Home Design and Built Environment for Activity Space and the Gifted Child Research Paper

Abstract

Gifted children and design of their built environment have not been provided extensive focus before. While children with disabilities as well as normal children have been extensively addressed with regards to their learning factors, there has been a limited research on the gifted children’s home design and built environment.

This paper will try to discover through qualitative research interviews about the preferences of a gifted child for her home or activity space. It will connect various existing literature and studies dealing with the gifted children and the built environment through his home and activity space. It will try to establish a need to adjust physical design of home and activity space to facilitate a better and more positive experience for the gifted child. It will gather studies about gifted children and their home and activity space experience where literature and studies may be available.

Introduction

For a long time now, the environment for children, specifically the gifted, has been neglected specifically in their most immediate space: the home. With the careful observation and analysis of Montessori about preschool children with learning difficulties, normal, and gifted children, it was found that the activity space can be maneuvered in order to enhance experience of the gifted child.

The built environment has been deplored for its consideration of basic human interaction, socialization, as well as utter disregard for the natural environment. For many, it has become impersonal, empty spaces that encouraged indifference, accidents, and tragedy to fast-urbanizing centers of economic, social and political activities.

There are certain effects of a built environment specifically the activity space. It is the reason why there are interior designers, and new breed of eco-designers, environmental designers, among others today that address not only the requirement of the occupant but also a social responsibility that conforms to expectations, such as today’s advocacy to a cleaner and safer environment, and in this context, to address the gifted child.

In considering that gifted children are either quite easy to deal with or the opposite, it is also a wonder on how they may perceive as well as be affected by their built environment. This paper will try to find out their preference for built environment, starting with their own homeroom and activity space in particular. It will focus on what could be the preference of gifted children for their environment design as well as the built environment’s impact on the gifted child or children.

Purpose of the Study

In providing evidence for the need to design a physical environment specifically the home and activity space for gifted children, the study aims to influence further research as well as inspire designs to cater to this special children group’s requirement to maximize their potentials. It will also try to delineate the effects of environmental design among gifted children.

Statement of the Problem

This paper will try to establish a connection of a home design and activity space with the facilitation of development of gifted children. The study is limited to the impact of a built environment design on the development of gifted children. It will explore studies conducted about the facilitation and assistance provided to gifted children through built environment design.

The paper will also try to establish whether environmental design has an effect on gifted children and identify the need to enhance physical environment to assist or help gifted children.

Definition of Terms

1. Gifted children – are generally considered to be mentally and intellectually superior as compared to their age range and regular age level.
2. Overexcitability – the tendency to be overly sensitive about sensory information or details as well as react in a highly regarded manner.
3. Built environment – generally understood as the physical, man-made environment or surrounding focused on human activities and functions.
4. Interior – the inside portion of an edifice or part of a built environment
5. Exterior – the outer portion of a human-designed environment
6. Environmental Design – incorporation of the science and art of planning and designing edifices, buildings, built environment, as well as everyday products that are utilized and for the use of men.
7. Activity Space – a place of experience where people or individuals conduct actions at regular or irregular levels.

Methodology

This research paper will integrate and collate studies and research or existing literature about gifted children and their environment design. It will provide a comprehensive description and analysis of the gifted children and their home, activity space, built environment and their experienced challenges. Since there is a limited literature on designing built environments for gifted children, this paper shall use Qualitative Research Interview. The focus subject is a “bright” 8-year-old adult who shall be interviewed about her childhood activities and preferences at home as well as her perceptions of her childhood home design. According to McNamara (1999, p 32), a qualitative research interview will try to describe the meaning of the researched material focusing on home design and gifted child preference of design and activities. It also seeks to cover factual and meaning through what may be provided in the answers.

The research will be further supported with previous studies closely linked with determining preference and experience of gifted children in their built environment and its design. The study will also analyze through the Montessori method learning space design that may fit gifted children.

The subject shall be called “Kaye” to preserve her privacy. She is currently managing her own arts and crafts shop while working part-time as an editor for a monthly home magazine. Her current preoccupation belies her varied interests and talents that showcase her being “gifted”.

