tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40523502055782572482024-03-05T17:46:27.361-05:00Gifted Parenting Supportljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-46407865696145878122019-08-15T12:00:00.000-04:002019-08-15T12:00:21.340-04:00The Caring Child ~ Raising Empathetic and Emotionally Intelligent Children<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJuP9QHIjCmgPnT4iX3hDwrSpGSl2B8urBohaECpMsPsphqeUWlHRIaBmrPjnUtWtbWB8jWwRG85EYYy1RyFaBpnSpeSLmDvfBUA1zdPXc7xm-GtNOY8MtF25gMBSwkIdXLg1-ZpoOoQ/s1600/Caring+Child+Front+Cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJuP9QHIjCmgPnT4iX3hDwrSpGSl2B8urBohaECpMsPsphqeUWlHRIaBmrPjnUtWtbWB8jWwRG85EYYy1RyFaBpnSpeSLmDvfBUA1zdPXc7xm-GtNOY8MtF25gMBSwkIdXLg1-ZpoOoQ/s320/Caring+Child+Front+Cover.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>How does one read the title and not want to dive right in???</i></span> </span></h3>
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When I open the pages of a Christine Fonseca book, I know I’m going to learn so
much more than I thought possible! <i><span style="color: blue;"><b>The Caring Child</b></span></i> is an important and timely
read for all parents. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With each chapter read, I gained a new perspective of the
world’s latest generation. The iGen. They are the kids who began graduating from high
school in 2013 and were the first ones to grow up with Smartphones. Though they
are super connected via online activities, this does not translate into
real-life competencies. Their vulnerabilities are on display in social
interactions (or lack thereof); they complain of loneliness; and are vastly
unprepared for the responsibilities associated with adulthood. It is the
premise for a real-life dystopian future. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Parents of gifted and/or talented children tend to focus on
academics or hours of practice or getting into the best schools. <i>To what end?</i>
Having spent the last 20 years around folks in the gifted community, I can tell
you the ability to experience empathy and have emotional intelligence far surpass
an Ivy League degree any day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">Christine Fonseca</span></td></tr>
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It is imperative that parents today create an environment of
love and support; modeling behavior they want to be seen in their children. But
that’s a tall order. <span style="color: blue;"><i><b>The Caring Child</b></i></span> is a toolbox of ideas on how this can be
done. Christine shares 4 distinct
processes – emotional sharing, emotional mimicry, mental imagining of another’s
emotions, and differentiating self and others. She delineates social-emotional
learning skills as cognitive, social/relational, emotional, character, and
mindsets. You will find many strategies to use to build these skills in her
book.</div>
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We all want what’s best for our children, but this does not
preclude building a better world for all. Take time to read <i><b><span style="color: blue;">The Caring Child</span></b></i>
and you will be able to accomplish both! You can order a copy <a href="https://bit.ly/2KuGOJ8" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Portions of this post can be found in another post I wrote
<a href="https://bit.ly/2GCPoDk" target="_blank">here</a>. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Disclaimer: I received a pdf review copy of this book in connection with another project. </div>
<br />ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-52822182148398572782018-12-11T14:04:00.000-05:002018-12-11T14:04:50.325-05:00A New Resource for Gifted Kids: The Gifted Kids Workbook <div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Learning for the first time that your child has been
identified as gifted can be a <a href="https://goo.gl/xRBTTy" target="_blank">daunting experience</a>. Even if you were identified
as gifted yourself (or not, but are) as a child, parenting such a child is an
added challenge to your role as a parent. Suddenly, in addition to being the
provider of basic needs, you must educate yourself about <a href="https://goo.gl/9JNKbj" target="_blank">all things gifted</a> and <a href="https://goo.gl/xNbGSr" target="_blank">gifted education</a>; as well as understanding your child’s <a href="https://goo.gl/FCBFCG" target="_blank">social and emotional needs</a>.
Oh, and don’t forget that you are expected to be a role model for your child. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It seems like an overwhelming task; expectations beyond the
ability of a mere mortal. And you know why? Because it is. Now, consider how
your child may be feeling. As an adult, you have the advantage here. You may
have had challenges as a child, but you have the benefit of your own life
experiences. And, if you haven’t realized it by now … there’s no shame in
asking for help and seeking out resources to make your job easier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That’s where Heather Boorman’s new book, <a href="https://goo.gl/gdhkVa" target="_blank">The Gifted Kids Workbook</a>, comes to the rescue. There are many books available today on ‘how to’
parent a gifted child, advocate for an appropriate education, and where to find
social/emotional resources. This book, however, is a workbook for your child to
use to explore and understand their own giftedness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s often debated in the gifted community as to whether a
child should be told they have been identified. Well, heck yeah. What’s the
alternative? A child who knows they are different … looks at the world around
them in unique ways, is always thirsting after knowledge, doesn’t feel a sense
of belonging with age-peers … but, early on isn’t given enough information to
understand why they feel this way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When a highly-abled child grows up without the tools to
support their emotional well-being and gain a real perspective of their own
potential, things can go awry fairly quickly and a life of promise becomes a
life in disarray. No one wants that for their child. The Gifted Kids Workbook
takes a refreshing approach to childhood giftedness. It only takes a moment to
peruse the table of contents … Understanding Giftedness, Enjoying the
Intensities of Giftedness, Healing the Common Struggles of Being Gifted,
Improving Friendships & Social Connections, and Choosing Your Identity … to
realize that Heather Boorman knows what she’s talking about for sure! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I recently had the pleasure of meeting Heather at giftED18, the annual conference for the <a href="https://goo.gl/Gp4Lx8" target="_blank">Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented</a> (Disclaimer: I do contract work for TAGT.) It was exciting to meet an author whose work I wholeheartedly support!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEAYgoleU7rbQFW14TgI4UceDFqQ0WDSwelnOyCGmaJQDFk6Ss9dU37yes2KeYFUnAGLD81MA41-fKrBTuAerREKuMGMDRxWR-VUZcrEr_CLf5tbLSW5yCAEWr1EB8eqaBDdH49vcVMw/s1600/Heather+Boorman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEAYgoleU7rbQFW14TgI4UceDFqQ0WDSwelnOyCGmaJQDFk6Ss9dU37yes2KeYFUnAGLD81MA41-fKrBTuAerREKuMGMDRxWR-VUZcrEr_CLf5tbLSW5yCAEWr1EB8eqaBDdH49vcVMw/s400/Heather+Boorman.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather Boorman<br />giftED18<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here’s my recommendation … <a href="https://goo.gl/gdhkVa" target="_blank">buy the book</a>, read the book
yourself first, and then hand it off to your child. You will thank me and they
will thank you. It may only be the first step of your journey, but it’s a great
place to start. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Still not sure? Heather has a website, <a href="https://goo.gl/pMxU4Z" target="_blank">The Fringy Bit</a>. Check
out <a href="https://goo.gl/dNoSaj" target="_blank">her blog</a> and then get her book. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Disclaimer</b>: I received a copy of this book for review. I have no other financial benefits accruing from this post. </span></div>
<br />ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-1811520477037588592018-09-16T19:13:00.000-04:002018-09-16T19:13:05.270-04:00Nothing You Can't Do! {Book Review}<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQB4sT6IrOpdEqOn1k1acLs6tVYjVevHeVykkkc4MG11ghjXoFlWD_VKBz3o2ZH2dUs6lopmI-JSCCJc1VVtYZ9qjiTm3nngGVzSCvbEo8uhVIyjW2nsB5Vi2roKbOro2gyDfyZ4rmEY/s1600/Nothing+You+Cant+Do+Front+Cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="291" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQB4sT6IrOpdEqOn1k1acLs6tVYjVevHeVykkkc4MG11ghjXoFlWD_VKBz3o2ZH2dUs6lopmI-JSCCJc1VVtYZ9qjiTm3nngGVzSCvbEo8uhVIyjW2nsB5Vi2roKbOro2gyDfyZ4rmEY/s320/Nothing+You+Cant+Do+Front+Cover.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“Nothing You Can’t Do!” from <a href="https://goo.gl/Yoyb4u" target="_blank">Mary Cay Ricci</a> is
aimed at middle-schoolers and would be useful in regular education classrooms as
well as a motivational curriculum for guidance counselors. As such, teachers
should be prepared to provide paper or a notebook for students if they intend
to reuse their copies.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Cay Ricci</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Throughout the book, ‘secrets’ are revealed which is a very
appealing format for this age group. Students will enjoy the interactive nature of
the <b>‘Extras’</b> section at the end of the book; perfect for today’s digital
natives. Links to websites and videos through the use of QR codes can be
accessed by tablets or cellphones.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Activities suggested in the book promote
journaling and engaging in critical thinking about how students respond to
challenges in their lives. The publisher has also created a <a href="https://goo.gl/gDPx7n" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page and
<a href="https://goo.gl/qJXmfz" target="_blank">Twitter</a> account to accompany the book; a great way to connect readers and
classrooms!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After reading the book, I was happy to see that Ms. Ricci acknowledged mindset, while a powerful
motivator, needs to be qualified.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="color: blue;">"Before we get to the first chapter, we must discuss a little issue. The title of this book is not 100% true ... there are actually some things that you can't do (but that wouldn't make a very good book title, would it?). There are some things that no matter how hard you try - you will not be able to do - these are typically things that are limiting us due to one or more of our physical attributes. Here is the important part to remember: Even though it might be very difficult to achieve something, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't enjoy the process of working toward your goals."</span></i> (p. 5)</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Potential is not
limitless and its boundaries are very personal. Achievement cannot be based on
effort alone and it shouldn’t be the sole goal for one’s life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The book is published by <a href="https://goo.gl/A3w5Dz" target="_blank">Prufrock Press</a> (Non-affiliate link). Check it out! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Disclaimer:</span> I received a received a review copy of the book. </span></div>
<br />ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-18488653832012220942018-09-12T17:13:00.000-04:002018-09-12T17:25:00.479-04:00On Becoming a Better Parent<br />
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/uCr6VI7Kwfk?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Julie Johnson</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of the most <i>frustrating</i> things about becoming a parent
is that your little bundle of joy comes without <i>a .pdf file attached</i>. By the
time you are ‘getting the hang of things’, they are self-sufficient or have
flown the nest. If that child happens to also be found possessing gifted
abilities, your frustration level may start out at ‘high alert’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So … how do you become a better parent before they’ve grown
up and are out of your care? There are a few steps you can take; <i>many may seem
counterintuitive</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/15wIddvL5dU?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Calle Macarone</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>First and foremost</b>, <i>take care of yourself</i>. It’s kind of like
being on a plane before takeoff and the steward is explaining to put your
oxygen mask on first before your child’s. If you are tired, hungry or stressed,
you won’t be your best when coping with a tried, hungry, or stressed child. That
doesn’t mean putting your needs above those of your child; you simply need to
be mindful of your own needs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/D1JDX8g8aUo?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Maaike Nienhuis</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pop culture would advise you to ‘RTFM’ if you aren’t sure
what to do with a new device. However, without a manual, you may need to rely
on the experience of other parents; preferably those who have already taken the
journey (probably why you are here reading this blog post.) Today, there are
hundreds of books, blogs and Internet sites available to you about gifted
children. Take the time to read to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/EQlTyDZRx7U?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Picsea</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I always tell parents that they know their child best and
it’s true. However, knowing them well doesn’t come by osmosis. Spend time …
<b>real time</b>; extended time, not just ‘quality’ time … with your child and <i>listen
to them</i>. Unlike other interpersonal experiences, this tends to get harder over
time. As they grow up, they also start to grow away. Their world and yours are
always getting in the way and pulling you in opposite directions. Take care to
minimize distractions to your relationship with your child. You don’t have to
be a drone hovering over their every move; you should strive to create what I
like to call a ‘<i>mutual admiration society</i>’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/eo11MS0FSnk?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Bruno Nascimento</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our world has become a very stressful place. Families are
more important than ever. They may not look like they did a generation ago, but
the parent-child relationship is the basis for a strong society that can
weather the storms around us. That relationship must be nurtured if you want it
to survive and grow. The older you get, the more you value the process and
appreciate the results. There will be times when you want to give up, but
don’t. Trust me ... you’ll be happy you didn't. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzD3y3tFBoGkFp_e-dy-8XgzvoWeWhRkskeNTtrhlcbvnQTBYX5n3GLuU2xWKSYKhjz_buMAqRt-k61_cVuZrF3VzZwT3-puehjokoJdVo3HF6wAACEzN9npQ_vy5vrbtnYnUvU56DSgU/s1600/sebastian-leon-prado-438756-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1281" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzD3y3tFBoGkFp_e-dy-8XgzvoWeWhRkskeNTtrhlcbvnQTBYX5n3GLuU2xWKSYKhjz_buMAqRt-k61_cVuZrF3VzZwT3-puehjokoJdVo3HF6wAACEzN9npQ_vy5vrbtnYnUvU56DSgU/s320/sebastian-leon-prado-438756-unsplash.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/dBiIcdxMWfE?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Sebastián León Prado</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
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<br />ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-68166751958539615112018-09-06T16:49:00.000-04:002018-10-25T11:37:32.691-04:002 Days of 2e<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">UPDATE</span>: Conference starts tomorrow (October 26th)! Sign up <a href="https://www.vconferenceonline.com/microsite/html/event.aspx?id=1376&cid=LConrad" target="_blank">here </a>(affiliate link.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Attending conferences dedicated to the gifted community has
been a rich resource for networking and learning about every facet of
giftedness from parenting to teaching to counseling for me. It has also been
expensive and time-consuming. Don’t get me wrong; I love attending conferences,
but it always becomes a balancing act between my work schedule and my budget.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enter the ‘virtual’ conference; a natural offspring of the
webinar format. No weeks off work. No travel expenses ~ plane tickets, hotels,
or expensive food. No high conference fees. But … what about the quality of
speakers, networking, and good old-fashion human interaction? And don’t forget
a wandering through the Exhibit Hall! <i>All valid concerns. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are, however, well into the 21<sup>st</sup> century and
adapting to cyber experiences is now a way of life. For parents, it is often a
necessity born out of wanting to spend time and financial resources on family
needs first. So, <i>the idea of attending a virtual conference looks pretty good;
doesn’t it?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Several years ago, I began receiving a newsletter from <a href="https://withunderstandingcomescalm.com/" target="_blank">With Understanding Comes Calm</a> by Julie Skolnick. I had sat in on one of Julie’s
sessions at a <a href="https://goo.gl/Gwgxwh" target="_blank">SENG</a> conference and liked what she had to say about 2e
(twice-exceptional) kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Julie Skolnick</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently, I heard Julie had put together an upcoming virtual
conference centering on twice-exceptionality and decided to take a closer look.
