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
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Igniting a Renaissance
Tom Clynes has written an extraordinary “adventure, a coming-of-age narrative of one kid’s remarkable (and often comic) journey into the subatomic world.” The Boy Who Played With Fusion explores Taylor Wilson’s brilliant mind and personality, remarkable parents, and the science behind nuclear fusion and gifted education to provide the reader with a literary ride that investigates what it takes to develop an intellectual star. Clynes is a gifted storyteller, so it is wonderful to see his talents … [Read more...] about Igniting a Renaissance
How Can I Help My Gifted Child Who Isn’t Very Social?
Parent question: My 12-year-old son takes little interest in the world around him or in making friends. From early childhood he’s been far more interested in creating elaborate games with his cars; engrossing himself in learning all about trains, space shuttles, and airplanes; and playing computer games. At his gifted school he enjoys the company of other children but doesn’t want to take on the responsibility of friendship. I’ve hosted numerous play dates with his schoolmates, which have ended … [Read more...] about How Can I Help My Gifted Child Who Isn’t Very Social?
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?
Should You Homeschool Your Gifted Child?
Nearly one million school-aged children in the United States are educated primarily at home. Many of them are gifted. Parents who wonder if homeschooling will work for them need to consider the reasons for doing it and how to meet their children’s academic, social, and emotional needs. Reasons for gifted children to learn at home Parents who homeschool cite several reasons: traditional schools fail to meet their children’s needs; state and district budget cuts have reduced or eliminated many … [Read more...] about Should You Homeschool Your Gifted Child?
How Can I Improve My Gifted Child’s Resilience?
As parents, we naturally want to prevent our children from experiencing extreme adversity, but, try as we might, there is only so much we can do to keep them safe. Gifted children are often in educational situations that heighten their risk for adjustment problems because they have limited access to others with similar interests, ability, and drive or because they are not sufficiently challenged. The differences in their abilities and their heightened sensitivities can contribute to these … [Read more...] about How Can I Improve My Gifted Child’s Resilience?
Are Parents Becoming More Proficient in Supporting Their Children’s Cognitive Growth?
In a new research abstract presented at the 2016 meeting of the International Society for Intelligence Research, researchers Joseph Lee Rodgers and Patrick O’Keefe of Vanderbilt University investigate potential new causes of the Flynn effect, or the strangely consistent rise in IQ scores over the decades. Their new analysis and interpretation suggests that parents may be getting better over time at providing an “executive function” to their developing children. … [Read more...] about Are Parents Becoming More Proficient in Supporting Their Children’s Cognitive Growth?
Enhance Your Child’s Creativity
"The thing that makes a creative person is to be creative and that is all there is to it." —Edward Albee Because of their traditional intellectual abilities, gifted children start off with an edge. Parents can help them maintain it by encouraging them to develop a creative attitude toward life. For gifted children, being creative is largely a decision. Here are five things you can do right away: Encourage your child to question rather than merely accept assumptions. Why should children go to … [Read more...] about Enhance Your Child’s Creativity
When Should You Lose Sleep Over Your Gifted Child’s Sleep
For decades, gifted education researchers have been lamenting that the U.S. is undergoing a “quiet crisis” regarding the education of its most academically talented students. The situation is viewed as a crisis because many talented students aren’t being appropriately challenged and many parents, educators and education experts believe their talents are being wasted. The crisis is considered quiet because hardly anyone else has been paying attention to it. … [Read more...] about When Should You Lose Sleep Over Your Gifted Child’s Sleep
Advocating for Your Child in School: Strategies for Every Step
Navigating a school system to ensure the best education for your child can seem intimidating, but we can help to break your process into clear, effective steps. 1. Identify the Barriers Talk to your child about what he or she is learning in school and in any gifted programming that the school provides. You may realize that the gifted program meets less than once a month or that your child feels unchallenged in class. There may be cause for concern if your child is assigned to tutor struggling … [Read more...] about Advocating for Your Child in School: Strategies for Every Step