Background: The Fellows just started the highly capable program in our district. They screen every first grader and those that pass the screening (a couple hundred it seemed) complete two days of extensive testing. They not only test academics, but reasoning and analytic skills as well. It is pretty apparent that they get beyond that "trained" and/or early reader child as I know many of these kids that didn't even make it past the screening process. There were also many kids I thought for sure would make it that didn't. The program is segregated, but within a mainstream school and the kid must test above the 96th percentile on a combination of tests (this or that AND this or that AND this or that etc).
We didn't choose to put her in the program because she is so academically advanced or needed more work. We chose to do this because she will have access to teachers who understand her as a learner and will provide her with the tools she needs to overcome her weaknesses as well as excel as a student.
I do feel that gymnastics helped her transition to this program a lot. She had to to go a new school and the consistency of being at the gym was very settling for her. Also, she has never even had to think about school work, it just came to her. But gymnastics is all about failing and getting up and trying again. It is hard and you have to really work at it. Her new program is quite challenging for her and I really feel that her gymnastics foundation has really helped her to accept these challenges and not give up when things seem out of reach.
Although I have been told that my daughter has a great body, amazing feet (I would love it if somebody would explain to me what that means

, and the potential to go far in this sport, I think her "giftedness" (god, I hate that word) has slowed her down a bit. She has a great passion for the sport, works very hard and always wants more, but she is hardly flying through the levels like some kids.
She has always understood the fact that she could get very hurt doing this, from the very beginning. This hasn't created fear, so to speak, but I think it contributes to how deliberate she is about things. She's always been very cautious, one of the reasons we started little gym classes when she was 15 months old.
She also refuses to "cheat" on her form. When the coach says that it should be done with her toes pointed and legs straight, she tries to do it that way every time. They have been working on their kips and she was frustrated that she hadn't quite made it yet. She was upset because some of the other girls were "cheating" to get their kips. I asked her what she meant by that and she says they bend their arms and push themselves up and that isn't how it is supposed to be done. This is a tough one to address. I just always tell her just to go in there and do her best every day and listen to her coach and she will get it when she is ready and not to worry about what the other girls are doing.
Luckily, her coaches seem to know her well and see her individual needs and have adjusted her program accordingly. They are holding her back a bit and letting her develop at her own pace while she is young so that she builds confidence and can really take off when she is ready. I feel very lucky that she has coaches that understand her as an individual and don't see her as someone difficult to work with, but someone who just needs a different approach.
She seems much more settled now that she is officially in the team environment and things are more structured and serious. She would get very frustrated with the girls that were goofing off and distracting. They have recently placed her in a group with older girls (most are 9) and she is thriving there.
Anyway, my overall opinion on this is that natural academic ability and natural gymnastics ability really have little, if nothing to do with each other. I do believe that the personality traits caused by being gifted or any other reason have a great influence on how far you can go in this sport, whether naturally talented or not. Passion, dedication and focused hard work can take you very far, but being too cautious, too critical or too rigid can hold you back just as easily.
My other child is a free spirit with no fear. I can see how certain traits he has could work the same way. He just goes for things and puts his heart into it and that can take you far, but untamed energy and distraction can hold you back.
Every kid is an individual. I think the best we can do is try to provide the best possible environment for every child to succeed.