For Parents of Gifted Children
Have you ever wondered why some children easily manage a complex life including friends, schoolwork, and sports, while others drift through their school years confused and scattered? Or why two students can enter a math class with equivalent ability and...
What does it mean to be gifted? Experts in the field of gifted education have long debated over a universally accepted definition. The federal definition of the gifted and talented first appeared in the 1972 Marland Report to Congress and...
Legislation/Law Parenting/Advocacy Stephens, Kristen R. The Editor's View
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...
Consultant's Corner Johnsen, Susan K. Social-Emotional Issues
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...
Connections Educational Strategies Johnsen, Susan K. Parenting/Advocacy
You’ve got a bright child on your hands! As a preschooler he loved books, drawing, and creating with blocks. He was excited by the things around him and was a bundle of energy, wanting to explore, handle, and figure out...
The American Association for Gifted Children (AAGC) is the nation’s oldest advocacy organization for gifted children and receives numerous calls and e-mails from parents who are seeking information to help them understand the unusual abilities that their children are...
Gayle, Margaret Evans Special Focus Stephens, Kristen R. Tests & Testing Young Gifted
If it seems like students have a lot more standardized testing these days than when you were in school, you are absolutely right. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) mandates annual testing in math and reading for...
Legislation/Law Matthews, Michael S. Testing, Testing, 1,2,3 Tests & Testing
The desire to provide optimal and appropriate educational challenges has prompted many parents to consider homeschooling their gifted children. Parents routinely supplement their children’s formal education. However, the choice to withdraw them from the traditional classroom for all or part...
Boone, Sarah Educational Strategies Parenting/Advocacy Schoolhouse Options
Will universities stop requiring students to submit an SAT or ACT score as part of their application? Some universities are finding that scores on these tests are poor predictors of collegiate success. George Mason University in Virginia indicates they are...
Ever offer your children money, gifts, or special privileges for every “A” they bring home on their report card? If you do, you’re not alone. Across the nation parents are rewarding their children for good grades in a variety of...
According to a U.S. Census Bureau report (2004), 12 percent of boys drop out of high school, compared to a dropout rate of 9 percent of girls. In Helping Boys Succeed in Schools (Prufrock, 2006), education experts Terry Neu...