What immediately caught my eye was the high caliber of speakers who would be
presenting during the 2 day event; many of whom I know personally and have
heard speak at major conferences. I reviewed Lisa Van Gemert's book on perfectionism <a href="https://goo.gl/HMC9ds" target="_blank">here</a>. You can find links to Dr. Dan Peters' books <a href="https://goo.gl/Q3nP3T" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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Dan Peters, Ph.D.</h3>
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Lisa Van Gemert, M.Ed.T.</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s an outline of what to expect at the 2 Days of 2e
Virtual Conference:</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Day
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Julie
Skolnick, M.A., J.D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Cycle for Success: Parenting and Teaching
2e<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Stephen
Chou, Psy.D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Susan
Baum, Ph.D. & Robin Schader, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">A Strength-Based and Talent-Focused
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Edward
Amend, Psy.D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Misdiagnosis and Missed Diagnosis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Dan
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Make your 2e Worrier a Warrior<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Day
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Lisa
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Addressing Perfectionism<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Donna
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Understanding, Preventing, and Reversing
Underachievement Among 2e Students<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Joseph
Renzulli, Ed.D., & Sally <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Reis,
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Schoolwide Enrichment and Talent
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Bobbie
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Academic Advocacy for 2e Children<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Jonathan
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Normal Sucks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Donna Y. Ford, Ph.D.</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Impressive line-up!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And there’s more. Remember my concern about human interaction? There will be Live-Chat sessions during the actual conference days on October 26</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">th</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and 27th plus Discussion Forums for parents and teachers <i>through April 2019</i>. And what about all the resources – books and information – you pick up at a conference? There’s a Virtual Exhibitor Hall available with this conference. Not convinced yet this may be a good idea? How about a conference fee of only $99/individual or an extra 10% discount for groups of 5+ (through 9/27) and $129 thereafter? </span><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can’t take a nap in a hotel room at a traditional conference for that price!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s an added bonus I’ve noticed. The sessions are
sequential with one speaker at a time. One of the most frustrating parts of an ‘in
real life’ conference is paying so much money and then having to decide among 10
or 15 presenters per session. You always miss something. Or you try to split
your time between two sessions and miss the best of both. Ugh …</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve never included an affiliate link on this blog before, but I am this time. I think this opportunity makes a lot of sense for parents and educators (whose schools are increasingly balking at paying for conference expenditures.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This virtual conference will be available online on demand through April 2019 if you can't make it during the conference dates. For educators, the University of Connecticut is offering a certificate documenting ‘Contact Hours’ (not CEUs) for sessions viewed before 11/27 which may be about to be used to fulfill Professional Development requirements (check with your school.) You can find out more about the presenters and register for the conference here (affiliate link.) </span></div>
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<br />ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-3445172180636542462018-05-29T10:56:00.000-04:002018-05-29T12:24:28.684-04:00The School for Gifted Potentials: Rebellion <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNhue7x4FEsOxnaD3IF0RayK2w5WnJ9yILw-rQEjzDPAtTezvSyHvfbW0WFeqxnaIPas5G1_7GdfpErLmgku1Jc2FN6QFizX2lNN-CpafaZcpYwGDAHqLe7KnC-v0mlHUjvt4lAeC-VI/s1600/Rebellion+SFGP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNhue7x4FEsOxnaD3IF0RayK2w5WnJ9yILw-rQEjzDPAtTezvSyHvfbW0WFeqxnaIPas5G1_7GdfpErLmgku1Jc2FN6QFizX2lNN-CpafaZcpYwGDAHqLe7KnC-v0mlHUjvt4lAeC-VI/s320/Rebellion+SFGP.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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It has been a long time coming - finally, the third book in Allis Wade's trilogy, The School for Gifted Potentials. Along the way, we have followed Everett from his <a href="https://goo.gl/KcexZT" target="_blank">Orientation</a> to <a href="https://goo.gl/wyCXV2" target="_blank">Revelations</a> and now <a href="https://goo.gl/aQw7YX" target="_blank">Rebellion</a>. Sounds exactly like the path followed by many gifted children I have come to know.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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I first reviewed <a href="https://goo.gl/25DR2K" target="_blank">Orientation in 2012</a> and <a href="https://goo.gl/UzOgDf" target="_blank">Revelations in 2013</a>. Over the years, I have occasionally wondered if Everett would ever complete his journey and find his way in life. I'm happy to say that I now know the answer to both those questions. I dearly wish there would be a sequel to the trilogy; there's certainly more story left to be written.</div>
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<a href="https://goo.gl/Hrda6o" target="_blank">Allis Wade</a> is a pen name. There is a part of me who believes I may know the author; but I don't. If I did, I would tell them how much I've come to adore Everett ... for his intellect, his bravery, his character as a role-model for so many gifted children who have not found their way ... yet. </div>
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As the parent of a gifted child; as a teacher of gifted children; as a gifted child ... should you read these books? Well, be sure to read my reviews of the first two books and ask yourself - what would Lisa do? Then, head to Amazon (no affiliate links here) and download the <a href="https://goo.gl/aQw7YX" target="_blank">Kindle version</a> (it's not available in paperback at this time.) </div>
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The real importance of these books is the wonderful way the author has woven into the characters what it feels like to be gifted; to not be understood or to understand oneself very well. It delves into the role of 'overexcitabilities'; how they affect every aspect of life for those who are labeled 'gifted'. There is strife, self-awareness, fulfillment and eventually satisfaction. The author alludes to the heart-wrenching decisions parents of gifted children must make throughout their lives and always doubting themselves; the need for students to be involved in decisions affecting their education; and the importance of self-advocacy for all gifted kids. </div>
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Without spoilers, I can definitively tell you that the plot twists in this final book are masterfully written and well worth the wait. You won't see the end coming. You will see your child, your student, yourself illuminated in its pages. It made me yearn for a time when The School for Gifted Potentials might be realized. But alas, it is but a work of fiction. Still ... </div>
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<br />ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-91103579786610209412018-04-02T13:48:00.000-04:002018-04-02T13:48:25.187-04:00Doing Poorly on Purpose <br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After nearly 20 years of advocating for appropriate
educational experiences for gifted children, I am often frustrated at the lack
of progress in the field of gifted advocacy. Along the way, I have met many
experts; but, few have impressed me more than Dr. Jim Delisle. When you are in
his presence whether in private conversation or in the audience when he is
speaking, you are struck by his genuine kindness coupled with superior
intellect. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you have a ‘designated underachiever’ in your life as a
child, a student or a friend, someone you suspect is <a href="https://goo.gl/HRksCA" target="_blank">Doing Poorly on Purpose</a>, I highly recommend this book from Jim Delisle. It offers strategies to Reverse Underachievement and Respect Student
Dignity; the key sentiment being ‘dignity’. Unlike most other professionals,
Dr. Delisle does not shame or blame the student. This is a salient point that should not be overlooked or minimized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
approach to underachievement is in stark contrast to everything you may have
previously read or heard on the topic. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is also important to note that <a href="https://goo.gl/HRksCA" target="_blank">Doing Poorly on Purpose</a> is being published simultaneously by <a href="https://goo.gl/YWkBP" target="_blank">ASCD</a> (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) and <a href="https://goo.gl/vvTW9k" target="_blank">Free Spirit Publishing</a>. This speaks to the fact that the intended audience goes well beyond the gifted community. That makes it <i>an excellent choice for parents to share with their child's teachers and administrators</i>. Chapter 8: Approachable Educators could make a world of difference in the life of an underachiever. Also, the ASCD has released a <a href="https://goo.gl/whPESf" target="_blank">Study Guide</a> to accompany the book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On my personal journey to learn how to overcome what I
thought was underachievement of students I worked with in school, I poured over
relevant articles, read books and attended conferences in hopes of finding an
answer; one that did not assume laziness or the lack of motivation. These
stereotypes did not match with what I was witnessing every day in the
classroom.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Underachievement is a red flag that something is seriously
wrong with how we are educating students; especially in the 21<span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">st</span> century. As a society,
we reap what we sow and writing off the so-called underachiever may be a
prelude to more perilous times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is time to put aside preconceived notions about why
students underachieve. Every educator and every parent knows the stakes are
high and potential losses unmeasurable. Jim Delisle offers practical, common
sense strategies that will reverse underachievement in your classroom and in
the life of your child. The insights shared in this book are invaluable to
parents, teachers and the student; insights gleaned from over 30 years of
experience in the field of education. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Resources:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/8bMNcL" target="_blank">Doing Poorly on Purpose</a> (Book Excerpt) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/c7FaF6" target="_blank">Doing Poorly on Purpose: Why Smart Kids Choose Not to do Well in School</a> by Jim Delisle <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/5ZLSpF" target="_blank">If I'm So Smart, Why Aren't the Answers Easy?</a> by </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Robert Schultz</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">James Delisle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/4J6Dz6" target="_blank">Perfectionism: A Practical Guide to Managing "Never Good Enough"</a> by Lisa Van Gemert</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/buwE6m" target="_blank">The Gifted Teen Survival Guide</a> by Judy Galbraith and James Delisle </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/RC8hvi" target="_blank">The Power of Self Advocacy for Gifted Learners</a> by Deb Douglas</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/4wKJCs" target="_blank">When Gifted Kids Don't Have All the Answers</a> by Judy Galbraith and James Delisle </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disclaimer: <i>I did receive a review copy of this book. However, this post contains no affiliate links. ~ ljc </i></span></div>
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<br />ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-44141963237961776952017-06-19T13:04:00.000-04:002017-06-19T13:04:02.029-04:00Review: Perfectionism … “Never Good Enough”<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great Potential Press has just released a new book by Lisa
Van Gemert entitled, Perfectionism A Practical Guide to Managing “Never Good
Enough”. And, well … it’s as close to perfect as any book I’ve read about
perfectionism. It clearly and concisely explains what perfectionism is and
isn’t; then offers strategies to manage it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be honest, I have known Lisa Van Gemert for many years
having first met through our mutual work with the Texas Association for the
Gifted and Talented. I have heard her speak numerous times and never left
without learning something new … and enjoying myself. You see … I’ve always
considered Lisa a perfectionist and wasn’t surprised when I heard she was
writing a book on the subject. Those speaking engagements … she sequesters
herself for hours and practices every single word. She makes sure the timing
and delivery maximize the impact of her words.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That same level of dedication to detail shines in this new
book. I thought I understood what perfectionism was all about and the real
consequences it can have in the life of a gifted person. I have read countless
articles, books, and conducted several Twitter chats on the subject. Lisa,
however, offers new insights into how it affects your life and positive changes
you can make to reduce its influence. You see … she writes from
experience and that makes for great writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First and foremost, we learn that perfectionism is
unattainable. From the book: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“Perfectionism is characterized as setting
impossibly high standards and striving for flawlessness, combined with
excessive self-criticism, an unhealthy concern for others’ opinions of one’s
work, and overgeneralization of failure despite adverse consequences.”</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lisa believes that perfectionism is displayed on a
continuum; not an ‘all or nothing’ proposition. It follows you through life. As
such, it manifests in a number of ways that I had not thought of before reading
this book. Perfectionists can be academic overachievers, aggravated accuracy
assessors, risk evaders, controlling image managers, and procrastinating
perfectionists. It is, in fact, simply another facet of personality and this is
the good news.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perfectionism can be managed and Lisa takes us through the
process step by step. Each chapter concludes with Key Ideas and Action Steps.
It does not have to control one’s life. Whether you’re a parent or teacher of a
young perfectionist, or a perfectionist yourself; you will learn ways to
harness it to improve your life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t make the claim lightly. I believe this
book makes an important contribution to our understanding of an often
misunderstood subject. It’s not preachy. It’s not a ‘how to’ book in the
traditional sense. It’s more of a ‘we can make this work’ kind of book (and
this is from someone who only writes in pencil). Lisa Van Gemert offers
invaluable new insights into perfectionism as a tendency and not a label which
enables smart strategies for those debilitated by its multi-faceted nature and
real-life consequences. You can check out the book <a href="https://goo.gl/aDtdcY" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disclaimer: Great Potential Press provided a review copy of the manuscript.</span></span>ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-58338010040906168712017-04-10T18:04:00.000-04:002017-04-10T18:04:48.118-04:00Is Your Child’s School Gaslighting You?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In recent months, the term ‘gaslighting’ has entered our
daily conversation and it got me to thinking and reflecting on my time as a
parent of school-age gifted children. Traditionally, gaslighting refers to
spousal relationships, but take a look at this <a href="https://www.davidwolfe.com/10-signs-victim-gaslighting" target="_blank">list of signs</a> you’re being
gaslighted: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<li>You are constantly second-guessing yourself.</li>
<li>You start to question if you are too sensitive.</li>
<li>You often feel confused and have a hard time making simple
decisions.</li>
<li>You find yourself constantly apologizing.</li>
<li>You can’t understand why you’re so unhappy.</li>
<li>You often make excuses for your partner’s behavior. (partner
= the school)</li>
<li>You feel like you can’t do anything right.</li>
<li>You often feel like you aren’t good enough for others.</li>
<li>You have the sense that you used to be a more confident,
relaxed and happy person.</li>
<li>You withhold information from friends and family so you
don’t have to explain things.</li>
</ul>
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Of course, this isn’t a one to one correlation, but there
sure are a whole lot of similarities with how parents are made to feel when
dealing with school districts regarding gifted education.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Parents who first suspect that their child may be gifted are
often flooded with these same feelings when confronting school officials. And
yes … it is by and large a confrontation in many instances. There are some
amazing school districts where this is not the case, but they are few and far
between. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But why? Why do school administrators seem to go out of
their way to not provide necessary accommodations for students with high
intellectual and or creative abilities? [This is where I tell you to go get a
favorite beverage and put your feet up.] <o:p></o:p></div>
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Reason #1:</div>
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MONEY … they believe it takes a lot of money to provide a
gifted child with an appropriate education. They fail to realize that many
alternatives are more about perceptions of what being ‘gifted’ means and less
about resources.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Reason #2:<o:p></o:p></div>
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MYTHS … ‘all children are gifted’; ‘gifted children will do
fine on their own’; ‘gifted children have already been given a head start by
virtue of their socio-economic status’; ‘gifted programs are simply another
road to racial divides’; ‘gifted programs take away resources from the less
fortunate’; and on and on and on. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Reason #3:<o:p></o:p></div>
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PERSONAL BIAS … it’s sad to say, but some school officials
make decisions affecting students based on personal bias. I can’t tell you have
many times I’ve been told that the best way to advocate in a particular school
is to find personnel who have gifted kids. Why? Because those who don’t, seem
to hold identified gifted children in such low regard. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Reason #4:<o:p></o:p></div>
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PRIORITIES … the squeaky wheel gets heard. Let’s face it. In
today’s world, the prime objective in most schools is to ensure every student
becomes proficient. It’s where educators’ sentiments reside. It’s where
resources should be directed. It is the single most advocated position in
educational policy. It plays well with the public. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now that I’ve painted a dire picture, you may be wondering
if there’s even a way forward. It’s easy to give up and acquiesce to those
thoughts of being made to feel like you’re asking for too much. Wake up! You
are being ‘gaslighted’. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s the most important thing to remember – it is your
child’s future we’re talking about. A recent study showed that 61% of college
failure can be traced back to a child’s high school experience. (When you hear
the term ‘helicopter parent’; think gaslighting.) As a parent, it is your job
to advocate for the best possible education for your child. Not what the school
says they deserve … what they need to live life to the fullest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, what can you do to change all this? I’m often reminded
of a book my parents used to talk about by Dale Carnegie, <a href="https://goo.gl/gIhLSh" target="_blank">How to Win Friends and Influence People</a>. Be realistic about the situation in which you find
yourself. Understand that there are people who are trying to manipulate you in an
effort to further their interests; not yours.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>Chances are, you are fairly intelligent and having a gifted
child may not have been a big surprise. Raising one is a totally different
thing.</li>
<li>School is not what it was when you were there 20+ years ago.