Background /Literature Review

The Gifted Child

Definition

Gifted children are considered to have intellectual capabilities that are substantially higher than the regular or average. Developments of their minds exceed their physical growth as cognitive and emotional functions improve in distinct manner. Gifted children are also known to experience the world differently and may lead to social and emotional issues. Dabrowski suggested that gifted individuals including children have an easily agitated of thrilled psychomotor, senses, intellect, imagination, and emotions and he called these “overexcitabilities”, (Dabrowski, 1972). It was further suggested that while the high IQ was an indication of giftedness, multiple qualities were also present such as motivation, high self-concept, and creativity. In addition, giftedness has been suggested by Renzulli (1978) as having three basic clusters of human traits such as above-average ability, high levels of task commitment, and extra creativity. As for students, Johnsen (2004) defined them as children or youth who have a high evidence of performance capability in intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership and other specific academic fields. Thus, there is diversity in the areas where performance may exceed, there is comparison with a group or groups, and that there is a need for further development for potentials.

In using IQ levels, the following have been identified as classification of the gifted:

• Bright for those with 85^th percentile in the standardized IQ test;
• Moderately Gifted for those with 97.9^th percentile on the IQ test;
• Highly Gifted for those with 99.9^th percentile;
• Exceptionally Gifted for those with 99.997^th percentile;
• Profoundly gifted for those with 99.99997^th percentile on the standardized IQ test (Johnsen, 2004).

Education programs for most gifted children had in itself caused debates. It was observed by Bernal (2003) that educators long believed that goal of programs for the gifted should be “the education of identified gifted students.” He argued that the goal stunts and relegates gifted children to inclusionary or regular classrooms that do not meet their needs. He recommended that Gifted and Talented (GT) programs should be reformulated to “the development of gifted young adults” with the aim to enrich curriculum. Likewise, the children need differentiated instruction and specialized guidance. This is to ensure acquiring a measure of expertise, define a strong sense of self, and choose personally satisfying career options (Bernal, 2003).

A 2-year study conducted by Delcourt, Dewey and Goldberg (2007) assessed students during the fall of one year and the spring of the next year from 14 different school districts in 10 states and included African American and Caucasian/ non-Hispanic students. The paper compared students’ academic and affective student outcomes. The study had a sample population of enrolled students in gifted programs such as special school, students with high achievements from districts without programs at the designated levels, as well as non-gifted students in regular classes. Delcourt et al’s study (2007) focused on administration of an achievement test done simultaneously, survey measuring self-perception, and a motivation inventory. It also examined the characteristics of students from marginalized populations. It concluded that there were differences in cognitive and affective outcomes across program types and recommended educators conduct ongoing evaluations of their programs to improve monitoring with the aim to address students’ needs.

Intellectual giftedness has been defined as an intellectual ability with a significant advantage over an average person of the same general group such as age, ethnicity, social status, and locality. Gifted children are perceived to have cognitive and emotional functions that develop at differing extents such as that of Albert Einstein did not speak at an early age but soon showed fluency and accomplishments that others his age were not able to attain (Wikipedia, 2009).

Characteristics

The characteristics of giftedness include learning quickly, deeply, and broadly as compared to their peers. This learning may include reading, high reasoning ability, creativity, curiosity, excellent memory and a broad understanding of vocabulary. The gifted can master a concept with little repetition while they may also be physically and emotionally sensitive. Aside from perfectionism, the gifted may also exhibit questioning of authority or may prefer company of older or adults. It was also observed that giftedness may not be evenly distributed of which excellence in solving logic problems but have problems in reading or spelling. Other gifted children experienced heightened sensory awareness and may display sensitivity to sight, sound, smell or touch such as a ticking sound in another room distracts concentration. Similar symptoms of awareness fluctuation or withdrawal may be comparable to bipolar disorder, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism or other psychological disorder. Explanation, however, may be derived from Dabrowski’s theory of Positive Disintegration that entails psychological tension and anxiety as important for growth and therefore, positive (Wikipedia, 2009).

