Parenting a Gifted Child

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

An October 17th article points to a recent trend in high school juniors and seniors taking the ACT (American College Testing Program) in addition to, or instead of the SAT

(Scholastic Aptitude Test). Discussed are some of the differences between testing formats, scoring, and the content assessed. Take a look at the article for yourself and let me know what you think.

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

The SAT is popping up in major new outlets and community press everywhere. I found the following four pieces while researching an article, theSAT Reasoning Test, for Parenting a Gifted Child column for suite101.com.

Washington Post, April 2006: "Scores for new SAT come in, but [the] real test Is deciphering them"

Daily Times - Salisbury, Maryland, October 14, 2006: "SU wants to make SAT optional"

ABCnews.com October 8, 2006: "The beginning of the end of the SAT?"

Rutland Herald - Rutlant, Vermont, October 18, 2006: "The life of a Junior: SAT's and big decisions

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

There are lots of opportunities in the elementary years to identify the stress triggers in your child. As I've encouraged in many of my articles, talking to your children is the best way to anticipate and then address situations requiring parental direction. Here's an example: say your 3rd grader is working on a science project and even though he is following the schedule you and he created to ensure his finishing a day early, he get stressed out whenever you, however innocently, ask him about his progress and need for your assistance. What can you do? Try Asking him:

• What is (fill in name here) doing her project on?
• Have you seen (fill in another name here) project?
• What has (fill in teacher's name here) said about the projects lately?
• Has anyone turned his or her project in early?

Once you've gathered information, you can combine it with what you know about your child's personality to uncover the foundation of his stress. Maybe someone has chosen the same topic, your child feels that another student's project is better than his, the teacher used a project organized differently than your child's as a good example, or someone finished early causing your child to feel behind. Now you can address the fundemental cause of your child's stress instead of the symptom of stress itself.

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

In 1973 Rachel Robinson, wife of Baseball legend Jackie Robinson, established the jackie Robinson Foundation. Read the JFR mission statement.

At 12:01 am on October 15, 2006 scholarship applications for the will be available online. Following is the criteria for applying:

• Be a high school senior, accepted to a four-year accredited college or university.
• Be a minority student and a citizen of the United States.
• Have demonstrated high academic achievement and financial need.
• Show evidence of leadership potential and interest in their communities.

**For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of the website.

**NOTE: as of this post, the FAQ reflects the dates for last year's application

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please emailme.

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

I had read Leave No Gifted Child Behind Susan Goodkin's Washington Post article when it first came out last December and, at the beginning of this new school year, have recalled its relevance. Ms. Goodwin addresses what is probably the most debated issue in gifted education since the January 8, 2002 passing of the No Child left Behind Act, that is, NCLB's impact on the education and achievement of gifted students.

For those of you whose children were in gifted programs prior to January, 2002, please take a minute to reflect on the types of curriculum and learning your child was exposed to prior to the implementation of NCLB and compare that with the education he or she receives today. What changes has NCLB brought to your child's classroom? Please email me with your stories and observations.

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

While researching the article, Gifted and Accelerated Readers , I came across a variety of references to banned and censored books , discussions regarding appropriate content not only for readers, but to be taken into consideration when choosing books for inclusion in school libraries as well; for a take on censorship from the perspective of young adult authors, visit As If! Authors Support Intellectual Freedom. I know that when I came across my first list of banned books it quickly became my personal, and top-secret high school reading list. After high school, I sought banned book lists whenever I was in need of a "good book." These lists introduced me to Stephen King, J. D. Salinger, Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemmingway, V.C. Andrews, Mark Twain, William Golding, Ray Bradbury, Maya Angelou, and John Jakes, whose books I "borrowed" from my Grandmother during a hot summer vacation in Tucson. Thus a reader was born.

As my own children became readers my interest in banned books was rekindled. And I discovered that books my own kids were reading, like the series "Goosebumps" by R. L. Stein, and titles by Shel Siverstein, were on lists of banned books. I read the books before my children did – when they are young, this is easy – and found that, guess what, R. L. Stein's books were scary, and, the poetry of Shel Silverstein was fun to read aloud and served as catalysts for a lot of great conversations between my husband and I and our children.