If you don’t think so, be adamant about spending a day in your child’s school
(this may well require you to get all the appropriate clearances, but you’ll
need these anyway if you want to be active in your child’s school life at any
point).</li>
<li>Educate yourself about everything related to your child’s
education. This is hard work. It takes time. It is involved. You should
research all aspects of what the term ‘gifted’ entails. (Hint: it probably
isn’t what you think.) You must know what school policy is and state laws
require regarding gifted education. (Hint: it’s different in virtually every
locality.) </li>
<li>Understand where school officials are coming from. Learn who is
sympathetic to your cause. As I mentioned earlier, try to find out who in your
school district (teachers, administrators, school board members) have gifted
children. They will be your allies in advocating for what is best for your
child.</li>
<li>Don’t go it alone. Find like-minded parents who can guide
you along the path of parenting these unique kids. There is a gifted community
out there; you just have to tap into it. This may require you to join (form) a
parent group or organization; seek counseling from a therapist or psychologist;
become involved in advocacy.</li>
<li>Most importantly, hold your child close. This may sound like
an overreaction, but it isn’t always easy with gifted children. They are an
independent lot! Take time to build a loving and trusting relationship when
they are young. You’ll be glad you did when those tween and teen years hit. You
will want them to be your partner in any advocacy efforts you make. There is
nothing more deflating to gifted parenthood when you finally get the school to
accommodate your child’s needs and your child says they have no interest in
gifted anything. It happens more often than you think.</li>
</ul>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Raising gifted kids is definitely a challenge. Understanding
the implications of being gaslighted can certainly clear up some of the mystery
involved in dealing with schools and people who may not have the best interests
of your child in mind, even though they say they do. We all want our children
to grow up to be happy, fulfilled adults. This doesn’t happen by accident. It
takes commitment, perseverance, and a whole lot of love.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://goo.gl/S8UOUa" target="_blank">Pre-College Factors Biggest Determinants of College Success</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-9328336679843469892016-08-15T12:02:00.002-04:002016-08-15T12:02:43.896-04:00Where’s the ‘OFF’ Switch?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Parenting young gifted children can be a challenge. A gifted
child brings numerous intensities into the world around them. It’s often
lamented that they do not fit into society’s notion of how children should act
or react. Parents describe them as ‘more’ in every aspect of their lives and it
can be exhausting for everyone involved. So … where is that ‘off’ switch and do
you really want to flip it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the first telltale signs of giftedness is a child’s
extremely early penchant to ask questions; a lot of questions and not just
simple ones. In many gifted children, asynchronous development leads to highly
intuitive and complex questioning of practically everything. The best way to
foster a child’s giftedness is to provide them with an exceptional learning
environment in which those questions can be answered; no matter how often or
how many. As author Christine Fonseca tells us, “we must remind ourselves
that they are curious; and that’s a good thing!”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The intensity experienced by young gifted children extends
beyond their insatiable curiosity and unfortunately can affect their
relationships with adults as well as age-peers. The fact that they are labeled
as gifted cannot be an excuse for bad behavior. One of the most important
lessons we need to teach our children is how to optimize interpersonal
relationships in a way that benefits all involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A characteristic such as bossiness is viewed as highly
unfavorable; especially when directed towards teachers or other adults. Young
children who are highly intelligent may not yet understand the nuance between
being bossy and the qualities associated with leadership. A patient
and well-reasoned explanation of the differences will work better than
criticism of their behavior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gifted children often have a wide breadth of knowledge
leading them to be criticized as a ‘know-it-all’. It’s important to guide
them to know how to temper their approach to those around
them. Gifted kids need to harness their abilities and learn to
appreciate others’ viewpoints even when they disagree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Navigating age-peer relationships with kids who don’t
understand their intensity can be a source of angst for a gifted child. To
nurture the qualities necessary to succeed in relationships, adults
should explore the concepts of empathy, high expectations, emotional
intensity and social justice with the child. Discuss emotional intensity
in a positive light. Don’t disparage the child’s feelings; respect them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In their book BLOOM, authors Dr. Lynne Kenney and Wendy
Young compare intense children to flowers in a garden. Consider the quote below
when thinking about your gifted child.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sleep is often a major concern for parents of gifted
children. Some research suggests that gifted children need less sleep; but
they still need sleep and so do their parents! As with most advice on
parenting, it rarely works for gifted kids. It is usually a case of trial and
error to find what works best for each child. And sometimes; nothing works. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If and when lack of sleep begins to affect everyday life … an
inability to complete school assignments, being habitually late to school,
displaying inappropriate emotional responses … a parent may need to consult a
<a href="http://goo.gl/kfM9TU" target="_blank">professional</a> who is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em>familiar
with giftedness</em><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for
help. Otherwise, the risk of misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate
interventions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s important not to assume that young gifted children
understand the nature of their giftedness. It’s more than just being
smart. Talk to your child about what it means to be gifted. Explore ways
to co-exist in a world that doesn’t always appreciate someone who performs
outside the box. Emphasize to them that being gifted is not being better than
someone else; it’s simply about being different. It is experiencing life in a
way that doesn’t always conform to social norms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gifted kids do grow up. Consider hitting the ‘play’ button
more often than looking for the ‘off’ switch. You will be building memories together
to last the rest of your lives! And about that good night’s sleep that eludes parents
of young gifted children? They eventually get it. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: Portions of this post were previously published at the Global #gtchat
Powered by TAGT <a href="https://goo.gl/HYileK" target="_blank">Blog</a>.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Resources:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://goo.gl/4cMBKP" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Tips to Help Your Gifted Child Fall Asleep</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/i6e1Gj" target="_blank">A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children </a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Hj8LE1" target="_blank">Guiding the Gifted Child</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/6aLK05" target="_blank">A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Teens</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/EoLLBE" target="_blank">Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/c6dKrr" target="_blank">BLOOM</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Gwgxwh" target="_blank">SENG </a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/v6l0K" target="_blank">Gifted Homeschoolers Forum</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/L2q0F5" target="_blank">The “Up” Side to Being Intense</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/JV7xSA" target="_blank">Sprite’s Site: Stories of the OEs</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Graphics courtesy of Pixabay <a href="https://goo.gl/FeLRGy" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://goo.gl/E5FUX2" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/UXPpJP" target="_blank">CC0 Public Domain</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-31310885350471324272016-07-31T17:30:00.000-04:002016-07-31T17:30:30.171-04:00The BEST Things about Parenting a Gifted Child<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Too often I hear parents of gifted children lament
parenting as being a struggle they wouldn’t wish on anyone. Yes … it isn’t
always easy; but life is what we make of it. I think it’s time to look on the
bright side!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They often march to their own drummer ...</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Their questions aren't always age-appropriate ...</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Expect the unexpected when the family gets together!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There’s never a dull moment … really.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Taking your 10 year old to a the library ... </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Can you say Project-based learning? </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These were some of my best times in parenting two gifted
children. Yes, we experienced the heartaches of bullying, the misunderstandings by teachers who did not understand gifted children, the eye rolls of other parents who thought we were bragging, and so much more. Today, however, I choose to celebrate the best things about parenting a gifted child. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now it’s time for you to share yours! What makes you happiest when
parenting your gifted child? </span><o:p></o:p></div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-36664781386180337412016-02-07T19:30:00.000-05:002016-02-07T19:30:22.043-05:00If I’d Known Then …<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday I read an </span><a href="http://goo.gl/AKLv0N" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">article</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> about gifted children that was
written over 10 years ago. It had deeply profound insights that could have made
a world of difference in the life of one of my children. If I had known then
what I know now … but I didn’t; and I can’t change the past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband and I have been beating ourselves up lately about
all the mistakes we made as parents; lamenting poor decisions; not advocating
for our children more forcefully. We bought into the myth that things would
‘work out on their own’. After years of fighting the system, with limited
resources; we eventually gave up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But you know what? Kids do not come with an
instruction manual. Most of us try to do the best we can for our children. Life has
taught me … if nothing else … that as parents; we need to follow our instincts. We DO know our children best. Just
because someone may interact with our child for a few hours a day does not give them the right to
tell us how to parent our children; especially if they lack the training to
understand gifted children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been extremely fortunate through my work in the
gifted community to meet and talk to many experts in the field of gifted education
and ‘gifted’ in general. What I’ve come to realize is that it is extremely
important when seeking help or advice to seek out professionals who are <i>both</i> gifted and understand what it means to be gifted</span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life has taught me … if nothing else … that as parents; we need to follow our instincts. We DO know our children best."</span></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, professionals … be they educators,
psychologists or therapists … are few and far between who truly ‘get’ us and
our children. To this end, I did include a <a href="http://goo.gl/kfM9TU" target="_blank">page</a> on this blog listing
professionals who identify as working with gifted. However, the list is rather
sparse for many areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news is that there are many resources (see below) readily
available online for you to take advantage of today. It does take time, but I
can’t emphasize enough the importance of doing so. For the most part, we are
only given one shot at this parenting gig. Make the most of it! I have listed
below some of the resources I have personally found most helpful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for my husband and I? We have decided to try to finally
give ourselves a break and appreciate the joys and triumphs our children have
experienced as young adults. The story is still unfolding and we are still
involved enough in their lives to become the parents we’ve always wanted to be
… not perfect ones … just parents who seek the best for their children. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resources:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organizations: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Gwgxwh" target="_blank">SENG</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/PCWgJn" target="_blank">GHF</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/xWU3xb" target="_blank">TAGT Parent Resources</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/TrgL" target="_blank">NAGC</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Books: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/q7ymDH" target="_blank">BLOOM</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Xip8NC" target="_blank">Bright Not Broken</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Gdw3Ck" target="_blank">When Gifted Kids Don't Have All the Answers</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/nAV0bL" target="_blank">Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/vJHsfG" target="_blank">Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/qjG5G3" target="_blank">A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Websites: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/eIXGm" target="_blank">Byrdseed Gifted</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://goo.gl/6lv5EE" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">BLOOM Parenting</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/25lu0o" target="_blank">Gifted Guru</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blogs: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/F3HQ57" target="_blank">Sprite’s Site</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/jhwD7a" target="_blank">Laughing at Chaos</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/auP3EY" target="_blank">Wenda Sheard Thoughts on Life and Learning</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/8Pjqdh" target="_blank">Crushing Tall Poppies</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Czo1cS" target="_blank">Columbus Group</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speakers to Seek Out: Lisa Van Gemert, Ian Byrd, Patricia Gatto-Walden, Brian
Housand, Joy Lawson Davis, Dan Peters, Sharon Duncan</span><o:p></o:p></div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-35680687358687108052015-08-27T16:10:00.000-04:002018-07-05T12:18:34.208-04:00An Accelerated Journey<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbK1LL4GIQBFrmps_0WVcNoLq4N0txDgfKVkTsFsBD_MwicOpP4g5tbBJw_5kX1CmmJmtCvx4stvgMNuK4eHNYj2sQuPkrqst44nlDE31z9G7EK4lKRhyMl7Kka-liD2ujFJHyHnvwnUM/s1600/An+Accelerated+Journey+Graphic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbK1LL4GIQBFrmps_0WVcNoLq4N0txDgfKVkTsFsBD_MwicOpP4g5tbBJw_5kX1CmmJmtCvx4stvgMNuK4eHNYj2sQuPkrqst44nlDE31z9G7EK4lKRhyMl7Kka-liD2ujFJHyHnvwnUM/s640/An+Accelerated+Journey+Graphic.JPG" width="592" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelle Vaisman on Graduation Day</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">Update</span>: Michelle recently passed her dissertation defense and graduated from Yale University with her PhD in Electrical Engineering at the age of 23. She has accepted a job for a management consulting firm, Bain. She was also selected as one of the top ten <a href="https://goo.gl/tfyhK7" target="_blank">Amgen Scholars</a> to watch. Congratulations to Michelle! </span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meet Michelle Vaisman; an <i>extraordinary</i> young
woman who benefited from radical acceleration and parents who supported her
along the way. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Acceleration works and it’s time to celebrate the successes rather than rely on a few anecdotal tales of students who were ill-prepared for the journey by adults in the process.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelle Vaisman</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have written about several young people with similar
experiences <a href="http://goo.gl/lRH3V1" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. One of the common threads that runs through all their shared
experiences is the <i>importance of parents</i> and the environment they provided for
their curious, passionate, smart kids. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The report, <a href="http://goo.gl/plPlhD" target="_blank">A Nation Empowered</a>, released earlier this year by
the <a href="http://goo.gl/tM8fPR" target="_blank">Acceleration Institute</a> at the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center is a
10 year follow-up to the seminal report, A Nation Deceived. In a recent <a href="https://goo.gl/1TJ3uN" target="_blank">Twitter chat</a>, Dr. Ann Shoplik, director of the Acceleration Institute, explained why the
new report was written, “Acceleration is the most-researched, yet
under-utilized program option for gifted kids. Policy and practice haven’t
kept up with the research on acceleration. Short and long-term
research evidence is clear: Acceleration works! Colleges of Education
don’t teach acceleration. We must inform administrators and teachers.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The benefits of acceleration are well-documented. Students
who are accelerated demonstrate exceptional achievements years later. Dr.
Shoplik tell us, “Failing to accelerate an able student is likely to have
negative effects on motivation, productivity; may even lead to dropping
out. Achieving success in a class that is challenging bolsters confidence,
raises expectations, and alters mindsets.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Acceleration is the most-researched, yet under-utilized program option for gifted kids. Policy and practice haven’t kept up with the research on acceleration."</span> </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>~ Dr. Ann Shoplik</i></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michelle Vaisman first came to my attention when her mother,
Karen, posted her story on Gifted Parenting Support’s Facebook Page. Her story
is remarkable: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A <a href="http://goo.gl/IO5it" target="_blank">Young Scholar</a> alumni of the
Davidson Institute for Talent Development</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A member of Mensa since age 10</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Earned a $13,000 merit scholarship
from Mary Baldwin College based on SAT scores at age 11 after participating in
<a href="http://goo.gl/x7oE9g" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins CTY Talent Search</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Acceptance to college at <a href="http://goo.gl/vbW52l" target="_blank">MaryBaldwin College’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the day before her 13</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> birthday</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Became a Global Honors Scholar
with a 4.00 GPA at Mary Baldwin College</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dual degrees (B.S. in chemistry
and B.A. in applied math 3.95 GPA) from <a href="http://goo.gl/smyMOi" target="_blank">UC Berkeley at age 18</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Summer undergraduate research
conducted at Cornell, Caltech and Harvard University</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Earned her M.S. in Electrical Engineering in May 2015 from Yale University</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Currently completing her PhD in
</span><a href="http://goo.gl/kzMGeK" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Engineering and Applied Science from Yale</a></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelle receiving her Masters from Yale May 2015</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A recent headline on a British news website admonished
parents not to brag about their gifted kids. How do you not brag about this
young lady? Her accomplishments are incredible for someone so young. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michelle’s mother was kind enough to <i>share her story</i> with
me. Her personal perspective adds a dose of reality to the narrative. Here is some
of the advice she shared:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Identified as a profoundly gifted
child, she was highly motivated. Even as early as age 9, Michelle recognized
her school’s rejection of pleas for acceleration as a challenge. Clearing these
hurdles taught her important life lessons and eventually brought her a great
deal of satisfaction.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Due to privacy laws, once Michelle
was a fully matriculated college student, we learned colleges would not talk to
parents regardless of the student’s age. Her mother credits this for Michelle
gaining self-confidence, persistence and self-advocacy skills. However,
personality plays a huge role in a child’s ability to stand up to adults within
the system; confrontations can easily end poorly unless monitored closely.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ability to defend exam grades,
papers and lab grades without parental intervention plays an important role in
college success. Failure to do so could result in a tremendous disadvantage to
a younger student with long-term consequences.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michelle learned that merit
scholarships are rarely offered to a transfer student. After attending Mary
Baldwin College, she was no longer eligible at subsequent universities for merit
scholarships. Need-based scholarships were different. We found this out by
surprise once our journey was underway. Budget wisely.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When transferring colleges, know the
colleges’ policies regarding maximum number of transfer credits and acceptable coursework.
Failure to know the rules can result in huge financial expenses, loss of time
or even the inability to graduate. (The UC system in California has this
ruling.) Even gifted students need parental guidance to navigate this part of college
planning which can be difficult, time consuming and costly. College counselors
are often only familiar with their own school and not the student’s full 4 year
plan integrating multiple schools, community college and other coursework into
their final transcript.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To increase her chance of acceptance
(age discrimination being a factor), when submitting her summer REU and college
transfer applications; she applied to 15 or more schools. On average, she was
successfully admitted to over half the schools and programs to which she
applied. She also succeeded in honing her writing skills in the process.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Test scores, grades, writing skills
and recommendation letters from professors were intricate components to this
process. Knowing standardized testing calendars meant getting applications in
on time without missing critical deadlines.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Learning how to network and build
relationships with adults along the way was an important lesson. Age
discrimination was a real concern up until the age of 18.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although 5 years younger, Michelle was
quite social; making friends and developing relationships with college
classmates. Social interaction impacted her continued success and happiness in
college. So at the age of 20, she is waiting patiently to be able to enter a
bar (age 21) where much of the socialization takes place in graduate school.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, she is the team leader of
her coed intramural grad school softball team and attends outside activities
like dancing, swimming and parties.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maturity for an early entrance
student is fast-tracked. As parents, we often had to hang on for the ride and
we saw real measurable leaps in her development on a monthly basis as opposed
to a yearly one. While rewarding, it was simultaneously unnerving.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since starting graduate school, Michelle has been
financially self-supporting as a math tutor. She earned two fellowships this
year; one from the National Science Foundation and one from NASA. She chose
NASA in order to research solar cells with a space technology application. She
also volunteers and works with young STEM students at Yale’s ManyMentors
program; particularly young women in science. After completing her PhD,
Michelle wants to focus on making the world a better place by </span><a href="http://goo.gl/7b9obx" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">contributing to scientific research</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> toward furthering developments in the alternative energy
field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A <i>proud and devoted</i> mother, Karen Vaisman tells her daughter’s
story to inspire bright young minds at the beginning of their educational
journey who are faced with a system that says "no you can't do it” to
become independent, successful students who realize they indeed can! She points
to the need for strong parental support, continued open communication, a keen
understanding of your own child’s maturity and ability to handle adult
interactions and challenges without parental intervention. Karen emphasizes the
importance of both parents working together to ensure the success of their
children.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKcH8sapp6FnWgn8C6885ekKaa9TaxnaUDBixlkDz2IQVC9MTHPC7slcp4BRkYluHpaoKRLZGczB6RuCb-OgZI7tmBU49FioG25qUqHb6hR74_9BIEVO-yFDflelCm7y3qw3pCPm-eqc/s1600/Vaisman+with+Parents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKcH8sapp6FnWgn8C6885ekKaa9TaxnaUDBixlkDz2IQVC9MTHPC7slcp4BRkYluHpaoKRLZGczB6RuCb-OgZI7tmBU49FioG25qUqHb6hR74_9BIEVO-yFDflelCm7y3qw3pCPm-eqc/s320/Vaisman+with+Parents.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelle and Her Parents</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you would like more information on Michelle’s journey,
Karen can be contacted <a href="http://goo.gl/TZGxox" target="_blank">here</a>. What has been your experience with acceleration?
