Talents - Use them or lose them!

To help chidlren to identify their talents and to recognize the need to use so that they can grow and develop.

by Jill Fuller

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To help children identify their talents and recognize the need to use them so that they can grow and develop.

Preparation and materials

• Collect some large pictures, from newspapers or magazines, of famous gifted athletes, sportspeople, musicians, scientists, etc. Try to make the collection diverse and to include a variety of talents as well as a range of people, male and female, from as many ethnic groups as possible.

Assembly

1. Show the pictures and ask the children if they recognize the celebrities. Who are they and what are they famous for? Discuss how they think the person in the photograph became as good at their activity (football, music, science, art, medicine) as they are.
   
   
2. Talk about the difficulties the person may have had to overcome, e.g.:
   
   Saving up money in order to buy an instrument, football boots or pay for lessons.
   Going to practice sessions whatever the weather and however they feel.
   Missing time with friends because they have to practise.
   Overcoming times of disappointment.
   Overcoming criticism from coaches or the media.
   Nervousness or fear before a big match or performance.
   Overcoming injury or illness.
   Holding on to a belief in their own talent, even when things go wrong.
   
   
3. Talk with the children about what happens to our talents if we don't practise and foster them. What happens when they don't practise their recorders, their maths skills, their PE exercises? Discuss how they need to persist with practice if they want their talent to grow.

Time for reflection

Ask the children to think of their own talents. Where do they feel they shine? Ask them to focus on some way that they can improve their talent today.

Song/music

'The best gift' (Come and Praise, 59)

Curriculum links

• Local history: Try to use an example of a 'local person made good' - someone who opened a shop, started a new business or playgroup, or became famous in a wider area. If possible invite the person to talk about their talents.
• PSHE: Talk about the place of perseverance in work as a way of building up our talents.
• English: Teach the nursery rhyme 'Incey wincey spider', and look at stories where persistence has been rewarded.