Dear Dr. Courtright, My gifted sophomore was always a high-achiever, but as of late, he is showing signs of apathy and an overall lack of direction in his studies. During elementary school, he ended up in detention after his teacher misread his curious mind as him showing disrespect. He has been associating himself with less aspirational, even trouble-making students. I’m worried that the incident may have hurt, in some way, his perceived personal image – demoralized him – and that it may have … [Read more...] about Ask the Experts: Redirecting a Demotivated Gifted Student
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Ask the Experts: Talented Toddlers
Dear Dr. Courtright, We are looking for resources for gifted and talented toddlers. I know your program starts at 4th grade, but any suggestions you can give us for helping our child thrive until then would be appreciated. Thank you! … [Read more...] about Ask the Experts: Talented Toddlers
Ask the Experts: Mixed Test Results and Acceleration
Dear Dr. Courtright, My daughter was recently able to take the ACT as a part of the Duke TIP program. Her results came back, and she was placed in the 99th percentile among the other tested Duke TIP students in reading, 81st percentile in English, and mid 50s for math and science. Following the recommendations from the Duke TIP resources regarding interpreting scores, I met with the school counselor, principal, and English head. All seem to be extremely hesitant about allowing my daughter to … [Read more...] about Ask the Experts: Mixed Test Results and Acceleration
Ask the Experts: Career Counseling
Dear Dr. Courtright, I recently had my daughter tested for A.D.D., and it turns out she is off the charts on the facial and pattern recognition tests. Do you have any suggestions on what we might do to foster the development of these skills? Is there use for these skills in any careers? Any thoughts or suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated. … [Read more...] about Ask the Experts: Career Counseling
Ask the Experts: Underachieving Gifted Students
Can you recommend some resources to motivate an underachieving gifted student? Dear Dr. Courtright, Information you've shared in the past about traits of gifted students was right on point for my son, who is in the 8th grade and in the TIP program. It was also highly aligned to struggles my husband and I have had with positive and negative traits. I desperately need some resources and more information that can help us accentuate the positive and reduce the negative. Do you have anything you can … [Read more...] about Ask the Experts: Underachieving Gifted Students
Ask the Experts: Twice Exceptional in Honors Classes
Dear Dr. Courtright, I’m in a tough spot with a gifted daughter who has also been diagnosed with ADD. She currently takes three honors courses, but the school is pushing back due to her need for special accommodations. My question is whether I’m correct in wanting her to remain in honors courses, with a plan for additional time. The homework this past quarter was relentless but other parents have pushed back on that issue, so the honors homework will probably be less demanding going forward. … [Read more...] about Ask the Experts: Twice Exceptional in Honors Classes
Ask the Experts — Homework: What’s Best?
Dear Dr. Courtright, I’ll keep this short and sweet. This email comes to you from a small independent school. As a gifted educator of forty years, I have long admired and appreciated Duke’s work on behalf of gifted learners. At my school, we pride ourselves on a differentiated curriculum that strives to provide instruction that is both appropriate and respectful of our student population. This philosophy also applies to homework assignments. … [Read more...] about Ask the Experts — Homework: What’s Best?