It’s time to share the good news that acceleration can and does work!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Photos courtesy of <a href="http://goo.gl/TZGxox" target="_blank">Karen Vaisman Photography</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Parts of this post were excerpted from a post at the Global
#gtchat Powered by TAGT Blog <a href="https://goo.gl/1TJ3uN" target="_blank">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-42799220297919719702015-08-14T17:46:00.000-04:002015-08-14T20:20:56.518-04:005 Strategies for Building Effective Parent-Teacher Partnerships … From a Parent’s Perspective<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhz7J7bPbdX20xokXhS4jA3WusiKkM2YUlCsd96031Tni1rx_-qmTUyBlCcK5cCBB74d6RPWMQE0jcf1JkE4ODFEB1yhkvk0M6FLNP2woK2daQ-be3yNUBZnsxCHTnnT66b8ehxZ39x0/s1600/Graphic+5+Strategies+for+Effective+Parent+Teacher+Relations.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhz7J7bPbdX20xokXhS4jA3WusiKkM2YUlCsd96031Tni1rx_-qmTUyBlCcK5cCBB74d6RPWMQE0jcf1JkE4ODFEB1yhkvk0M6FLNP2woK2daQ-be3yNUBZnsxCHTnnT66b8ehxZ39x0/s640/Graphic+5+Strategies+for+Effective+Parent+Teacher+Relations.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Effectiv</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e parent-teacher partnerships are essential to
fostering a child’s social-emotional success in school. <a href="http://goo.gl/otxDj" target="_blank">Forming a partnership</a>
with your child’s teacher is an opportunity to model behavior that exemplifies
the benefits of a relationship based on mutual cooperation with an interest in
achieving goals. Ultimately, your child learns to be their own advocate by
observing your behavior.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most information that you find on this subject is directed toward
teachers. In this post, I will outline five strategies for building effective
partnerships based on your child’s needs <i>from the parents’ perspective</i>. They
include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Communicate Directly</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t Play the Blame Game</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be Proactive</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet Social Emotional Needs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep the Focus on Your Child</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most important factors in building an effective parent-teacher
partnership is to communicate directly. Relaying information should not be
delegated to your child unless it is absolutely necessary. Parents and teachers
need to find which method works best for both parties and then use it
consistently. <i>Digital forms of communication provide a permanent and accurate record
of information for later use</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is never too early to begin the conversation. In the
elementary years, it is a good idea to open the lines of communication at the
end of a school year with the next year’s teacher. Start each new year with a
fresh determination to make it the best one possible. Then, remember to keep
the communication ongoing throughout the school year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Don’t Play the Blame Game</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do not play the blame game or make discussions about your
child’s education personal. <i>It’s not about you and it’s not about the teacher.</i>
Parents of gifted children often have intense personalities which can impede parent-teacher
relations. Finding common ground is a positive approach that will benefit
everyone involved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/2DawiU" target="_blank">Be respectful toward your child’s teacher</a> and other school
personnel. Effective communication cannot be fostered when negative feelings
are allowed to prevail. At times, this may require the parent to step back and
keep emotions in check. Try to understand the teacher’s point of view and
realize that they rarely have the final word on many aspects of what is
expected from students. Remember, <i>you can always address concerns with an
administrator</i> if issues arise that can’t be resolved with the teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do not play the blame game or make discussions about your child’s education personal. </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s not about you and it’s not about the teacher."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Be Proactive</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talk to your child every single day and be aware of any
situations which might be hindering their progress; either academically or
emotionally. If your child suddenly becomes reticent in sharing with you about
his or her school day, explore the reasons ‘why’ through further conversation. Keep
in mind that gifted children are very adept at manipulation. <i>They understand
the importance their point of view brings to the table even at a very young
age.</i> Parents should not assume everything their child tells them is an accurate
portrayal of an event. Once you have heard their side of the story, contact
their teacher to discuss the matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know your options – learn about regulations concerning
gifted education in your local area. (See links below.) Educate yourself about
gifted education by reading books on the topic, reading blogs, and attending
gifted education conferences at the state and regional level. Take time to talk
to other parents about your school’s culture relating to gifted education.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know who makes the decision for your child’s placement and
who is responsible for implementing their education plan; teacher, gifted
coordinator, principal. In most states, no decision will ever be made without
an LEA (local education administrator) present. Know who your school’s LEA is
before agreeing to any plan of action. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever possible, seek out teachers who are certified in
gifted education or have a reputation for working well with gifted students. This
practice may be discouraged by your child’s school administrators, but this should
not deter you from doing what is best for your child. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Meet Social-Emotional Needs</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do not minimize the importance of taking into account the meeting
of social-emotional needs of your child. Gifted children often must deal with
situations that classmates will never encounter such as bullying based on their
intellectual capacity, asynchronous development that places them at odds with
their teachers and other school personnel, anxiety born out of frustration in
dealing with perfectionism, and boredom which can result in underachievement
due to lack of challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many gifted children may also be <a href="http://goo.gl/mzBi3A" target="_blank">twice-exceptional</a>; dealing
with one or more learning challenges such as ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, or a
myriad of other possibilities. These children require additional support by
parents, teachers and support personnel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents often view their child’s education through the prism of the parent’s own childhood experiences in school. For better or worse, the educational experience of a child in today’s classroom is vastly different from what you experienced."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Keep the Focus on Your Child</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents often view their child’s education through the prism
of the parent’s own childhood experiences in school. For better or worse, the
educational experience of a child in today’s classroom is vastly different from
what you experienced. Full inclusion of all ability levels in one classroom,
the quest for data based on standardized test results, the <a href="http://goo.gl/nsvdk" target="_blank">introduction of technology</a> at break-neck speed and reliance on teachers to ‘figure it out’ on
their own have all led to a malaise in expectations in today’s classroom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Including your child in the decision-making process is
essential and should coincide with their maturity level. <i>All the advocacy and
partnering in the world will achieve little if your child is not on board. </i>Do
not loose site of your goal to provide an appropriate education for your child.
Professionals such as guidance counselors, principals, gifted coordinators, OT
specialists and social workers should be consulted when necessary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Finally …</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Parent-teacher relationships <a href="http://goo.gl/MrCq8L" target="_blank">do not need to be adversarial</a>.</i> Keep
all conversations on a professional level. Get in the habit of sharing good
news rather than waiting till problems arise. By adopting a team mindset,
everyone becomes invested in your child’s success! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember that your child has unique educational needs that
may not be able to be met in a regular classroom despite the best efforts of
their teacher or school. A flexible approach may include creative scheduling,
blended learning (using multiple approaches such as acceleration, online
instruction/distance learning, outside mentoring, homeschooling), or
project-based learning; the possibilities are endless. Look for evidence-based
research to support any request you may make. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">"Remember that your child has unique educational needs that may not be able to be met in a regular classroom despite the best efforts of their teacher or school."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below I have included resources that will start you on the
journey to build an effective partnership with your child’s teacher. Take time
to look over them and share them with teachers with whom you’ll be partnering. Consider
sharing this post with your child’s teacher as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What strategies have worked for you? Please share in the
comments below. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Links:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/WYS90d" target="_blank">Building Parent-Teacher Partnerships</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/UmcpiZ" target="_blank">U.S. Dept. of Education Family and Community Engagement</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/5QicTG" target="_blank">The Dual Capacity Building Framework for Family-SchoolPartnerships</a> (pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/C2uQSy" target="_blank">Harvard Family Research Project</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/TZr5cL" target="_blank">Boston Public Schools Home-School Partnerships</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/PD9G0L" target="_blank">Gifted by State from the NAGC</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/KtaZgR" target="_blank">State Gifted Organizations</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://goo.gl/fMZAYF" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Department of Educations by State</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://goo.gl/eOJd57" target="_blank">Flickr</a> <a href="https://goo.gl/uk4xos" target="_blank">CC By- NC 2.0</a> </span><br />
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ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-25112269161692031842015-07-06T11:28:00.001-04:002015-07-14T09:45:03.682-04:00Finding Age Appropriate Books for Gifted Readers<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHspzoFKgv5tGb0kioTU9H3B_6aa69eVNulkUbqw5PU8YnGXNHOrcMPNpnOTGz8LTFiCiNI0IbuIFAmYemFBxW31kvT9rOlL9gPoK68rYMoNfPv2ol6IOlk7_7nAhwaPfY9M3BK2-eqi8/s1600/GPS+Finding+Age+Appropriate+Books+for+Gifted+Readers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHspzoFKgv5tGb0kioTU9H3B_6aa69eVNulkUbqw5PU8YnGXNHOrcMPNpnOTGz8LTFiCiNI0IbuIFAmYemFBxW31kvT9rOlL9gPoK68rYMoNfPv2ol6IOlk7_7nAhwaPfY9M3BK2-eqi8/s640/GPS+Finding+Age+Appropriate+Books+for+Gifted+Readers.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the biggest concerns I hear from parents of gifted
children is where to find age-appropriate reading materials for their children.
More often than not, one of the early signs of giftedness is being an advanced
reader; like years and years advanced for their age. This poses a significant
problem for parents because very young children ‘can’ read books which are
simply too mature for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I speak from the voice of experience. If my parents had paid
attention to what I was reading in elementary school, they would have been
appalled. Fortunately or not for me, they rarely took the time to check out the
books on my nightstand. I developed a view of the world which was … shall we
say – not shared by my age-mates; or even my teachers, for that matter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When my own kids started reading, I did pay attention (to
their chagrin). However, many people would say I was pretty liberal in what
they were allowed to read. It was a constant struggle to find appropriate books
at their reading level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many factors play a role in the search for reading materials
for advanced readers. Asynchronous development can mean that a very young child
will comprehend reading material well beyond what is considered
appropriate for their age. A gifted child’s interests and sensitivities may
influence books they choose to read. Books deemed age-appropriate for most
children will lack the depth these children crave. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reading patterns found in gifted readers can differ from
those of typical readers. Often self-taught, these kids start reading
earlier than their age peers and demonstrate deeper comprehension of what they
read. It is important, however, to respect the developmental process and allow
a child to enjoy reading at various levels. Parents should resist the urge to
‘push’ a child to read advanced literature simply because they excel in other
academic areas; but, at the same time, be aware of the need to provide
appropriate materials when ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reading to children is an important role to be played by
parents even after children are reading well on their own. Reading aloud
is essential for pronunciation of words and sharing more precise or alternate
definitions than those gleaned from context. The importance of emotional
bonding that occurs when adults read to children cannot be over-stated. I will
always<a href="http://goo.gl/hIJVdU" target="_blank"> cherish the time</a> spent reading to my children. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several months ago, I was made aware of a publisher,
<a href="http://goo.gl/ToA5Bp" target="_blank">Tumblehome Learning</a>, who offered books for advanced readers. I was intrigued by a particular title … <a href="http://goo.gl/UExjmK" target="_blank">TheWalking Fish</a>. As a huge fan of Neil Shubin’s <a href="http://goo.gl/uPYGFp" target="_blank">Your Inner Fish</a> (<a href="http://goo.gl/zJYUQP" target="_blank">Free full version pdf</a>) which traces the
discovery Tiktaalik – the first known fish to walk on land –I knew I wanted to read
this book. When notified of its impending release, I immediately accepted the
opportunity to review a copy from the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIEdCVWZjhhcxl1JrpLgEr6jJDPYujlZ9y8VAhfQzJ01zX2FeH1ZuxQMDeBTwLbqxYzWCqjS99F3_Fe-X2LWNN58VK0q1mDaPfhd4VGA1RS0GDau_8KN11k2yJixCPDJf6orYnTVinEA/s1600/Walking+Fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIEdCVWZjhhcxl1JrpLgEr6jJDPYujlZ9y8VAhfQzJ01zX2FeH1ZuxQMDeBTwLbqxYzWCqjS99F3_Fe-X2LWNN58VK0q1mDaPfhd4VGA1RS0GDau_8KN11k2yJixCPDJf6orYnTVinEA/s320/Walking+Fish.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was not disappointed! Where had this publisher been when
my children were young? Even as an adult, I found The Walking Fish engaging,
informative and a source of valuable life lessons. It also serves as an
excellent introduction for younger readers into the realm of STEM related
subjects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After <a href="http://goo.gl/dnyupy" target="_blank">reviewing the book</a> on Amazon, the publisher asked if I
would be interested in any of the books in their <a href="http://goo.gl/e1jgVy" target="_blank">Galactic Academy of Science</a> series.
