aven Why Breastfeeding, Baby Wearing & Co-Sleeping are Misunderstood Attachment parenting is a parenting philosophy that is soaring in popularity. Still, there are many traditional or mainstream parents who do not understand the movement. Most people are familiar with the key components of attachment parenting; breastfeeding, babywearing and co-sleeping. It is no longer unusual to see … Read more
GATE Students Enjoy Storytelling Bright, advanced or gifted and talented students enjoy finding ways to express themselves, and as acting and improvisation, storytelling can be very fulfilling. Teachers, in general, can sometimes find it difficult to find lessons that can help bright, advanced or gifted and talented students gain some fresh perspectives by using higher-order … Read more
High-Level Readers Need Help Choosing Appropriate Books Helping gifted and talented students choose appropriate reading materials is a tricky road; gifted children tend to read voraciously and at high levels. These reading habits are understandable characteristics of giftedness; gifted children are cognitively more developed than is normally expected. However, gifted readers need guidance in book … Read more
Determining When Whole-Grade Skipping Is Right for Gifted Kids The Iowa Acceleration Scale explores a gifted and talented child’s academic, social, and emotional development to determine if skipping grades is currently beneficial. Your gifted child participates in the school’s weekly pullout gifted program, highest grade level math and reading groups, summer gifted camps, and as … Read more
Research Supports Grade Advancement of Gifted and Talented Students Grade acceleration is a viable option for gifted children performing above grade level in all subject areas but is often resisted by school administration and teachers. In Genius Denied, Davidson Institute founders Jan and Bob Davidson claim objections to acceleration fall into two categories of concern: … Read more
Modern Misnomers and Fallacies About Gifted Children For good reason, many parents of truly gifted children, as defined by traditional standards, are very reluctant to have the “gifted” label attached to their child. Because intellectual giftedness is commonly misunderstood by parents, educators, and the general public, certain myths, and fallacies need to be addressed for … Read more
Balancing the Need for Stimulation Versus the Need for Solitude Parents of gifted children can be so anxious to provide opportunities for stimulation, that they sometimes forget the child has an increased need for quiet reflection. Many parents of gifted kids have a fear of not providing enough stimulation to their child. They have read … Read more
Finding Enrichment Opportunities for a Young Gifted Child Parents who discover they have an intellectually gifted child want to ensure they provide the appropriate stimulation for optimal development. Here are some ideas. When a young child is discovered to be gifted, initially at least, parents are elated. After the glow of these feelings wears off, … Read more
Standardized testing might be hoop-jumping, but those are some high-stakes hoops. If students do not meet set standards for test scores, potential consequences can be in-school (such as schedules limited to remedial classes), out-of-school (such as limiting driving privileges), and beyond-school (such as delaying or preventing graduation). It can also lead to more testing, as … Read more
Programs and Students Need Advocates in Times of Funding Questions People involved in gifted education – whether they are the teachers, the students, the parents, or the administrators – should actively promote gifted programming. In times of financial difficulty, hungry eyes look at each line of the district budget, questioning if the school really needs … Read more