Summer programs for academically gifted students have proliferated in the last decade, largely because efficient and widespread identification services are available through regional talent search programs. Universities and colleges sponsor most summer programs. Given the myriad opportunities, parents may wonder what the benefits of participation in summer programs are and how to select the right one for their child. … [Read more...] about Spend the Summer Studying? Are you Kidding?
Social & Emotional
Developing Creativity
"The thing that makes a creative person is to be creative and that is all there is to it." —Edward Albee … [Read more...] about Developing Creativity
Boys’ and Girls’ Academic Preferences
Discussions of the storms faced by adolescent girls offer no image more striking than “saplings in a hurricane.” Mary Pipher, Ph.D., used the phrase in her 1994 book, Reviving Ophelia . While Dr. Pipher’s book was based on her work with adolescent girls in trouble, other studies have indicated that lowered self-esteem is not restricted to girls in counseling. … [Read more...] about Boys’ and Girls’ Academic Preferences
Identifying ADHD in Gifted Students
Perhaps the biggest challenge in helping gifted students with attention difficulties is getting an accurate diagnosis of them. How are true attention deficits differentiated from the emotional and behavioral shifts common among gifted students? The problem may be compounded by a lack of appropriate educational services in the classroom. … [Read more...] about Identifying ADHD in Gifted Students
Revealing True Potential: A Great Beginning for the Gifted
The Children’s Mental Health Foundations and Agencies Network recently released A Good Beginning: Sending America’s Children to School with the Social and Emotional Competence They Need to Succeed. The monograph summarizes two papers commissioned by the organization. … [Read more...] about Revealing True Potential: A Great Beginning for the Gifted
Educating Dan
Pulling our son Dan out of middle school was one of the most difficult parenting decisions my husband and I ever made. Labeled as gifted, Dan did well in elementary school. He earned As and Bs, and we seldom heard complaints about his behavior. However, when he entered middle school, he became lazy and inattentive. During the third week Dan acknowledged that his classes weren’t challenging. We had talked about homeschooling before, but it wasn’t until then that we decided to take him out of … [Read more...] about Educating Dan
Is Our Son Overextended?
Parent Question: Our son is involved in a number of extracurricular activities. He is on a travel soccer team, plays violin, works on the school newspaper, and participates in a church teen program. We’ve noticed a decline in his attention to homework and studying and worry that he may be overextended. Is he doing too much? … [Read more...] about Is Our Son Overextended?
College Planning with LD and/or ADD
The college admissions process gives rise to great excitement, adventure, and struggle for all kids. If your child has learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention deficit disorder (ADD), the process becomes even more challenging. Every family needs to ask prospective colleges myriad questions, but you will need to ask more. The more specific information you gather early on, the easier the task will be. … [Read more...] about College Planning with LD and/or ADD
Shaking Those Midwinter Blues
Midwinter—that gray eclipse between New Year’s and spring break when we’re tempted to hibernate.With the winter holidays over, academic rigors and extracurricular activities reconvene full force. However, the afternoons are short and often dreary, and long winter nights can become tiresome without some respite from the routine. Although February is the shortest month of the year, it seems to become the longest. Enter the midwinter blues. … [Read more...] about Shaking Those Midwinter Blues
Ability Grouping and Gifted Children
Ability grouping and tracking are two methods of grouping students for instruction. Ability grouping, commonly practiced in elementary schools, is when students of similar ability or achievement level within a class are grouped for instruction. Tracking, or grouping between classes, occurs more often in middle and high schools. … [Read more...] about Ability Grouping and Gifted Children