This series, very similar to The Magic Treehouse Books, is about characters
that experience time travel to solve mysteries. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The depth of knowledge conveyed in the books I’ve read and the
quality of titles available from Tumblehome Press allows me to highly recommend* them as a choice publisher for parents of advanced readers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parenting gifted kids can be a daunting task, but the right
tools can make any job much easier. Helping you find these tools plays a major
role in why Gifted Parenting Support exists. If you have found other sources of
great materials for advanced readers, please comment below. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Portions of this post were previously published
<a href="https://goo.gl/Yhi6tk" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Links:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/B2NsQy" target="_blank">13 Age-Appropriate Books for Young Gifted Readers</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/ZyaVQf" target="_blank">Appropriate Content for Gifted Readers</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/6c9tKG" target="_blank">Book List for Young Gifted Readers</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/0BplOZ" target="_blank">Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers from Pre-School to High School</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://goo.gl/aoOxt" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Gifted Kids, Gifted Characters and Gifted Books</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/pFbL6u" target="_blank">Guiding the Gifted Reader</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/zXgED" target="_blank">Mind the Gap: Engaging Gifted Readers</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/G3y4kb" target="_blank">Books for Young Readers</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Xg0VEq" target="_blank">Pauline's List of Chapter Books for Young GiftedReaders</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/qscWYK" target="_blank">Gifted Children and Adults: Finding a Community at Goodreads</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/UzpCL3" target="_blank">Challenging the Gifted Child: An Open Approach to Working withAdvanced Young Readers</a> (Amazon) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/IWaTfL" target="_blank">Meeting the Educational Needs of Young GiftedReaders in the Regular Classroom</a> (pdf)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/HJQZTq" target="_blank">Reading List for Your Gifted Young Reader</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://goo.gl/2PV7h" target="_blank">Book List for Pre-Teen Gifted Readers</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/SWMs1l" target="_blank">Gifted Homeschoolers Forum on Amazon: Books for Kids and Teens</a></span></span></div>
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*<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s important to note that there are no affiliate ads in this post and I have received no compensation for this endorsement from the publisher. I simply believe they offer high quality products to be considered by parents and teachers of gifted children.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://goo.gl/1yORdj" target="_blank">Pixabay</a>. <a href="https://goo.gl/q7OhwV" target="_blank">CC0 Public Domain</a> </span></div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-60175734963302308952015-06-12T13:36:00.000-04:002015-06-14T09:26:16.569-04:00How to Help the Impulsive Disorganized Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGyNZrg0QvDO78ys_B11idY-QbLvJvwfHpF4HezSLtSeWsj8o2DYX6c0Og_6Lwy_ZCYqlSPd1ODwhLBsTv8ckvriOsA2nvPkIMTGzbyuL1UD32iwDiPVZi_MM1el7I-h-4i1HLSfCzjY/s1600/GPS+Impulsive+Disorganized+title+graphic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGyNZrg0QvDO78ys_B11idY-QbLvJvwfHpF4HezSLtSeWsj8o2DYX6c0Og_6Lwy_ZCYqlSPd1ODwhLBsTv8ckvriOsA2nvPkIMTGzbyuL1UD32iwDiPVZi_MM1el7I-h-4i1HLSfCzjY/s640/GPS+Impulsive+Disorganized+title+graphic.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps you've never thought of gifted children as impulsive or disorganized, but many gifted kids and those who are
twice-exceptional, gifted with learning differences, often struggle with
impulsivity and being disorganized. Dealing with executive functioning (EF) deficits
can take its toll on family harmony. It is something you yourself may have
dealt with early in life, but learned to compensate for by developing
strategies without even realizing it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">When a child has difficulty with organizational
issues, it can be devastating in school as well. In my experience, most school
personnel were not prepared to deal with these deficits beyond suggesting the
use of colored folders and showed little empathy for the situation with which
we were dealing. Instead, words like ‘lazy’ and ‘lacks effort’ or ‘doesn’t care’
were bantered about as if to place blame squarely on our child. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">As parents, it is essential to have coping strategies
in your ‘toolbox’.</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"> </span>Recently, I <a href="http://goo.gl/mdCh6A" target="_blank">reviewed</a>* the book, <u>The
Impulsive, Disorganized Child: Solutions for Parenting Kids with Executive
Functioning Difficulties</u>, for <a href="http://goo.gl/ogv3zG" target="_blank">Prufrock Press</a> on <a href="http://goo.gl/At2nMG" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and was quite impressed
with the strategies presented in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s important for parents to understand
what executive functioning (EF) is and how they can help their child to overcome
deficits and become successful, independent adults. Here now is an interview I did with the
authors, Dr. James Forgan and Mary Anne Richey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8SoM8-a8QNl6wIhqah6xhFke-dQqRvIqdAAuTQQziqD9SxiKHXOBDe5r2PKgNyIW1gvwirWJJXuAOQhwSX_0xqh-kFQBvStpbNK2HY2Py6INCJSzOqLj18dlxl-wCtnn45RtWpxb5L8/s1600/Impulsive+Disorganized+Child+James+Forgan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8SoM8-a8QNl6wIhqah6xhFke-dQqRvIqdAAuTQQziqD9SxiKHXOBDe5r2PKgNyIW1gvwirWJJXuAOQhwSX_0xqh-kFQBvStpbNK2HY2Py6INCJSzOqLj18dlxl-wCtnn45RtWpxb5L8/s200/Impulsive+Disorganized+Child+James+Forgan.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. James Forgan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGHfvIMUOq0Q08scGcBBEKlL_Fh_aeqTDXdKRWnoDrMfBzxIZxSkGQSWo2Y2Yi6W8c4OSckmE_UG957T5fwS9ltXh1Fuqfl2cc3BjgKFA_Lhm93Pbo3x7WD83rocySBODBP0hYpGQY3g/s1600/Impulsive+Disorganized++Child+Mary+Anne+Richey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGHfvIMUOq0Q08scGcBBEKlL_Fh_aeqTDXdKRWnoDrMfBzxIZxSkGQSWo2Y2Yi6W8c4OSckmE_UG957T5fwS9ltXh1Fuqfl2cc3BjgKFA_Lhm93Pbo3x7WD83rocySBODBP0hYpGQY3g/s200/Impulsive+Disorganized++Child+Mary+Anne+Richey.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Anne Richey</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;">GPS:</b><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;"><b>What compelled you to write The Impulsive, Disorganized Child?</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>JF/MAR:</b> We’ve both raised boys with
EF difficulty and have applied many strategies in our daily lives we were very
familiar with the challenges families face when raising a child with EF
difficulty. In our private practices we work daily helping our clients with EF
difficulty by providing coaching and assessment of executive functioning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>GPS:</b> <i><b>What is Executive Functioning
(EF), what causes Executive Dysfunction, and how are EF difficulties evaluated?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>JF/MAR:</b> Generally speaking,
executive functioning is an umbrella term for many different activities of the
brain that orchestrate goal-directed action. It is considered the management
system of the brain that helps children plan, organize, and implement on a
regular and consistent schedule. Executive function includes a person’s ability
to focus, decide what is important, set goals, use prior knowledge, initiate
action, manage time, self-monitor performance, use self-restraint and remain
flexible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Executive dysfunction is considered
to be present in a number of disorders—ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, and dementia—to name a few. Difficulty with executive functioning is
caused by faulty neural circuitry and can come from a variety of causes,
including genetic or environmental factors. It is present in a number of
disorders shown to have a high degree of heritability, meaning their
characteristics can be passed down from parent to child in some form or
another. If your child has executive functioning problems, you did not
intentionally cause it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Parenting styles don’t directly
cause executive dysfunction. However, experiences involving opportunities to
learn new things, thereby creating new and strengthening existing neural
connections, and structured, secure environments providing opportunities for
problem-solving can enhance EF."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a variety of tests that
evaluate specific executive skills, including the Stroop Task, the Wisconsin
Card Sorting Test, Auditory Attention, Inhibition, and the Trail-Making Test,
which can provide some valuable information. One caveat is that the outcome may
show deficits in the test scores but the scores don’t provide a clear picture
of how a child would manage independently in the complexity of a busy school or
home environment. An astute psychologist will provide the link of how the low
scores may appear as behaviors in the classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are also rating scales
designed to measure executive functioning. Some of the concerns that exist around
the various rating scales, like the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive
Function and the Barkley Functional Impairment Scale—Children and Adolescents,
have to do with the subjectivity of the rater. A comprehensive evaluation would
include the specific EF tests, rating scales, a psycho-educational evaluation,
as well as observations and interviews of the student, parent(s), and
teacher(s). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>GPS:</b> <i><b>How can parents tell if their
child has a problem with focusing and self-monitoring?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>JF/MAR:</b> Parents should trust their
instinct. If the behaviors below describe your child, then your child may have
a focusing and self-monitoring weakness.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbZJ5-3HL5uSxgfMDmfVo80hy5yy0hFPbJhR6-BePMoWxJyS3oefQJmPXNho5VDbbuQCWtD540VSVn_q3amj9ZAgSHi5A9wL__4bTzZWcgWn4qfzhPldSPtrkDGZ3eCYP32VwCBIutIc/s1600/Impulsive+Disorganized+Graphic+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbZJ5-3HL5uSxgfMDmfVo80hy5yy0hFPbJhR6-BePMoWxJyS3oefQJmPXNho5VDbbuQCWtD540VSVn_q3amj9ZAgSHi5A9wL__4bTzZWcgWn4qfzhPldSPtrkDGZ3eCYP32VwCBIutIc/s640/Impulsive+Disorganized+Graphic+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">The big question for most parents is
not, “How can I teach my child to focus, behave, and/or remember?” This is one
area in which you cannot do the work for him. You cannot get in his head and
force focus; you can simply show him what it looks like and help him develop
the skills bit by bit. This takes lots of repetition so try to keep a teaching
perspective and not become too frustrated with your child.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>GPS:</b> <i><b>What are some of the proven
strategies outlined in your book for improving EF skills in kids?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>JF/MAR:</b> It is important to figure
out what executive functioning deficits your child has and pick out the ones
that seem to be causing your child the most difficulty. Try to identify the
level of skill your child does have in those areas and then provide temporary
supports or <i>scaffolds.</i> For example,
if your child can never seem to get himself ready for school in the morning,
provide a checklist with his responsibilities mounted in the bathroom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is very important to provide
motivation for completing the items on the checklist with minimal or no
reminders. Some children thrive on verbal praise, some like the opportunity to
select what will be served for dinner, whereas others like to earn time for a
preferred activity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some children require longer-term strategies,
i.e., a <i>system of support,</i> a sustainable
system that functions as a tool he or she can complete independently. Many
older students use technology tools, such as calendars and reminders, to help
then keep up with their responsibilities. Others prefer handwritten to-do lists
to keep themselves organized. If a person has a weak auditory working memory,
he would write down everything he needed to remember rather than relying on his
memory. If a child is highly verbal but has poor organizational skills, he can
develop a habit of talking his way through items needed for particular events. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>"A caveat about organizational
systems—it must work for the child and the way he mentally organizes material. As
a parent, you could create a terrific system with expensive color-coded folders
for each subject, but if your child can only keep up with one folder divided
into sections, then your system will not help him."</i></span></span></blockquote>
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EF issues to lead a happy and successful life?</b></i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>JF/MAR:</b> <i>Absolutely!</i> The world is
filled with highly successful individuals with executive functioning
difficulties who have figured out how to harness their strengths and use strategies
to work around their deficits. It is important to help children develop
realistic expectations for themselves and find satisfaction in using their
talents and working around their deficits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope this has helped you to better
understand the role of executive functioning in your child’s life and that you can
use some of the techniques found here. For a more extensive review, </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><a href="http://goo.gl/At2nMG" target="_blank">The Impulsive, Disorganized Child: Solutions for Parenting Kids with Executive Functioning Difficulties</a></u></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> can
be found at Amazon or your favorite bookseller. My thanks to Dr. James Forgan and Mary Anne Richey for taking the time for this interview.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post is a part of the New
Zealand Gifted Awareness Week 2015 Blog Tour. For more blog posts on the tour,
click on the link below!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://giftededucation.ultranet.school.nz/WebSpace/1286/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gjF4tpK7MdI9PpjH-rwYEsVrVhKLR1HGZ3dWt7zdMfP0DAgrYUFiyI3nVwlte80Zos1Bw6fz786-naH2geFOArzFC0TDddaTEVhKWwruvgfYDsP5aBthH4ikQtoNM1o6xDEsQJF_UI8/s1600/NZGAW+blog+tour+icon.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/1LNe5y" target="_blank">New Zealand Gifted Awareness Week 2015 Blog Tour </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other books by the authors:</span></div>
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<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://goo.gl/4XLnVe" target="_blank">Raising Boys with ADHD: Secrets for Parenting Healthy, Happy Sons</a> (Amazon)</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/j8ZvIX" target="_blank">Raising Girls with ADHD: Secrets for Parenting Healthy, Happy Daughters</a> (Amazon)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Graphics courtesy of Lisa Conrad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Title graphic courtesy of <a href="http://goo.gl/KdR6AN" target="_blank">Pixabay</a> <a href="http://goo.gl/mih0DV" target="_blank">CC0 Public Domain</a><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> http://goo.gl/mih0DV</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Disclaimer: I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy of the book for review by the publisher. </span></div>
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ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-54705158000197436082015-05-31T17:13:00.000-04:002015-06-02T15:03:09.866-04:00An Interview with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In June of 2013, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman released his book, <a href="http://goo.gl/FLKcS2" target="_blank">Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined</a> and a review appeared <a href="http://goo.gl/dn7xGv" target="_blank">here</a> on GPS. At the time, I wrote, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">Why should the gifted community take notice of this book? We always talk about how we think our children should be challenged; so, why not all of us? This book challenges many long held beliefs. It should ignite a discussion on the potential of all children. Proponents (myself included) of the message that “giftedness is as much about who you are as about what you achieve” need to make a reasonable and intellectual assessment of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;"><u>Ungifted</u>."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since that time, I have had the pleasure to meet and talk to Dr. Kaufman. One cannot come away from a discussion with him without being impressed with his intellect and passion for the well-being of all children. In March, Ungifted was released in paperback. If you haven't read it, you should. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, Scott agreed to take time from his busy schedule to do an interview for Gifted Parenting Support. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GPS: A lot has happened in your life since you wrote, <u>Ungifted:
Intelligence Redefined</u>. Can you bring us up to date?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SBK: Indeed. Since the release of the hardcover copy, I moved to
a new job at the University of Pennsylvania. The founder of the field of
positive psychology, Martin Seligman, hired me to be the <a href="http://goo.gl/X94CXV" target="_blank">scientific director</a> of
the newly minted <a href="http://goo.gl/vZa1gh" target="_blank">Imagination Institute</a>. Our mission is to advance the science
of imagination by investigating the measurement and development of imagination
across all sectors of society. Toward those aims, we held a grants competition
to fund research, and we will also be having discussions with some of the most
imaginative people across domains to get a better sense of the
domain-specificity of imagination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GPS: In your announcement of the release of the paperback
edition of <u>Ungifted</u>, you stated, “I’m not as bothered as I used to be about how
we define ‘intelligence’." Could you elaborate?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SBK: That’s correct. I used to be obsessed with literally redefining
intelligence. But I’ve come to realize that what I really want to do is broaden
our conceptions of human potential. I want to show that many of our crude
measures of potential don’t fully capture what people are capable of achieving,
and leave out many important ways that people can mix and match their unique
temperament to realize their personal goals. I’m OK defining intelligence as
the capacity for learning and adaptation, but I would argue that there are
multiple paths to intelligence— even by that definition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GPS: Last year, I witnessed two standing ovations when you
spoke at two major gifted conferences. What has surprised you the most about
the reception you’ve received from the gifted community?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, Keynote at the <a href="http://goo.gl/8FNzR" target="_blank">Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented</a> Annual Conference</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SBK: </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes you did, and it was lovely seeing you in the audience!
It really gave me greater confidence! When I first set out to write</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ungifted, I expected to be embraced by
the learning disability community, but I had no idea my ideas would receive
such a warm reception from the gifted community. What I’ve come to realize is
that most gifted educators have the same goals I have— to cast a wider net and
reduce the number of highly capable children who fall by the wayside in this
standardized testing culture. So many more kids would benefit from more
enriched resources than those we currently single out, and that’s very
problematic. Many members of the gifted community are just as interested as I
am in finding the less obvious kids who could really benefit from our support.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GPS: What’s next for Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman? What’s your
vision of your future self?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SBK: Oh gosh, I’m just happy when I get through a long day of
work. I guess most immediately, look out for my new book on creativity,
co-authored with Carolyn Gregoire: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.3;"><a href="http://goo.gl/HtqT5t" target="_blank">Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.3;">My thanks to Scott for this interview. My respect for his work continues to grow. I look forward to reading his next book and you can look for a review here when it is released! </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://goo.gl/xijcGK" target="_blank">Scott Barry Kaufman: From Evaluation to Inspiration</a> (YouTube 18:50) </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/kLcylw" target="_blank">Penn Institute Stimulates Study of Imagination</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/9uojyj" target="_blank">Are Social Daydreams Related to Well-Being?</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/4j89Mr" target="_blank">Scott Barry Kaufman on the Brain</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/z2IDeS" target="_blank">Scott Barry Kaufman's Website</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/ISztEZ" target="_blank">The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/N1yMh2" target="_blank">Books from Scott Barry Kaufman</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://goo.gl/oRPX8C" target="_blank">Scientific American Blogs: Beautiful Minds</a> by Scott Barry Kaufman </span></span></div>
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SBK Graphic and picture via Lisa Conrad.ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-63554577152428174212015-05-01T00:30:00.000-04:002015-05-02T22:14:44.231-04:00Advocating for the Twice-Exceptional Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxek_ucsBSvrRG-VkoIWEivHaVwstss5ZPJRdokq6BzIsJCv-r0dDBIG4-GPP1yxx2JtpaKTd08X9fqCSjzIOMnTXGtZSqdOyhEYF27ywXRjphrvA9cUAWZhM70unVJQP0FTQ40ZEJZRg/s1600/GPS+Advocating+Twice+Exceptional.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxek_ucsBSvrRG-VkoIWEivHaVwstss5ZPJRdokq6BzIsJCv-r0dDBIG4-GPP1yxx2JtpaKTd08X9fqCSjzIOMnTXGtZSqdOyhEYF27ywXRjphrvA9cUAWZhM70unVJQP0FTQ40ZEJZRg/s1600/GPS+Advocating+Twice+Exceptional.JPG" height="475" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life with a twice-exceptional child - gifted with a learning disability/difference - can be <i>enormously
rewarding</i> and at the same time extremely frustrating when attempting to
advocate for an education that meets <i>all their needs</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps the biggest challenge is circumventing the prevalent
mind-set of many school administrators and educators these days who simply do
not believe twice-exceptional children exist. It has become increasingly
disturbing to read articles in major media outlets that our children are simply
spoiled brats who need a little discipline like in the ‘old days’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s an idea: <a href="http://goo.gl/0saVw6" target="_blank">invite them over for dinner</a>. Then, ask them
to tell you again why your child does not have special needs. A simple
conversation with one of these kids can be quite revealing. The breadth and
depth of their knowledge can suddenly be overshadowed by their inability to
complete a thought after being distracted by … well, by just about anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A recent study reported in Gifted Child Quarterly (Vol 59 No
2 April 2015), "The Advocacy Experiences of Parents of Elementary Age, Twice-Exceptional
Children", found that parents of twice-exceptional children fight an uphill
battle throughout their child’s school years. Only after educating themselves about
school policies and learning how to use appropriate educational terminology
when talking to school officials did they have any success; often sacrificing
any sense of working ‘with’ the school. They found that rarely did school
personnel act in the best interest of the child. Parents eventually lost faith
in the system and simply did their best to monitor their child’s school for
compliance of any meager accommodations gained in the advocacy process. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">"Parents felt that school officials were not living up to
their professional responsibilities, and feared that one advocacy error on the
parents’ part could potentially impede their child’s future." (GCQ 59 (2) p.
