Nowadays, we live in a world in which the degrees we have are highly valued. From a very young age, we are educated to understand “X” content, to pass courses and meet academic objectives and to continue studying until obtaining higher education. This way of educating is very normalized in our society and its main objective is to achieve job insertion, which makes us leave aside the learning of other types of highly positive knowledge for insertion in our society such as recognition and control. of our emotions. In recent years, since the first educational cycles, it is something that has been worked on, but it is even more necessary, especially in certain cases such as high capacities.
What is the development of High Abilities in the area of emotional intelligence?
When we talk about people with high abilities, many people think of someone who is introverted, neurotic or has a tendency to isolate themselves. These topics are supported by old popular beliefs or even television series, but they are far from reality. Each person is a world and the way they perceive their feelings and how they relate to their environment changes completely, but as a general rule, and according to numerous research, they are people who are emotionally and physiologically sensitive to their environment, who live in a forms their emotions much more intensely and with a high degree of sensitivity and self-demand.
90% of children with high abilities feel very intensely, and this also causes them to react very intensely. They capture details that the rest of us miss, which means that they are often subjected to an oversaturation of stimuli that increases that sensation of intensity.
For the correct development of high abilities, it is essential that we take special care of emotional intelligence. If done correctly, we will be able to positively reinforce the recognition and, above all, the control of certain emotions, such as frustration tolerance, impulse control and cooperation.
A good way to achieve this is through games. In this way, especially for the little ones, we will be able to capture their attention and help them learn to relate to their surroundings while having fun.
Let’s look at some examples of games to work on developing high capacities in terms of socialization and emotion management.
- Creative activities. Letting the imagination of children with high abilities fly is one of the best decisions we can make. Whether through construction games such as Legos, recyclable materials or any material adapted to the age of the child.
- New technologies. Nowadays there are a multitude of workshops and games with which boys and girls with high abilities can develop: robotics workshops, video game creation, blogs, apps … the possibilities are endless! They are activities that will stimulate their creativity as well as their independence since they see what they are capable of creating.
- Creative writing. It is an ideal opportunity for them to express themselves, either through invented stories or through their own experiences. This type of workshop will allow you to learn to express yourself and to capture your emotions or thoughts through writing.
- Music. It is another of the great activities that will help them express themselves freely and that will help them relate to other people, especially if it involves group dances or playing instruments as in a group or orchestra. Whatever the case, through music they can express their feelings at all times while we encourage creativity.
- Table games. In recent years, the rise of board games has been increasing, and they are a great ally when it comes to combining fun and learning. We can use cooperative games where they have to learn to communicate and organize with other people. Some examples could be “The Forbidden Island”, “Mission Accomplished” or “Unlock”.
- Logic games. Continuing a bit with board games, logic games are another great ally for boys and girls with high abilities. Riddles, Legos, puzzles … any game that requires logic and reflective analysis to be able to finish them will be very useful for the development of high abilities.
Whatever technique we use to help children in their emotional and social development, it is essential that both the family and teachers understand and accompany these emotions, which can become intense and complex. It is important that at no time are they labelled as dramatic or exaggerated. On many occasions, they live more with their heart and emotions than with reason. If it is important at any age to give them tools so that they can fit in socially, it is much more important in the development of high abilities.
We should not rely solely on the development of the intellect, which, although it is essential for its correct development, is not the only thing we should focus our efforts on in order to achieve comprehensive development.