Deficiencies

James Gallagher is known to have coined the term “twice-exceptional” to indicate giftedness with disabilities (Coleman, Harradine and King, 2005, p 5, as quoted in Wikipedia, 2009). They need remediation for their learning disabilities and enhancement where they excel. They are considered at risk since they are mixed with the general population and there is a questionable effect on their emotional and social development. As such, there is the tendency to cause frustration on the part of the student. This may be observable in their behavior of which they can turn disruptive, aggressive, or impulsive. King (2005) is quoted in Wikipedia (2009) identifying characteristics of twice-exceptional students:

• Discrepancy between verbal and written work
• Creativity
• Excellence in tasks dealing with abstract concepts
• Difficulty accomplishing tasks requiring memorization of isolated facts
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Tendency to act aggressively or impulsively
• Poor organization
• Poor motivation
• Tendency to solve problems on their own, without being prompted
• Proclivity toward analytical thinking
• Investment in a task increases with personal level of interest
• Introversion or an inclination to spontaneously sequester oneself without provocation
• Discrepancy between out-of-school talents and classroom performance,” (Wikipedia, 2009).

The types of students who are twice-exceptional are:

1. Gifted with subtle learning disability – their disability is usually unnoticed and they have the tendency to reject poorly-constructed environment, and although they may excel academically, they may lose interest easily due to perceived flaws;
2. Diagnostically ambivalent – “Their abilities and disabilities mask each other,” (Wikipedia, 2009. Their excellence compensates for their learning disability and they may be performing below their capacity, therefore, they are at risk of being disregarded for their abnormal needs.
3. Strong learning disability overshadows gifted intelligence – While these students may stand out in some academic performances, their disability is more often noticed and may be perceived by themselves or their peers as “freaks” leading to disruptive learning and behavior as suggested by King (Wikipedia, 2009).

Community and Society

Issues about community and society which gifted children deal with include the following:

Isolation – this occurs for gifted children without social network of fellow gifted children and in order to cope, they disguise their abilities. Their isolation is usually caused by the response of society stigmatizing giftedness or talent. This problem is addressed through creation of peer groups with common interests or abilities (Plucker & Levy, 2001).

Perfectionism – This refers to the success achieved by gifted students in what they do although causing frustration as they set standards as what their minds can perceive but not with their body, social environment, or age. Perfectionism becomes a problem for some gifted children as it sometimes prevents achievements. These behaviors linked with perfectionism are enumerated as:

• Depression
• A nagging “I should” feeling
• Shame and guilt feelings
• Face-saving behavior
• Shyness and procrastination
• Self-deprecation, (Wikipedia, 2009, as referenced from Schuler, 2002).

Underachievement – Actual accomplishments against gifted abilities usually do not go together. Some gifted students usually perform well on standardized reasoning examinations but may fail regular class tests. This is influenced by loss of interest in classes they perceived without challenge, as well as negative social reactions. This leads to depression, anxiety, perfectionism or even self-destruction (Reiss and McCoach, 2002). It was suggested that teachers should be educated about gifted children and their underachievement in order to enrich programs based on the interest and strength of the student (Wikipedia, 2009). Nevertheless, existential anxiety and depression have been noted among the gifted whose concerns focus on matters such as finality of death, unimportance of individuals, or the lack of meaning of life (Wikipedia, 2009).

Depression – According to Reis and Renzulli (2004), “Gifted children’s advanced cognitive abilities, social isolation, sensitivity, and uneven development may cause them to face some challenging social and emotional issues, but their problem-solving abilities, advanced social skills, moral reasoning, out-of-school interests, and satisfaction in achievement may help them to be more resilient,” (as quoted from Wikipedia, 2009).

Professional Attitude towards Giftedness

Gifted individuals have been seen to unconsciously create deficits to close asynchrony gaps (Grobman, 2006). Likewise, link to ADHD was seen as subjective due to the misguided tendency to associate giftedness as a disease (Eby, 2009). Today, there is a clear distinction in civil society’s perception of the gifted or talented as cool geeks, or nerds as exceptional but successful individuals.

