Raising a Left-Brain Child in a Right-Brain World

Does your child: Have impressive intellectual abilities but seem puzzled by ordinary interactions with other children? Prefer to spend time with adults or alone rather than with other kids? Have deep, all-absorbing interests or seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of certain subjects; Seem uncomfortable with unstructured play or social engagements? If you answered 'yes' to some or all of these questions, you may be raising a left-brain child. Bright, eccentric, and socially awkward, these are children whose talents and inclinations lean heavily toward the logical, linear, analytical, and introverted side of the human psyche - what is commonly referred to as 'the left brain' - as opposed to the 'right brain' which is our emotional, holistic, intuitive, and extroverted side. Leftbrain kids are often found on the margins of the classroom and the playground, the ones who tend not to fit in with their peers but have rich interior and intellectual lives. According to Beals, left-brain children are increasingly misunderstood and undervalued, particularly at school. In today's classrooms, assignments tend to favour children who are collaborative, artistically creative, and comfortable speaking in front of groups. Left-brain children tend to be highly intelligent but shy, and unsuited to group activities, and they are often downgraded for social aloofness and emotional immaturity.