For some parents of gifted children, homework comes with many hassles, leaving Mom and Dad with more questions than answers: What is the purpose and value of homework? What is a reasonable amount of homework? When should I help, and when should I stand back? Following are some answers to these questions and practical strategies parents can use to avoid homework battles. … [Read more...] about Making the Homework Connection
underachievement
Genius Denied
A new Web site based on the book Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds, by Jan Davidson, Bob Davidson, and Laura Vanderkam (Simon and Schuster, 2004), pulls together an array of information often needed by parents, education professionals, policy makers, and others advocating for appropriate educational services for gifted and talented students. … [Read more...] about Genius Denied
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
Parenting for Achievement
For many parents with gifted children, motivation can be a struggle. This article offers explanations for why this struggle exists, and offers some recommendations for how to foster effort and help students reach their potential. One of the prevailing themes of this article is the idea of learning what works best for each child. I’d like to note that “underachievement” is a relative term. What is underachievement for one student may look quite different from underachievement for another student. … [Read more...] about Parenting for Achievement
Mastering Organizational Skills
My child’s grades are suffering. He is acing all his tests but is getting marked down for not turning in homework. He forgets to bring home the assignment or the book that he needs to do it, or he leaves the homework at home or in his locker. … [Read more...] about Mastering Organizational Skills
Ensuring a Middle School Student is Academically Challenged
Parent Question: Since my child entered middle school, she doesn’t seem challenged academically. What advice can you give me and my child’s teacher? … [Read more...] about Ensuring a Middle School Student is Academically Challenged
Help Your Child Find the Flow
The next time you see your child engrossed in a video game, watch carefully. Notice the look of intense concentration. Except for the occasional gasp of excitement or exasperation, he or she is silent and may remain that way for hours, enraptured. … [Read more...] about Help Your Child Find the Flow