114)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This scenario accurately reflects not only my own personal experiences but those of most of the parents I have worked with over the last
15 years. Lack of information, cooperation and education combine to make advocacy
a daunting task. <a href="http://goo.gl/eN257d" target="_blank">Parents feel alone</a>; abandoned by a system they once placed so
much value in and are suddenly faced with the reality that it simply doesn't work for everyone – certainly not for their children. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Advocating for the twice-exceptional child is like a
never-ending story filled with disingenuous gestures from school officials and lack of respect for parents. Ask any
parent who has walked this path and the tales reflect an eerie similarity. Few
have happy endings. Perseverance,
tenacity, and a thick skin become indispensable life-skills for these parents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents in the above-mentioned GCQ study were driven by a
longing that ultimately their child would achieve happiness, and become a self-sufficient
and productive member of society. There was, however, a disconcerting sense
that ultimately their child’s disability would over-shadow their potential. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When giftedness is identified, the disability is often
ignored. In other cases, the disability may render a request for identification
of giftedness unattainable. And to add insult to injury, parents who obtain an
official diagnosis from private non-school professionals often find that the results
are <i>unacceptable</i> in most school districts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents are not the only ones who can benefit from further education.
School administrators and teachers who take the time to learn about
twice-exceptionality are found to be more empathetic and willing to develop a
collaborative relationship with parents. The GCQ article references research (many
listed below) conducted over more than two decades which firmly establishes that
a child can be both gifted and have a learning disability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can this situation be improved? What has to change?
Well, for starters, the well-being of each individual child needs to be front
and center. They are not simply reflections of data mined from <a href="http://goo.gl/VLZBvU" target="_blank">standardized test</a> results. One-size-fits all education plans do not work with these kids. Identification
of giftedness cannot supplant the necessity of accommodating any co-existing
learning disabilities. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQ0QHhRKxtNcdXOfAjDEHp0llbWiG6yQn4cwj3kqGlJYS3bramchjhXCKw8q9XEThlASmIjwfoKUQV0bCYi957yjto4qx6SqzXMKl0kuXI1Hxp_tquLXwLvNiEIioJoEd9qCi9zPch7M/s1600/GPS+Twice+Exceptional+Test+Results.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQ0QHhRKxtNcdXOfAjDEHp0llbWiG6yQn4cwj3kqGlJYS3bramchjhXCKw8q9XEThlASmIjwfoKUQV0bCYi957yjto4qx6SqzXMKl0kuXI1Hxp_tquLXwLvNiEIioJoEd9qCi9zPch7M/s1600/GPS+Twice+Exceptional+Test+Results.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, progress will only be made when <a href="http://goo.gl/R4171B" target="_blank">all stakeholders are mutually respected</a> and strive for true collaboration, to
provide the child with a beneficial educational experience that prepares them
for a fulfilling life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What has been your experience in advocating for your child?</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Share your thoughts in the comment section below. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post is a part of this month's Hoagies' Blog Hop: 2ekids. Please check out the other blogs by clicking on the link below!</span></div>
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<a href="http://goo.gl/SXXIaR" target="_blank">Hoagies' Blog Hop 2E Kids</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">References from GCQ Article:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/UM4iTl" target="_blank">Gifted but Learning Disabled: A Puzzling Paradox</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Vr8KZT" target="_blank">Enabling or Empowering? Adaptations and Accommodations forTwice-Exceptional Students</a> (pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/hfkDgy" target="_blank">Do Parents Know They Matter? </a>(pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/IdEKp1" target="_blank">Metacognition and High Intellectual Ability: Insights fromthe Study of Learning-Disabled Gifted Students</a> (pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/G6Fqc9" target="_blank">Insider, Outsider, Ally, or Adversary: Parents of Youth withLearning Disabilities Engage in Educational Advocacy</a> (pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/b1XGXZ" target="_blank">Recognizing Giftedness: Defining High Ability in YoungChildren</a> (pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/dt6oAi" target="_blank">Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities: A Review of theIssues</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/4V9svX" target="_blank">How Parents Can Support Gifted Children</a> (pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/RBcqvE" target="_blank">How We Formed a Parent Advocacy Group and What We've Learnedin the Process</a> (pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/wgeFwZ" target="_blank">The empowerment model of parent consultation with thepositive psychology perspective</a> (pdf) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Additional Resources:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/ARZWTZ" target="_blank">Twice-Exceptional Students Gifted Students with DisabilitiesLevel 1: An Introductory Resource Book</a> (pdf) from the Colorado Dept. of
Education <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Z2J48E" target="_blank">Gifted/Learning Disabled Children: A Handbook for Parents</a>
(pdf) Canada <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/je94Rk" target="_blank">The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma</a> (pdf) from the NEA <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/mm0bX8" target="_blank">Supporting the Identification and Achievement of theTwice-Exceptional Student</a> (pdf) from the Virginia Dept. of Education <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/YsEyVx" target="_blank">Helping Your Highly Gifted Child</a> (Tolan) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Yn7K9n" target="_blank">Ensuring Gifted Children with Disabilities ReceiveAppropriate Services: Call for Comprehensive Assessment</a> (Position Statement
from the NAGC) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/L5Octa" target="_blank">Advocating for Exceptionally Gifted Young People: AGuidebook</a> (pdf) (Davidson Institute for Talent Development) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/hzD0zY" target="_blank">Gifted Children’s Challenges with Learning and Attention Issues</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/wZXXQu" target="_blank">If This is a Gift,Can I Send it Back?: Surviving in the Land of the Gifted and Twice Exceptional</a> (Amazon)
by Jen Merrill and GHF Press </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo Courtesy of <a href="http://goo.gl/cCjQ5I" target="_blank">Pixabay</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/xyrDNc" target="_blank">CC01.0</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo Courtesy of <a href="http://goo.gl/S9v9TY" target="_blank">Pixabay</a> </span><a href="http://goo.gl/BJp5cp" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CC0</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://goo.gl/BJp5cp" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Public Domain</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span>ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-79709985757995741112015-04-05T17:05:00.000-04:002019-07-01T13:37:01.608-04:00Seeking Professional Help for Your Gifted Child<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There may come a time when you find it necessary to seek
professional help for your child. The reasons are varied but can include
seeking help for social-emotional issues, for mental health reasons or a professional
determination of giftedness for educational purposes. I will discuss this last
point in a separate post. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When to Seek
Professional Help<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Knowing when</b> to
seek professional help for your child is a very personal decision. Many people
tell me that as a parent of a gifted child, they feel <i>alone and conflicted</i> by the advice of friends, family and even
their child’s teachers. I have found that if someone hasn’t traveled down this
road, it’s difficult to understand what parents face on a daily basis.
Professionals who don’t understand giftedness or have had no experience with
gifted individuals will show little empathy for a parents’ plight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are struggling with issues surrounding your child’s
heath or well-being, seek professional help. There is no reason to go it alone
in today’s world. If you can’t find help in your local area, many professionals
offer services via phone consultations or Skype. You would not hesitate if your
child was physically ill; so don’t delay seeking it now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a parent of an atypical child, you may be fearful of the
outcome of consulting a professional. Don’t be. Failure to act when the
situation warrants it can have devastating consequences for your child. The
struggles won’t go away on their own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where to Find Professional
Help<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once you realize that you do need help, <b>where do you find it</b>? Far too often, this is the hardest part of
the process. Lack of professionals trained in gifted is a major problem. As Tiombe
Bisa Kendrick-Dunn, current president of SENG, recently wrote, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“[Mental health]
professional’s graduate education includes an abundance of knowledge relating
to pathology and related treatments, but lacks the same for gifted and talented
individuals. Unless a major shift occurs, they [the gifted] will continue to be
misdiagnosed and at high risk for inappropriate treatment, which can cause
irreparable harm.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hopefully, the list above (see <a href="http://goo.gl/jngHZz" target="_blank">new tab</a>) of professionals
who deal with gifted individuals will be a start. They are self-elected. The
list is provided as a guide. I do not personally make recommendations; legally,
I can’t. You will have to determine that for yourself. Use the list as a
starting point and then use the information in this post to aid you in your
search. The list will become a permanent part of this site and will be
frequently updated. Below you will find links to articles to help you in the
decision making process as well as links to lists on other sites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What Type of
Professional Do You Need<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First, you have to decide what <b>type of professional</b> will best meet your child’s needs. There are
psychologists, psychiatrists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, personal
coaches; all providing very different types of services. I will provide a brief
description of what each one does:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Psychologists</b><b>: </b>There are basically
two kinds of psychologists from which parents of gifted children can seek help;
clinical or counseling psychologists and school psychologists. Clinical
psychologists must have a PhD or PsyD in psychology or hold a state license to
practice. They generally do not prescribe medication. They have extensive
training in psychological testing, scoring, and interpreting tests. School
psychologists, on the other hand, can be certified by boards of education with
an education specialist (EdS) degree. Specific requirements vary by state.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Psychiatrists</b>: </span>Psychiatrists are
licensed physicians. They generally take a medical approach and can prescribe
medication.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Family Therapists</b>: T</span>herapists will
have post-graduate training in human behavior, relationships, and with
individuals. These professionals would be helpful when looking for solutions to
family issues related to your gifted child.</li>
<li><span style="color: windowtext;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Licensed Mental Health Counselors</b><b>:
</b>largest group of mental health providers in the US; help </span><span style="color: windowtext;">people who have normal cognitive processes
cope with difficult life circumstances. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>School Counselors</b>: </span>School
Counselors, formerly referred to as guidance counselors, were once only used
for academic or vocational guidance but today are increasingly used to help
students with social-emotional issues both individually and in groups.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Social Workers</b>: </span>Social workers
generally possess a Masters degree (M.S.W.) in social work and are trained to
treat emotional and behavioral problems. They work with both individuals and
families. Some schools have social workers on staff.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Personal Coaches</b>: </span>Personal coaches
receive training in helping individuals to find direction and set goals through
a variety of strategies.</li>
</span></ul>
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</span>
<ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Questions, Questions,
and More Questions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Knowing <i>what to look
for</i> in a professional and what <i>questions
to ask</i> is no easy task. <b>What should
you look for</b> in a professional? First and foremost, you should feel
comfortable talking with whoever you choose. Are they empathetic to your
situation? Does your child feel comfortable with them? Are they at ease when
asked about giftedness? If you answer “no” to any of these questions, it is
best to look elsewhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s a <b>checklist of
questions</b> to ask anyone you are considering working with:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What experience have you had in
working with gifted children?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is your personal philosophy
concerning giftedness?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Has your professional training
included what giftedness is and how to recognize it?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What do you see as major issues in
the gifted population?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How have you modified your
approach to therapy when working with the gifted?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listen carefully when your potential provider answers your
questions. Are they sincere? Do they refer to asynchronous development, peer
relations, overexcitabilities, multiple exceptionality perfectionism or issues
you are personally seeing in your child? Or do you feel like you are talking to
someone who thinks ‘all children are gifted’? Are they smart? Research has
found that this is a key factor … the person you choose needs to be able to
keep up with your child both cognitively and intellectually. <b>Remember</b>, you are seeking help for your
child; someone who relies on you to look after their best interest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And one last thing to consider</i>
… Aimee Yermish, a highly respected therapist in the gifted community and owner
of the <a href="http://goo.gl/EzDcxH" target="_blank">da Vinci Learning Center</a> in the Boston area, shares this sage advice, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Anyone
who frames giftedness as being part of the problem, anyone who defines the
intensity and drive and perceptiveness and differentness and post formal
reasoning as “the thing that’s wrong with you,” leave and don’t look back. The goal is not to get our kids (or us!) to act like everyone else.