Genetics

Plomin and Price (2003) suggested that intelligence is a major component of giftedness influenced by many genes combinations or environmental contexts. First-degree relatives of the gifted have IQs at 10-15 points of each other (Wikipedia, 2009) while research on families shows a.45 correlation in scores of g for parents, children or siblings. Gifted children siblings adopted apart show a correlation of.22 and those with adoptive siblings or families have a.23 correlation. Heritability from adoption also showed 44% for families, 52% for fraternal twins in same environment, and about 72% for identical twins who are reared away from each other (Wikipedia, 2009).

Environmental Design

According to Viswiki (2009), the goal of environmental design is to devise plans, programs, policies, buildings, or products in support of existing environmental standards. The design process with the environmental movement is believed to start in 1960s. The world is full of designs created every day. The environment is made up of a complex system with cultural, social and political meanings, and forms of visual representations that utilize tools, technology and materials. Environmental design includes the built, natural, and human environments. It also aims to center on applying physical and social interventions shaped by human preferences, behavior and environmental learning (Viswiki, 2009).

Environmental design encompasses the traditional concept of developing the physical environment both interior and exterior to address the need and requirements of human’s daily function as well as provide a desired experience, or try to.

Environmental design includes the expertise of architects, restoration artists, acoustic designers, engineers, environmental scientists, landscape artists, urban planners, interior designers, lighting designers, exhibition designers, and others involved in the process of creating desired aesthetic outcomes including “disability rights movement disability access” (Viswiki, 2009). In addition, environmental design has branched out to impact on design of products such as innovative automobiles that use eco-friendly energy, wind-electricity generators, solar-electric equipment, and other equipment to address growing concerns about environmental degradation (Viswiki, 2009).

Activity Space

Activity space is a place, an area or location of which human action or daily or regular chores are conducted and experience of place occurs. It is an accessible area of spatial distribution of opportunities, with spatial construction that limits or directs movement, and with its shape and is influenced by the concept and measurement applied therein. Golledge and Stimson (1987) defined it as the spatial movement component of an individual’s day-to-day lived experience. Weston and Handy (2004) suggested that on an individual level, there is a relationship between spatial characteristics of an environment established through individual’s perception and cognition of space: the individual observes space and the information is filed in the person’s mental map which may be referred to as spatial learning. The mental maps in return, help shape the individual’s decisions as it reflects the individual’s knowledge and frame of mind concerning the environment. Social data and physical data have also been linked in order to determine people in space as there is a great difference between mapping a person against a stationary object, people do not stay in a single location. Likewise, even a person’s residence does not also exactly represent an individual’s location but it is the activity space that represents the interaction between individuals and their social or physical environments (Golledge and Stimson, 1997).

The experience of place is also linked to an individual’s degree of mobility which may encompass constraints, needs, preferences, or resources (Gessler and Meads, 1988).

Activity space for gifted children may be easily related to the use of Montessori schools on maneuvered objects in the enhancement of their learning experience.

Environment and Humans

This paper focuses on visual surroundings, home and activity space design and its effect or relation to gifted children. As early as 1961, Kidder already suggested that the dimension of spaces conceived by cultural historians is a part of an abstract system that formed time-space grids for concretely defined cultures. The space serves as a neutral backdrop wherein sites and artifacts of archeological inquiry were located. It elicited information about social process, function and ecology that led to later development of studies on human settlements, households, communities, and landscapes as active loci of social life (Yaeger and Canuto, 2000). Space is observed as symbolic, representing function and conceptual knowledge, socially constructed and socially experienced. “People constantly create, transform and experience space and place. Living spaces are multi-faceted, with many intentional and unintentional meanings contingent on the timing, organization and interaction of their various human inhabitants,” (Robin and Rothschild, 2002, p 161).

Kunishima et al (1983) suggested that walls of a room affected dimensions such as brightness with activity, evaluation by saturation, and warmness by hue. Küller (2002) noted in his paper on biological rhythms that natural or artificial light influences human biological clock. Kuller (1986) earlier established that one same room designed with two styles which is the simpler and one with various visual elements such as that with many colors and patterns causes lower heart rate which rendered visual stimulation leading to a compensatory autonomic response.

