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?
elementary school
The Duke TIP Podcast Episode 4: Diana Lisle
Click here to listen! It's back-to-school time! Tracy, Katy, and Michael sit down with Diana Lisle, former classroom teacher and current Elementary Programs Coordinator at Duke TIP, to talk about combatting perfectionism, emphasizing growth over achievement, and shopping for back-to-school accoutrements. Subscribe at Apple Podcasts! … [Read more...] about The Duke TIP Podcast Episode 4: Diana Lisle
A look at the movie “Gifted”
Gifted is a new movie by Fox Searchlight Pictures about a profoundly gifted child that opened on April 7, 2017. Several members of the Duke TIP staff attended an early showing of the film and have shared their thoughts on it below. We've tried to give you some different perspectives on the movie, including whether it accurately portrays the issues involved in giftedness. Enjoy -- and please feel free to share your own opinions about Gifted in the Comments section below. … [Read more...] about A look at the movie “Gifted”
Is My Child Artistically Gifted?
The youngest artist-in-the-making I ever met was six years old. Carson Rutter arrived at my office carrying a folder of his work in one hand and holding his mother’s hand with the other. Drawings of cowboys dominated his portfolio. I asked him to tell me about them. With a critical eye, he told me how he had improved since those drawings were made and that their inspiration was The Magnificent Seven. Six other art teachers later evaluated Carson’s work as that of a middle-school student. "Where … [Read more...] about Is My Child Artistically Gifted?
Placement change requests
by Eric O'Neal, Duke TIP Intern and NCCU Graduate The memories of my years in elementary school seem almost a lifetime ago now. The days of walking in a single file line down halls and keeping that bothersome lunch PIN are no longer necessary. Though elementary school may seem a minor step in your educational career, it lays down the foundation of your learning experience and behaviors. It may be worth noting that from my 2nd grade through 6th grade years, every teacher I had either quit after … [Read more...] about Placement change requests
A Story of a Twice Exceptional Child
My daughter, Allison, has been exceptionally perceptive since she was born. The sheets in her bassinet irritated her the day we brought her home from the hospital, and she protested until we found ones that she liked. Her heightened sensitivities made her cognitively quick as a toddler; however, they also made her feel oppressed by the touch of others, overwhelmed by smells and noises around her, and disheartened that the world did not live up to her expectations. I had never known that a … [Read more...] about A Story of a Twice Exceptional Child
Contrasting School and Summer Growth for High-Achieving Students
In a recently published study, “High-Achieving and Average Students’ Reading Growth: Contrasting School and Summer Trajectories,” researchers found that initially high-achieving students showed similar academic growth rates during the summer and the school year. On the other hand, the typical student improved during the school year but not during the summer. The figure below is a representation of the trends found in the article. The dashed red line for typical students shows achievement growth … [Read more...] about Contrasting School and Summer Growth for High-Achieving Students
K-8 Comeback
Because middle school education (grades six through eight) in the United States has struggled in terms of academic achievement, school districts in several states are returning to the K-8 model. Reform is underway in Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, and districts in at least eight other states across the nation are considering merging their middle schools and elementary schools into K-8s. … [Read more...] about K-8 Comeback
Customizing a Gifted Education Program
Parent Question: My fifth grade son was just identified by his school to participate in the gifted and talented program. No plans are being made to customize instruction specifically to his strengths—they are just going to plug him into the pre-existing gifted program that meets once a week. Is this the most effective method for meeting the needs of the gifted? Shouldn’t the program be tailored to fit the student, not vice versa? … [Read more...] about Customizing a Gifted Education Program
Fifth-Grade Underachievement
Parent Question: I have a fifth-grade daughter who until recently was an A/B student. She has always scored high on her Iowa tests. Lately, she has been bringing home papers and tests with Ds and Fs on them. She forgets to bring material home from school to study and is making careless mistakes. She seems to like school, her teachers, and her friends. One side of the problem is that she doesn’t know how to prioritize and organize. The other is that her friends seem to be poor students. Can you … [Read more...] about Fifth-Grade Underachievement