The goal is to help us figure out who we are and how to act
like ourselves, just in an adaptive way.”</span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just Do It!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take your time in choosing professional help. If you don’t
feel comfortable with your first choice, move on. Their advice can have
profound implications for your child’s future. Consider it an awesome
responsibility; not just another item on your to-do list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your thoughts … <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So what do you think? What has been your experience in
finding professional help? What tips would you add for locating a professional
experienced with gifted individuals? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/YLCPZx" target="_blank">Finding Professional Help for Your Gifted Child</a> (pdf) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/51MHPQ" target="_blank">Finding the Right Mental Health Provider for YourGifted/Talented Child</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/znwVyc" target="_blank">100 Words of Wisdom</a> Tiombe Bisa Kendrick-Dunn SENG Vine,
March 2015 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/hlLX9D" target="_blank">Clues on Finding a Therapist for a Gifted Client</a> Aimee
Yermish <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Resources:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/cE6Vld" target="_blank">Oh, No, My Kid Might be Gifted! Where Do I Start?</a> Aimee Yermish <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/4hZCtG" target="_blank">Tips for Selecting the Right Counselor or Therapist for YourGifted Child</a> Jim Webb <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/p8ePLQ" target="_blank">Find Someone to Test Your Gifted Child</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/q3XqT2" target="_blank">The Least You Should Know About Testing Your Gifted Child</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/WftsB6" target="_blank">A Place to Start: Is My Child Gifted?</a> from Davidson Gifted
(Includes lists of questions to ask potential professionals) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/lcm3D9" target="_blank">CAGT’s Private Testing for Giftedness</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Potential Plus UK: <a href="http://goo.gl/iOzoEJ" target="_blank">Assessment of Children with High LearningPotential</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/BbdnEb" target="_blank">Assessing/Testing for Giftedness</a> Malone Family Foundation <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/ACVBRy" target="_blank">Private Testing for Giftedness</a> (Colorado)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/L9gO9F" target="_blank">Healthcare Providers’ Guide to Gifted Children</a> from GHF <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/KSJ8d0" target="_blank">Private Testing for Gifted Kids... If and When?</a> Psychology Today <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/ifyFgO" target="_blank">If You're So Smart, Why Do You Need Counseling?</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/vSQukU" target="_blank">Parents' Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education: All You
Need to Know to Make the Right </a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/vSQukU" target="_blank">Decisions for Your Child</a> (Amazon) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/2y8Wh4" target="_blank">The Misdiagnosis of Gifted Children</a> (YouTube 14:22) from
SENG </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/dv9y77" target="_blank">Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children andAdults</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/y54xf3" target="_blank">Academic Advocacy for Gifted Children: A Parent's CompleteGuide</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/D6zPui" target="_blank">A Parent's Guide to GiftedChildren</a> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Graphic by Lisa Conrad.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-34409353382854096362015-03-12T11:12:00.001-04:002015-03-12T11:12:57.227-04:00Book Review: Not Now, Maybe Later <blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<span style="color: blue;">Although procrastination is not always a bad thing, it can
lead to stress and be especially incapacitating for children. It can compromise
their dreams and self-esteem and result in underachievement. It can be a game
changer as they live within their family, move from one grade level to another,
and as they mature and develop a sense of self.</span>” ~ from the introduction.</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI87ra5Wg6j2w5xwQr7oB0FwIHf0sYFx3fbC589hJ-Ji7uO6pvVAH7GvRbHs8AhC02StigzM2NkICXBNv7ePKpkaDpBIuCaIoy0dnSM5k4tIzj_HQeIGc4NB1PPDbS_jmqUdBypaD9DE/s1600/Now+Now+Maybe+Later+Cover.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nothing says procrastination like putting off a review of a
book about procrastination. Maybe I’m onto something here; or not. A pdf of the
new book, <a href="http://goo.gl/XBHruL" target="_blank">Not Now, Maybe Later</a>, by Joanne Foster has been in an open tab in my browser for several
weeks now. I had tons of excuses … looking for a paid gig, blog posts, Twitter
chats, laundry (okay, maybe not laundry) … but I finally sat down and read it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Truth be told, I should have done this weeks ago. It is a
book that every parent should read. Too often parents buy books only to leave
them on the shelf because – who has time to read when you have kids? I’m here
to tell you that you need to take the time to read this one; it’s just that
important. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not Now, Maybe Later is about teaching our children
executive functioning; getting things done, completing tasks they don’t think
are important, meeting deadlines, finding fulfillment in everyday life. Who
wouldn’t want that for their kids? Who doesn’t want that for themselves?<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my opinion, Chapter 1 is priceless. Contemplation of why
we procrastinate and strategies to deal with it will prove invaluable to any
parent who is frustrated by their child’s failure to complete anything. Think
of a world of where you don’t hear the words, “in a minute” or “why do I have
to?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgG1CmMwVmTScWJHgzwD_CwZ1VfP7FpBOZ5c5hbuh86XgNxqf88-c9dlVsoSWqISEGx4bVMwUqolmsScstTi7FIBjO7Q7XJ0cQEPglbeJZ6ytLvdRx94KFcOyqNIZwt5Y1e9uqW_UW9U/s1600/Not+Now+Maybe+Later+Joanne+Foster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgG1CmMwVmTScWJHgzwD_CwZ1VfP7FpBOZ5c5hbuh86XgNxqf88-c9dlVsoSWqISEGx4bVMwUqolmsScstTi7FIBjO7Q7XJ0cQEPglbeJZ6ytLvdRx94KFcOyqNIZwt5Y1e9uqW_UW9U/s1600/Not+Now+Maybe+Later+Joanne+Foster.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joanne Foster, Ed.D.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I really appreciated advice like this from Dr. Foster:</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<span style="color: blue;">Parents should understand that while a child’s procrastination
isn’t something that should be praised, it does not always merit scolding or
reproach. Sometimes people—young, old, and in-between—just need help getting
past whatever is causing the procrastination in the first place, along with
some good old-fashioned encouragement and support.</span>”</blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, procrastination can become a serious problem, but
parents need to decide what approach they will take with their gifted child. An
authoritarian approach never worked with my children; not to say I didn’t try a
few times. Dr. Foster suggests using common sense in deciding which way is most
effective in motivating and guiding a child to task completion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Take time to find out the cause for the procrastination. It
can be a matter of ability, perceived dangers, lack of an endpoint, or simply
bad timing. Understanding why the procrastination is taking place can go a long
way in figuring out what to do about it. A child may simply be “taking his time
weighing options, planning, reflecting, or working on the task elsewhere with
others.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another reason a gifted child may procrastinate is the fear
of failure and their inability to cope with making mistakes; they see it as a
way of avoiding an undesirable outcome. By helping a child work through these
feelings, they will begin to develop resilience; a valuable skill that will
help them throughout life. Many strategies are offered to cope with failure
including talking to your child about the benefits of perseverance, planning
ahead, learning about trial-and-error, and knowing that it’s okay to ask for
help.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Not Now, Maybe Later is an invaluable resource that will
provide you with the knowledge and tools to help your child become a self-reliant,
independent adult. Isn’t that what we all want for our kids? </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of the manuscript for review. </div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-63370953290747267402015-03-02T16:12:00.000-05:002015-03-03T11:05:01.606-05:007 Myths Surrounding Parents of Gifted Children<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recent stories in the media characterizing parents
of gifted children as pushy, overbearing, helicopter parents or ‘know-it-all’
fanatics who only care about their own child have become all too common. I
would like to clear a few things up ... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Myths surrounding parents of gifted children:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They would rather praise their
child than see them work hard</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They believe intelligence is fixed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They think the gifted label is the
equivalent of the “golden ticket”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They want nothing more than to see
their child accepted into an Ivy League school</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They lack empathy for learning
disabled students</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They can’t wait for the next
parent-teacher conference</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They ‘push’ their children to
excel</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They would rather
praise their child than see them work hard<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parents of gifted children are often the only advocate their
child has when it comes to their education and acceptance in society. What
appears as excessive praise to others is perhaps the only time some gifted
children receive positive feedback at all from an adult. It in no way negates
the realization that hard work is an integral part of succeeding in life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why do you think parents desperately try to convince
teachers that their child needs to be challenged from the very beginning? Many
parents of gifted children are products of the same educational systems they
find their children in and know first-hand how debilitating it can be to sit in
a classroom where no challenge exists at all.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many parents of gifted children are products of the same educational systems they find their children in and know first-hand how debilitating it can be to sit in a classroom where</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">no challenge exists at all."</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Early on, gifted children reach the conclusion that hard
work isn’t needed because they are not given work that challenges them. Parents
see the results at home when their child refuses to do the stack of unfinished
worksheets sent to be completed as homework. Parents see the love of learning
slip away year after year. They are the ones left to deal with the inevitable
melt-downs that occur when their child arrives home after an unfulfilling day
of being required to do things they already know. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parents of gifted children know the value of hard work. They
also know the value of providing their child with a support system that values
their social and emotional needs more than only their achievements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They believe
intelligence is fixed<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In recent years, this particular myth has been the result of
misunderstanding how we define intelligence and how we conceive giftedness. It
is an argument steeped in semantics. Recent scientific evidence is pitted
against anecdotal evidence in nature-nurture debates that cast parents as
uninformed participants who simply need attitude adjustments. They do not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parents of gifted children are extremely aware
of the fact that intelligence can be nurtured. They also know that the
definition of giftedness is highly debatable in the halls of academia, but
truly personal when it comes to their own child. Exceptional ability cannot be
viewed as either an entry point or a destination when discussing giftedness.
This is a <i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">false dichotomy</span></i> based on
a lack of understanding of what giftedness is and is not.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJv05fMjyQIxvS-7gjLei7daUbCksQ9you6h2lfgDlnmY6wY0Pwvob1kFN9FEWACfGNrsKWFymyBOK-TTEQCeW1BybIbVkyifQCsEiAhtfhKfb3MDjcN4ETSFW3zoppcUBCWvUdsOIUM/s1600/Mother+and+child+sketch+picmonkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJv05fMjyQIxvS-7gjLei7daUbCksQ9you6h2lfgDlnmY6wY0Pwvob1kFN9FEWACfGNrsKWFymyBOK-TTEQCeW1BybIbVkyifQCsEiAhtfhKfb3MDjcN4ETSFW3zoppcUBCWvUdsOIUM/s1600/Mother+and+child+sketch+picmonkey.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They think the gifted
label is the equivalent of the “golden ticket” <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parents of gifted children do not believe it’s going to be
smooth sailing simply because of a label. None. Unfortunately, it is a label
required by most schools to participate in gifted programs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These programs are rarely seen as ‘elite clubs’ for high
achievers by the parents I know. They are life-lines to challenging curriculum;
a refuge from bullying; a place to spend time with peers and teachers who get
them. The number of effective and advanced education programs in this country is
few and far between; and for most gifted students, they are on the decline or non-existent.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They want nothing
more than to see their child accepted into an Ivy League school <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This myth is the result of conflating giftedness and talent
development. Parents of high achievers may set an Ivy League education as a
goal for their child, but parents of gifted children know that this is a
decision best left to their child. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What parents want most is for their child to be happy in
whatever path they choose regardless of where they go to college or if they go
at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They lack empathy for
learning disabled students<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">News reports about funding gifted education sometimes devolve
into contentious arguments between allocating resources for either gifted or special
education. It suggests that parents of gifted children lack empathy for
disabled students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This myth is offensive and particularly so to parents of
twice-exceptional children who must advocate on both fronts for their children.
It is not an either-or debate. No one child or group of children is better than
another. It is a matter of meeting needs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><i><span style="color: blue;">"No one child or group of children is better than another. It is a matter of meeting needs."</span></i></span></h4>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They can’t wait for
the next parent-teacher conference<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parent-teacher conferences are often the most stressful
situation the parent of a gifted student must face in the K-12 years. In order
to mitigate tensions during these meetings, parents are advised to not mention
the ‘g’ word, the ‘b’ word, or their child’s social-emotional needs. While
other parents are encouraged to tell about their child’s successes outside of
school, parents of gifted student may refrain in order to not appear to be
bragging about their child.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many parents report being made to feel guilty for suggesting
their child needs support. They are reminded that resources are scarce and that
their child is already ahead of the game. Who wouldn't want to attend one of
these meetings? Right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They ‘push’ their
children to excel <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why else would their child be identified as gifted? They
must have read to them in the womb, bought Baby Einstein videos before they
arrived home from the hospital, and certainly sent them to the finest
pre-school available. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parents of gifted children will tell you that the ‘spark’
they see in their child comes long before their child is identified as gifted.
Providing a nurturing environment is a response, not a prerequisite for
giftedness. These children push their parents – often to the edge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: blue;">"Parents of gifted children face many more obstacles and tough choices than meets the eye."</span></i></span></h4>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The truth of the
matter … <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The truth of the matter is that parents of gifted children
face many more obstacles and tough choices than meets the eye. For many it is a
daily struggle dealing with the social and emotional issues faced by their
children, advocating for an appropriate education for their child, and
providing financial resources for enrichment and additional educational
opportunities. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you subscribe to any of these myths, may I suggest you
take the time to sit down and talk to the parents of a gifted child, making a
sincere effort to understand the life they lead? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What has been your experience as the parent of a gifted child? Have you encountered any of these myths? Share your thoughts in the comments below. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Graphics courtesy of Lisa Conrad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://goo.gl/34HwQg" target="_blank">Flickr</a> <a href="http://goo.gl/3EzKJa" target="_blank">CC 2.0</a> </span></div>
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ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-27227625142891415472015-01-20T12:12:00.001-05:002015-01-20T12:12:44.587-05:00Smart Girls in the 21st Century<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i>“There are smart
girls in every classroom whose capacity and desire to learn are overlooked and
go unnoticed simply because they don’t fit their society’s image – and their
particular school’s definition of giftedness.”</i></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents of gifted children – and in this instance, gifted
girls - bear the responsibility of parenting more intensely in very absolute terms
by their own admission. Enter<b> Smart Girls in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century Understanding Talented Girls and Women.</b> Of
the many of books I’ve read in the past several years on giftedness and
parenting gifted children, <i>this book</i> by Barbara Kerr and Robyn McKay ranks in
the top 10 of books I would recommend to parents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kerr and McKay bring a <i>fresh perspective</i> to decades-old
debates regarding the definition of giftedness, academic achievement, talent
development and a myriad of other divisive topics that weaken the foundation of
the gifted community and jeopardize gifted advocacy as a whole within society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Barbara Kerr</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smart Girls includes an historical review of what being
smart means for women in our society, how things have changed in the 21<sup>st</sup>
century, and the way forward. The book is well-researched and easy to read
which is invaluable to parents in need of good information, but little time to
find it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as the authors did not agree with other researchers and academics in the field, I did not always agree with their conclusions. This does not, however, diminish my view of their work. On the contrary, I appreciate their contribution to the field and the knowledge I gained from them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a book that admittedly focuses on talent development.
The authors state, “<i>We have left out a few popular ideas about definitions of
giftedness that include sensitivities, intensities, or overexcitabilities
because these ideas have not yet been linked by research to academic
achievement, high performance at work, or life satisfaction, which are the
predictions in which we are interested. Sometimes a focus on oversensitivity or
extreme intensity can cause us to pathologize giftedness, to make it seem as if
strong, even maladaptive, reactions are a sign of giftedness rather than a sign
of a very frustrated, bored or troubled child.</i>” (21, 22)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many books written today about being gifted or educating
gifted children allude to the works of Terman or Hollingsworth and Smart Girls
is no exception; but with a very different point of view. “<i>Leta Hollingsworth
became the first great advocate of gifted girls. While Terman in his works
seemed to accept that eminence was simply too difficult for gifted women to
achieve, given their household roles, Hollingsworth showed both by her writings
and her life that extraordinary accomplishment was, and should be, possible for
gifted girls.</i>” (29) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Insights provided by Smart Girls’ authors Kerr and McKay
make this book a must-have for parents. Success coupled with happiness is a
much sought after formula and one that can be found here. Let me conclude with
a favorite passage from the book in which we are told that recent studies show:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Women
often failed to fulfill their potential, not because of lesser abilities, but
because of environmental factors, including less rigorous educations, less
prestigious colleges, the absence of mentors, and the difficulties of combining
family and career.” (22) </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is time to address these issues and provide our
smart girls with the strategies to succeed in the 21<sup>st</sup> century. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo credits: Personal photos; <a href="http://pixabay.com/en/read-book-reading-literature-books-369040/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a>.</span></div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-13685992963365353192014-12-24T16:40:00.001-05:002014-12-25T16:08:12.987-05:00One Child, One Life ... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s easy to get caught up in the busy holiday season and to
sometimes forget what is most important … nurturing our children. As parents,
the window of opportunity for providing a loving, supportive environment is
only open for a short time. Use that time wisely. Do not take anything for
granted involving their education, their social-emotional development or their
individual needs. Life affords us but one chance to foster the next generation.
<i>Becoming a parent happens in an instant.</i> <span style="color: blue;"><b>Parenting is a lifelong endeavor.</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past several years, I have had
the privilege of interacting with some impressive young people in the
gifted community both online and in person. All of them benefited from
nurturing environments provided by their parents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet <b>Calista Frederick-Jaskiewicz</b>. I first met Calista
as a young child at a STEM Advocacy meeting where her mother had come to speak
about her daughter's unique journey as a student who never attended a brick and
mortar school; opting to attend one of the first cyber-schools in the nation in
kindergarten. Calista sat quietly in the back of the room folding origami birds
... not something you'd expect to see at a STEM meeting. Over the years since
that initial meeting, I've come to learn how important <a href="http://goo.gl/hsZlTJ" target="_blank">origami</a> is to STEM
fields and to see the incredible nurturing Calista's parents provided
her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calista has been the recipient of many honors and awards
including: <a href="http://goo.gl/Mi3H5a" target="_blank">2014 Trib Total Media Outstanding Young Citizen</a>, Distinguished
Finalist of the 2014 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, <a href="http://goo.gl/cge2Ad" target="_blank">2013 National Center for Women& Information Technology Aspirations in Computer Science Award Winner</a>,
a 2012 Kids are Heroes honoree, violinist with the Three Rivers Young
Peoples’ Orchestra in Pittsburgh, and nine-time State Taekwondo
Champion. Now a freshman at Georgia Tech, Calista continues to influence
the world both academically and socially through her non-profit organizations,
<a href="http://goo.gl/xGe63" target="_blank">Origami Salami and Folding for Good</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet <b>Nikhil Goyal</b>. Nikhil was a <a href="http://goo.gl/dcdtEC" target="_blank">guest on #gtchat</a>, a chat I
moderate on Twitter, and a Keynote Speaker at this year’s Texas Association for
the Gifted and Talented Annual Conference. It was a pleasure to meet him and
listen to his talk on education reform and the value of student voice. There is
no doubt that his parents provided a nurturing environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nikhil’s accolades are many. At age 19, <a href="http://goo.gl/usXpQ" target="_blank">Nikhil Goyal</a> is an activist
and author of <a href="http://goo.gl/a31Iph" target="_blank">One Size Does
Not Fit All: A Student’s Assessment of School</a> as well as a book on
learning, forthcoming from Doubleday-Random House in 2015. He has appeared as a
commentator on MSNBC and FOX and has written for the New York Times, MSNBC,
NPR,<a href="http://goo.gl/bwO6EV" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a> and <a href="http://goo.gl/7cfNwi" target="_blank">Forbes</a>. A Motivational Speaker,
Goyal has spoken at Google, The Atlantic, Fast Company, NBC, MIT, Yale
University, Stanford University, SXSW and others. He was named one of
the <a href="http://goo.gl/MkRTVY" target="_blank">“World Changers” for
Dell #Inspire 100</a> (2012), named to <a href="http://goo.gl/Kq2LU" target="_blank">2013 Forbes 30 Under 30: Education List</a>, one of
ORIGIN Magazine’s The Nation’s Top Creatives. His first book, “One Size
Does Not Fit All: A Student’s Assessment of School,” in 2012 offered a student
perspective on the American education system<span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">. </span>His upcoming book, <a href="http://goo.gl/FCpuj0" target="_blank">The End of Creativity: How Schools FailChildren</a>, is set to be released in 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet <b>Madeline Goodwin</b>. Madeline was also a <a href="http://goo.gl/xziBWm" target="_blank">guest on #gtchat</a>.
