the final part of a series on skills, goals and objectives for 1st-2nd grade Dalcroze classes. The lists from the previous posts on movement, rhythm and pitch would not have been out of place in many other introductory theory, ear training or music or movement fundamentals classes. 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