The Gifted Child at Home and Activity Space

There is a vast focus on gifted children about their learning experiences but too little about their most immediate environment which is the home and their activity space. Studies have pointed out on inconsistent performances by gifted students that are identifiable and observable starting only when they attend preschool. These experiences are identified to frustrate the children and their parents. One study (Rimm and Lowe, 1988) in comparing family environments of a sample of 22 underachieving gifted students to those described in studies of eminent and gifted achievers provided themes which can be helpful to the parents of gifted children. Rimm and Lowe (1988) found that family structure, climate, and values provided similarities and some differences. It was found with regards to parenting that:

1. extreme amounts of early attention may confer too early adult status and attention dependence,
2. consistency between parents is more critical than any particular style of parenting,
3. independence for home-work completion is characteristic of achievers,
4. parent interest in and satisfaction with personal careers and intrinsic learning must be specifically communicated to children in order to provide appropriate achieving role models,
5. reasonable standards of family organization appear important for achievement,” (p 453).

Rayneri, Gerber and Wiley (2006) suggested that gifted children need to be proactive in dealing with real-world problems with the expectation that they have a high preference for tactile and kinesthetic learning activities. They could maintain motivation and engagement in the discovery. The study found that gifted children expressed preference for an informal seating design suggesting their need for flexible environment that affords them movement and change of position as may be required by the activity.

Elements of an Interior Design

Fisher (2009) suggested that designers should employ elements or principles of interior design from various perspectives including the traditional incorporation of furnishings, period architecture, and furniture design styles. Modern studies, however, emphasize responsible design, environmental or green design. Fisher (2009) suggested that design psychology exceeds traditional design practice through careful consideration of the five senses (vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste) and emotions. Above impressing or following a trend in design, the designer chooses specific lighting, patterns, or colors to influence positive well-being as well as the occupant’s happiness. This entails an understanding of the physiological and psychological impact of the design elements such as the sky blue causing the pituitary glands to release tranquilizing hormones (Fisher, 2009). A design, thus uplifts, clams or energizes.

The Design Psychology elements include:

• lighting – an important factor in interior design
• colors – use of appropriate color for natural, desired, or needed response
• patterns – to increase harmony, energy, or affect happiness (Fisher, 2009).

The Montessori Method

The Montessori Method is regarded as a child-centered form of alternative education based on the theories of child development. It is believed that Italian Maria Montessori applied this in preschool and elementary settings focusing on self-directed activities of the child and clinical observation on the teacher called director. It emphasizes the need for the learning environment to fit the child’s development level in consideration of the physical ability to absorb abstract concepts or useful skills. It uses self-correcting equipment in introducing and teaching different concepts. It uses phonics to teach reading and whole language with comparative success (Haincock, 1997).

The history of Dr. Montessori started after she developed the techniques in treating children with intellectual or developmental disabilities followed by those without disabilities. When invited to head a daycare, she observed children’s interactions with materials that appeal to the senses. She refined and developed these materials of which children could work with that became self-directed and interactive, of which the teacher simply observed. The premises of the Montessori method are:

• Children are capable of self-directed learning.
• It is important for the teacher to be an observer rather than a lecturer, who prepares for subsequent learning materials.
• There are “sensitive periods” of development when the child is open to learning specific skills of crawling, walking, sitting or reading.
• Children have absorbent minds from birth to around 6 years old.
• Children can be masters of their school or room environment prepared for their academic enhancement, comfort and independence to manage it.
• Children can learn through discovery so that the school encouraged use of didactic materials where error can be controlled.
• Children most often learn alone in intense, self-chosen periods.
• The hand is intimately connected with the brain development so that touching shapes, letters or temperatures of objects helps them learn immensely (Haincock, 1997).

The Montessori method focuses on hands-on approach to learning as it encourages children to learn independently through observation and participation in activities that employ the five senses, kinetic movement, spatial refinement, motor skills coordination as well as physical knowledge that enhances abstract learning (Haincock, 1997). The Montessori classrooms have pleasant and attractive atmosphere that encourages children to learn at their own pace. Interaction is natural and the environment is peaceful. The rooms are stocked with nature shelves, living plants and pets, or open windows with gardens that encourage natural experience with the natural environment. The areas of the classroom are: Practical Life, Sensorial, Cultural, Science, Language, and Math (Haincock, 1997).