An interview I did with her earlier this year can be found <a href="http://goo.gl/Rcx2dH" target="_blank">here</a>. Madeline’s
mother, Corin Barsily Goodwin, is the Executive Director of <a href="http://goo.gl/v6l0K" target="_blank">GiftedHomeschoolers Forum</a> and a strong influence in her daughter’s life. Madeline
was homeschooled her entire life and entered college at age 13. She credits her
mother and step-dad for supporting her throughout college. This past spring,
she graduated cum laude from Southern Oregon University and began graduate
school in the fall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While in college, Madeline became involved with the Ecology
and Sustainability Resource Center on campus. Her interests included climate
change, biodiversity, social justice issues, LGBTQ issues, women’s rights and human
rights. After graduate school, she is considering the Peace Corps or
Americorps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet <b>Jack Andraka</b>. Jack was a Keynote Speaker at this year’s
NAGC National Convention. Sitting in the audience, I was amazed that this young
man was only 17. He was a witty, engaging speaker who just happens to be
working on a prototype for an early-detection test for pancreatic and other
types of cancer. His mother was sitting in the audience as well and Jack
credits his parents for always supporting him in all his endeavors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jack’s <a href="http://goo.gl/cXzPur" target="_blank">TED Talk</a> on his work has been viewed nearly 4 million
times. He was a 2013 winner in the Intel International Science and Engineering
Fair. Jack did his research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine under the
direction of Professor Anirban Maitra. This month, he announced that he will be
attending Stanford University as a member of the Class of 2019. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recent research in neuroscience points to the importance of creating a supportive environment for children to reach their full potential. Conversely, lack of a nurturing environment can have an untold detrimental effect on what children can achieve. Parents need to understand their roles in the lives of their children and to remember that .. <i>one child, one life can change the world. Nurture your child like the world depends on it!</i></span></div>
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ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-60669116447926330822014-08-01T01:00:00.000-04:002014-08-03T08:59:00.604-04:00In Search of Friendship and Finding Peers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many theories have been put forward and research papers written
about gifted children and how they approach friendship; but it’s not complicated. They seek out their peers. People who are most like them. They might
be the same age; or not. They almost certainly share common interests and enjoy each other’s company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The idea that gifted kids are always socially awkward has been
popularized in the media by television shows such as The Big Bang Theory where
characters are constantly struggling with ‘fitting in’ which is not always the case. This isn't to say that
making friends is always easy for gifted children; they simply view
friendship and peer relationships in a different way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents sometimes worry that their child does not have a large
circle of friends. It should be noted that gifted children can be very selective
in who they choose as friends. They may reject offers of friendship from other
children based on their unique view of the world around them and
self-concepts. In a recent study, it was determined that contrary to popular
belief, they do not suffer from peer rejection any more than children in the
general population. (Bain and Bell, 2004) They prefer to form relationships <i>on
their own terms</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As in any discussion of gifted children, levels of
giftedness must be acknowledged. The ease with which these children develop
friendships is often affected by their distance from the norm. Meckstroth and
Kearney in <i>Off the Charts Asynchrony and
the Gifted Child</i> state, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4>
<span class="IntenseQuoteChar"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“Their intellectual and
personality characteristics amplify their life experiences, and their
differences from the norm tend to exacerbate their sense of dissonance with
others.” (285)</i></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High levels of giftedness more often than not are associated
with sensitivities, introversion, perfectionism, and a sense of fairness; all
factors that affect friendships.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The role of <i>asynchronous development</i> in finding friends can
make life interesting for the gifted child but stressful for their parents. Age
is often not a determining factor in who they choose as friends. A 10 year-old
may feel just as comfortable discussing the latest developments in game theory with
a high school student as they are playing a video game with an age-peer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maintaining relationships is another matter. Parents play an
important role in guiding the choice of friends when their children are young. Christine
Fonseca reminds us in her book, <i>Emotional
Intensity in Gifted Students</i>: <span class="IntenseQuoteChar"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: blue;"><span class="IntenseQuoteChar">“Relationships are difficult in
the best of situations. This particularly can be true with gifted children, as
the rigid nature of their thinking patterns and the overly sensitive emotional
nature of their personality can cause conflict with both peers and adults.
Typical relationship issues, including developing healthy friendships, bullying
problems, trying to ‘fit in’ and handling peer pressure, are appropriate topics
for role-playing and parent coaching.”</span> </span></i> </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are times, of course, when your child may decide to be
friends with someone you feel is a bad influence. You need to <i>tread
carefully</i> and consider whether or not to intervene. It may be better to let your child make the decision in this
case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ultimately, we want our children to be happy. As adults, we
generally base our conception of what happiness means based on our own life
experiences. Young children need guidance, but if we do our job right … they
will find their path to happiness. Providing a strong
foundation by <i>modeling</i> the formation of positive and healthy friendships will
go a long way in assuring they can do the same. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Photo courtesy of <a href="http://pixabay.com/en/morocco-children-play-girl-girls-165771/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post is part of Hoagies' Gifted Blog Hop on Friendship for August 2014. Please use the link below to access the entire list of participating blogs.</span></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://goo.gl/jGNF6X" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jIAYV4PdECuu-P2dzf9F4Clacuptp2jYd1J_FRDytqh7NJLjPCBr9iRcaIr20XCicXUsnLkqvlk4shV4R58aqR-v2GisRepcEprN02Va16ZUHkzkmLo8xEvMMIy5VoQV3p5Q0SjgIbo/s1600/blog_hop_aug14_gifted_friendships_small.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">References: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bain, Sherry K. and Bell, Sherry Mee (2004). Social
Self-Concept, Social Attributions, and Peer Relationships in Fourth, Fifth, and
Sixth Graders Who Are Gifted Compared to High Achievers.<i> Gifted Child Quarterly, </i>48, 167 – 178.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fonseca, Christine (2011). <a href="http://goo.gl/Xyo4O" target="_blank">Emotional Intensity in GiftedStudents Helping Kids Cope With Explosive Feelings</a> (p. 139). Waco, Texas:
Prufrock Press.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi36WblgbeXGmIkbTDckDVG2iN6isv_XDV5Tr2w5_8XEzCbVAJrEhyphenhyphenLAO5fEwi8nifQdNXHH7wnxp4gRTxA7H0GP5UuQhPGHR_8kSezssjcwb-wahyphenhyphenr5zbNXmyzTxZnaPzrrWppSGZSkg/s1600/Emotional+Intensity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi36WblgbeXGmIkbTDckDVG2iN6isv_XDV5Tr2w5_8XEzCbVAJrEhyphenhyphenLAO5fEwi8nifQdNXHH7wnxp4gRTxA7H0GP5UuQhPGHR_8kSezssjcwb-wahyphenhyphenr5zbNXmyzTxZnaPzrrWppSGZSkg/s1600/Emotional+Intensity.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meckstroth, Elizabeth A. and Kearney, Kathi (2013). Indecent
Exposure: Does the Media Exploit Highly Gifted Children? In C. Neville, M. Piechowski
& S. Tolan (Eds.), <u><a href="http://goo.gl/xeRDO" target="_blank">Off the Charts Asynchrony and the Gifted Child</a></u>
(pp. 282 – 291). Unionville, NY: Royal Fireworks Publishing Co., Inc.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxh0BH2TnZ-4vzVpidy0I_ivXNDq8fcVti-R0c_1fVPqmjbGC9jedzDzTVCjaRyHvXk5sM6tqPwNnwzRRz3irKgmhYaRIQNE2CWv5F-vloV5vkLjPcAfx2bwN7ZFOHh5Sz3Fyjhhc14Q/s1600/Off-the-charts+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxh0BH2TnZ-4vzVpidy0I_ivXNDq8fcVti-R0c_1fVPqmjbGC9jedzDzTVCjaRyHvXk5sM6tqPwNnwzRRz3irKgmhYaRIQNE2CWv5F-vloV5vkLjPcAfx2bwN7ZFOHh5Sz3Fyjhhc14Q/s1600/Off-the-charts+cover.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Links:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/k3OK76" target="_blank">Gifted Children’s Friendships</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/v9gLT" target="_blank">“Play Partner” or “Sure Shelter”: What Gifted Children Lookfor in Friendship</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/dIYLnH" target="_blank">Finding True Peers</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/Rcx7cE" target="_blank">How do I know if my child is in with the right peer group?</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/yyyop9" target="_blank">The Gift of a Friend</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/OwpwsR" target="_blank">A Case Study Approach to Examine Gifted Children's Perceptionsof Friendship and Play and Their Impact on the Development of Self</a> (Abstract) </span><o:p></o:p></div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052350205578257248.post-78853512813211928772014-07-23T11:58:00.000-04:002014-12-31T21:33:51.269-05:00Top 5 Misconceptions about Gifted Students … and setting the record straight!<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many articles have been written about the misconceptions surrounding gifted students, but I want to address the top 5 which I feel are the most detrimental to the fulfillment of potential of gifted students.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#5 Gifted
students don’t do the work they’re assigned. It’s a waste of my time to differentiate.</span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">True.
Gifted students often balk at work given them which they already mastered years
before. Instead of using this as an excuse for not giving them meaningful and
challenging work, consider first why this is happening. Expecting a gifted
student to do something simply because an adult tells them to do it or because
everyone else has to won’t work. It simply won’t. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consider
this … a gifted child may learn to tell time before she even starts preschool.
In kindergarten, she dutifully sits in class and listens to the teacher explain
how to tell time. It’s fun. Her hand goes up every time the teacher asks, “What
time does the clock say?”</span><br />
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Classroom Clock*</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She’s proud of herself. Her classmates bestow praise
on her. In first grade, she remains patient and answers questions when asked
directly; but begins to notice her classmates whispering. In second grade, it’s
no longer fun and she begins to wonder how many more times she’ll have to hear
the explanation. She’s beginning to get annoyed with her classmates. Why can’t
they get it and move on? Third grade brings with it exasperation and she notes
the agitation in her teacher’s voice because she isn't paying attention. By
fourth grade, she can no longer hide her boredom and begins to complain to her
parents about why she has to go to school at all?<i> And so it goes</i> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students
are asked to do specific assignments in the expectation that they will learn
from them. If they already know the material, of what value is it? For them, it
becomes ‘busy work’; work without purpose. Gifted students need a good reason
to do the work. As the years go by, it only gets worse.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i><span style="font-size: large;">#4 Gifted
students are already where they should be.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where might
that be? Proficient? Advanced? Who is to say what is standard for the gifted
student? How is intellectual growth measured for someone who has reached the
ceiling on all the standardized tests they are given? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kids go to
school to learn or that’s what we tell them. But what if they aren't learning
anything? And who cares? All children should end the school year at a point reflective of their time spent in the classroom
showing real growth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
particularly difficult in the test-driven climate that prevails in so many
schools today. More emphasis is mistakenly placed on closing the achievement
gap rather than realizing the inherent problems of ignoring the excellence gap.
In fact, most educators do not distinguish between the two. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSG_Wah9ACDBD8C6te8S4NhdkbLdT2IQHBhgNu4bw0HKbOQE2BlzT3uYd7y__os1PogAmLXOM0-1HWaePAsmG-v83Xn4bV8JVZ31rwyyX7mOw394AghGlz2FZqQBO-Z7K9TPVLmsnbKw/s1600/School+Blackboard+2_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSG_Wah9ACDBD8C6te8S4NhdkbLdT2IQHBhgNu4bw0HKbOQE2BlzT3uYd7y__os1PogAmLXOM0-1HWaePAsmG-v83Xn4bV8JVZ31rwyyX7mOw394AghGlz2FZqQBO-Z7K9TPVLmsnbKw/s1600/School+Blackboard+2_edited-1.jpg" height="337" width="400" /></a></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Image courtesy of <a href="http://pixabay.com/en/school-black-education-eraser-desk-42275/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It only
takes a cursory view of international assessments to realize that the present
system simply isn't working for countries like the U.S. Fundamental changes
must be made to how education in its most basic form is perceived by those who
teach and those who determine policy. Ignoring the needs of students who are
identified as gifted and those who should be identified but are not because of
prejudicial attitudes about the very nature of giftedness is reflected in the
mediocre performance on these assessments. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i><span style="font-size: large;">#3 Gifted
students are the responsibility of the gifted teacher/specialist.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the best
case scenario where a gifted resource teacher even exists, how often do gifted
students see them? Unless your school has a stand-alone program, this may
happen only once a week or less at the elementary level. At the secondary
level, it may never happen. </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>So … on which
day of the week are they gifted?</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In schools
where full inclusion is in place, this may even be a non-starter. Gifted
children find themselves in classrooms with teachers who have never had any
instruction or professional development in gifted education in their entire
careers. Priority has been given to dual-certification with special education
in most undergraduate programs today; programs totally devoid of any reference
to the needs of gifted students.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i><span style="font-size: large;">#2
Teachers don’t have time to work with gifted students.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;">Dear Mrs. Conrad,</span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;">I have 23 other
students in my class to worry about. I don’t have time to work individually
with your </span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;">child</span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;">.
His grades are fine. Why are you pushing him?</span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;">Your </span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;">child</span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;">’s
3rd grade teacher</span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="color: windowtext;">***</span></span><span class="MsoBookTitle"><span style="letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The day
that email arrived in my inbox, I began to understand that things were not
going to be fine. And sadly, I was right. My response was less than
professional and not exactly how I would advise other parents today to respond …
but I do know how frustrating it can get when your child’s teacher does not see
that they have needs that aren't being met. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a
difference between not ‘having’ the time and not ‘taking’ the time. When my child
began to engage in attention-seeking behaviors, teachers and administrators
</span><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">suddenly found time</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to address the situation. Unfortunately, by then </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it was </i><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">too
late</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the
emergence of technological advances in the classroom and the ubiquitous
availability of global perspectives and free professional development online, finding the time is much easier than it once was to meet the needs
of gifted students.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCN-DMTvUaX5OUxJtrNN2M4FQy_jjGBm1UHJSKYBn8-bv5Bimf2fQxsWAlVdZ2gYV3QxlfBhH2ZpGCBW6xzAo-ILDiP_lpM0IvjkVVA9zMrRo3TeED9LF7YN4IvF3_QSgAkLJKe_awuuk/s1600/exchange-of-information-231629_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCN-DMTvUaX5OUxJtrNN2M4FQy_jjGBm1UHJSKYBn8-bv5Bimf2fQxsWAlVdZ2gYV3QxlfBhH2ZpGCBW6xzAo-ILDiP_lpM0IvjkVVA9zMrRo3TeED9LF7YN4IvF3_QSgAkLJKe_awuuk/s1600/exchange-of-information-231629_640.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technological Advances**</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i><span style="font-size: large;">#1 It is
elitist to give gifted students opportunities that other students don’t get.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I worked in
special education for 12 years. Never once did I hear complaints about our kids
going on field trips or having extended computer time when the classroom
teacher was overwhelmed by her regular education students. Not once. Not ever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
detrimental to the well-being of our children not </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">provide opportunities for
them to be mentally stretched whenever possible. It is widely recognized
that the most effective education is an individualized one. The ‘elitist’
argument is only an excuse to deny students an appropriate education based on
their needs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Parenting
gifted children is hard work!</b></i> It requires you to know and understand the
nuanced sentiments of educators who may not fully support your efforts to
advocate for the best possible education for your child. <i>Enabling conversation
rather than stifling it will benefit your child.</i> Being prepared with answers to
the misconceptions that surround the nature of gifted students will be a step in the right direction.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsB9LJ3lZGu_omOKY-4Pl7gG6HCPgi63lANIEyy-ny4iFIpHnVlSmLS3PXfrrgTEm_rR0g1Pa2f0AnMUeIrIyJIewP68yW16vExGr6GLCb3HrSB4zuKjQo3A5peTbR260hWz_sttMMJQ/s1600/Parenting+hard+work+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsB9LJ3lZGu_omOKY-4Pl7gG6HCPgi63lANIEyy-ny4iFIpHnVlSmLS3PXfrrgTEm_rR0g1Pa2f0AnMUeIrIyJIewP68yW16vExGr6GLCb3HrSB4zuKjQo3A5peTbR260hWz_sttMMJQ/s1600/Parenting+hard+work+2.jpg" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
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Image courtesy of <a href="http://pixabay.com/en/family-children-father-mother-84865/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a></div>
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* Photo courtesy of <a href="http://pixabay.com/en/clock-time-analogue-146560/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a>.<br />
** Photo courtesy of <a href="http://pixabay.com/en/exchange-of-information-mobile-phone-231629/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">***<b>Of course</b>, not all teachers approach
their jobs this way … but I did keep the email. So, no need to send me the ‘I
can’t believe a teacher would say that’ comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ljconradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964363919353821659noreply@blogger.com21