In my opinion, stories and books, banned or not, are translators between the thoughts and concerns of children and the paths we want to guide them toward. A path that is safe for a thirteen year old boy is most likely too dangerous for a four-year old. But that doesn't mean that the path should be bulldozed closed. The choices are yours to make.

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

If you are looking for resources to help guide the growth and development of your gifted child, you are in luck! There are numerous resources devoted to all aspects of identifying gifted children, gifted education, gifted enrichment, and the sometimes daunting task of becoming a gifted advocate.

If you are looking for a place with lots of information on all things gifted, a good place to start your search is Hoagies Gifted Education Page. Hoagies is a goldmine of information, links, and articles. Plan to spend some time here, but be patient; although there is a lot to see, the format of the site can appear a bit loose. If Hoagies proves overwhelming, try sites that cater to one or two specific gifted topics. If emotional issues are your concern, you will find support and guidance at SENG: Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted. Their "Frequently Asked Questions" page is a terrific place to start. In America, to learn more about gifted policies in your state, try GT Cyber Source. A color-coded map reflects gifted mandates and funding for each state. Click on your state for access to state statistics, legislation and policies, obstacles, schools, and opportunities in addition to names and email links to state officials.

Last, but by no means least, take a trip to gifted policy and programs in other countries by visiting the international links on the National Association for Gifted Children site. Future articles will focus in full on our international advocate partners; get a jump-start today.

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

In my opinion, time management is one of the greatest skills a gifted child or gifted adolescent, or any child or adolescent for that matter, can possess. For gifted kids who tend to get stressed out, experience bouts of anxiety, and lose self-confidence, juggling school, extracurricular activities, and home life can become a chore that involves all of the members of the family who are, no doubt, juggling the stresses of their own lives as well. I like the fact that parents don't have to wait for their kids to reach high school, or even middle school or junior high before teaching them the physical, emotional, and mental benefits of staying organized, because time Management is an organizational tool made up of small strategies that can be individually taught beginning at an early age. A great bi-product of early time management lessons is an early introduction to the concept of time, and a chance for a child to experiment with what time means to him or her as an individual. Repetition of the game "let's see how many toys you can pick up in a minute; now let's see how many toys I can pick up in a minute," allows children to function within the constant of time and learn that it's their actions, not time itself that is flexible. The game may not seem like it does a whole lot of anything other than getting the playroom tidies up, but young kids are sponges, they absorb what they experience. And even if they don't apply the knowledge right away, know that it's being stored to later be wrung out when all of the information needed to make the connections is in place.

Posted by Linda Mocilnikar

In my first article on stereotyping gifted children, I described, briefly, some stereotypical characteristics associated with gifted children: eager to learn and easy to teach, organized, possessing a love of reading. These characteristics, or qualities are just a sampling of those I've seen expressed by kids and adults not familiar with the totality of the gifted package. In reality, our gifted darlings come in all shapes and sizes, from all levels of the socioeconomic spectrum, across every demographic gridline, and with any combination of personality traits and, well, quirks. Overall, stereotyping is simply a bad manner in which to choose the people you will interact with; but that is another article for another topic. Specifically referring to gifted children, however, stereotyping leads to misidentification, unrealistic expectations, and the singling out of some really great kids who want to do nothing more than be accepted for who they are. I use the word "ignorance" in the article in its definition as, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, "a lack of knowledge of education, or an unawareness of something, often of something important." Making uneducated decisions is a bad idea. Making uneducated decisions about situations that are potentially harmful to people, especially children, is unjustifiable. Everyone has his or her own idiosyncrasies – it's what make the world an interesting place. I would like to see adults take a stronger hand in pointing out that different is not necessarily better, worse, bigger, stronger, etc. Different is simply different. And difference is what makes us eager to get up and see what the world has to offer each and every day.