The Interview

Kaye is a very busy person who has been earning since she was still in secondary school creating and designing useful items such as bags, caps, hand-bound diaries, and at the same time, as contributing editor of her school paper. She brought these activities up until today but the focus of the interview shall be her recollections about her childhood hoe design, activities as well as physical aesthetics preferences in her home.

What do you recollect as a child about your home design, activities, and how you reacted to your home layout, design and available materials for your childhood activities?

“I was quite a shy child who was silent most of the time and a plain observer. I watch people including my father and mother do things. Our house was a regular southerner home. We had wood furniture. What I can recall vividly was that I was happy seeing each time my father or mother change the layout of our furniture, or even just the curtains. It sort of refreshes me even if there was nothing new bought in. I liked the constant changes and wished it was done more than just three times a year.”

“Even when still at home, I was already doing some of the things that my mom likes to do, such as sewing and cutting clothes. I liked to cut and paste paper, create designs. There was the certain excitement I felt when I came up with something different than what I was copying, such as the early paper mache projects. I was only four or five years old at that time. I like to do a lot of things, curious about gardening, watching my dad create wood counter, starting to read, color. I have a lot of favorite space: the family room where I can sit with my mom while she sews or cuts while I draw, cut and paste paper or read a book.”

You already read even as a preschooler? How did you learn to read?

“My mother taught me basic ABCs and 123s. It just happened that after that, I was already reading words. But while I can read numbers, I really don’t like numbers that much I failed in most of my mathematics subjects.”

If you were to decide now what could have been your home design when you were still a child, how would you describe it?

“I can’t say I did not like our home design when I was still a child but there are certain preferences that I recall: I like the constant changing of lay-out of furniture, curtains, and pillowcases. A simple moving of furniture has effect on me like a corner table brought to anther side of a room. I wish now that it was done more often. I like the stuff that makes me do things: scissors, glue, crayons, clay, pots, soil, seeds, water, watercolor, wires, pencil, ball pens, papers, books. I love reading and discovering things through books. These things excite me.”

Conclusion

Based on the above information gathered, there is a certain connection between a gifted child’s activities as well as development through the influence of the activity space designed to cater to their development. While the social environment could be more difficult to control or improve, the physical environment specifically the activity space exemplified by the Montessori method as well as how our subject described is easier to develop and improve to meet the needs or requirements of gifted children.

Gifted children already encounter challenges which are different or un-experienced by “normal” or regular children and adults. These are usually not ‘seen” or “felt” but can only be observed through careful analogy and evaluation of the child or children’s reactions, interests, or focus. Other established methods as earlier discussed may be used to identify gifted children, which in regular instances, could not be at all perceived when the child controls his actions and achievements. It is therefore necessary that certain factors about the built environment be employed to trigger a positive effect on gifted children in order to:

• Identify giftedness and their activity requirements to be enhanced in the design process
• Develop strong or excellent skills through manipulated objects in the activity space
• Enhance skills where there is a lacking
• Help cope with the “normal” culture and individuals that surround the gifted child through design and enhancement of their built environment.

In developing “gifted child-friendly environments”, modern society will not only help make the world physically a better place to live in but most importantly, assist in developing “excellent” and highly creative individuals that aim for perfection and higher standards in most aspects of life through their sensitivity and ability to achieve greater heights than normal individuals could ever do.

As already established, environment design impacts the behavior as well as development process and quality of life of individuals. Enhancement could also be highly influenced by gifted children or adults themselves, they have the capability to be intellectual and achieve creative heights where normal beings could not be. It is highly recommended that in designing built environments and activity spaces, the participation of gifted individuals is encouraged.

The Montessori method should provide guide even for home designs of activity space for children, gifted or not. What could be added are enhancements that deal with gifted children’s disabilities, social and cultural needs in regular activity spaces and built environments.

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