Imagine this scenario: two students both test above their grade level and have similar scores in math and reading. Now, imagine that only one of these students is identified as gifted by their school. The student who is identified as gifted is then exposed to programming with unique opportunities, while the other student follows his school’s standard curriculum. Such a scenario of two equally-performing students receiving different educational opportunities, strange as it may sound, could … [Read more...] about State Policy and Gifted Education: Where Do You and Your Child Fit In?
NAGC
Love the Child, Not the Gift
Why should we help gifted students? What is the impact of the Common Core standards on gifted students? What are the greatest myths about gifted students? What can be considered good advice for parents who have gifted children? I recently had the opportunity to ask these questions to two giants in the field of gifted education, Sidney Moon and Felicia Dixon. Their latest book is the second edition of The Handbook of Secondary Gifted Education which “offers an in-depth, research-based look at … [Read more...] about Love the Child, Not the Gift
How Can I Advocate For My Gifted Child?
The United States needs to develop the intellectual potential of its next generation to remain competitive in the world of tomorrow. Our top students generally do not perform as well as their counterparts around the world. Yet our public education system seems to neglect excellence as it stresses proficiency. For these reasons, effective advocacy for gifted education is crucial. What is advocacy? Many perceive advocacy as a political process by which individuals plead their causes to policy … [Read more...] about How Can I Advocate For My Gifted Child?
Looking for Appropriate Services for Gifted English Language Learners
What should an effective gifted program look like? This question may be difficult for any parent to answer, and it can be especially difficult for parents who have moved to the U.S. as adults. This is not only because there may be a language barrier, but also because our schools often are very different from schools in other countries. Gifted programming varies so widely in the U.S. that the closest we come to a description are explanations of service delivery models. These may involve: … [Read more...] about Looking for Appropriate Services for Gifted English Language Learners
Teaching Gifted Children: National Guidelines and State Requirements
Just as educational programs and curricula for gifted children differ widely from state to state, so too do the requirements for teachers of gifted children. Since no national degree or certification requirements for gifted educators exist, all policy and funding mandates come from the state and local levels. As a result, requirements for teacher training and ongoing professional development vary widely from state to state and in many cases from district to district within a given state. … [Read more...] about Teaching Gifted Children: National Guidelines and State Requirements
Gifted Children’s Bill of Rights
Provided as a Service of the National Association for Gifted Children You have a right... … [Read more...] about Gifted Children’s Bill of Rights
The Challenges of Being Gifted in a Rural Community
The majority of programs for gifted learners were developed for suburban and urban schools. Rural schools can be quite different and may need to modify these programs to meet the educational needs of their gifted learners. For example, very small rural communities have so few families that an entire school may have only a handful of students incontiguously in kindergarten through eighth grade; high school students may be sent to distant towns, and may even board during the week. … [Read more...] about The Challenges of Being Gifted in a Rural Community
Knowledge is Key: Advocating for your Gifted Child
In responding to a parent’s concern about a one size fits all type of programming for her fourth grade son in the Consultant’s Corner, I described two factors that influence services: identification and programming. In this column, I will further explain these two factors and provide some tips for parents on how to find information about the identification procedure and work with school districts to develop appropriate services for their child. … [Read more...] about Knowledge is Key: Advocating for your Gifted Child
Needed: Parent Advocacy
The United States needs to develop the intellectual potential of its next generation to remain competitive in the world of tomorrow. Our top students generally do not perform as well as their counterparts around the world. Yet our public education system seems to neglect excellence as it stresses proficiency. For these reasons, effective advocacy for gifted education is crucial. … [Read more...] about Needed: Parent Advocacy