Tag Archives: gifted children

Homeschooling My Gifted Son: The Basics

I have to tell you that although my son can measure trajectory, play chess in his mind several moves ahead, and has a deep fascination with bioluminescent animals. . .he still has to be taught the basics. It is true that he intuits quite a bit of information. For example, when I was teaching my daughter subtraction, we had to go through each set of facts and review them over and over again. With my son, I didn’t even have to teach him all the facts. He caught onto the principle of subtraction and went on from there. Despite the … Continue reading →

Gifted Programs and Honors Classes

Gifted programs can be very beneficial for some students. My oldest child thrived in that environment during elementary and the beginning of middle school. However, that all changed around seventh grade. While gifted programs can offer extra stimulation that children sometimes need, they can also set kids apart from their peers. A child who is held up as an example because of high scores, or one who becomes a “teacher’s pet” because she excels, may see these things in a different light than some might think. At one time, such things seemed good, but as my child grew older, they … Continue reading →

“I Don’t Want to Go to Gifted School!”

Yesterday I opened a letter from the school district inviting my seven-year-old son to attend a special school for gifted children. Based on test scores and teacher recommendations, he was invited to start attending a new school in the fall. He would then continue enrollment at the school under the same gifted program for the next four years. Hmmmm. I sat down with my son and had a little chat. I explained to him what a great opportunity this was, and told him he could go visit the school and meet the teacher. But Liam wasn’t so sure. “What about … Continue reading →

Your Child Could be BOTH Gifted and Learning Disabled

Is your child bright and intelligent, yet still struggles in school? Are you often amazed at your child’s creativity and talents, but can’t figure out why certain things aren’t getting through academically? It’s not often understood that a person can be both gifted and learning disabled. We assume that a child who is gifted has no learning challenges, and a child with ADHD or a specific learning disability is “slow.” It’s hard to imagine that both conditions could exist at the same time. But they can. The classification is “Gifted and Talented/Learning Disabled” or “GT/LD.” These children require a whole … Continue reading →

Ten Signs that Your Child May be Gifted

Gifted and creative children often have behavioral problems in school which resemble ADHD, ODD, or other disorders. Sadly, many of these children are reprimanded, medicated, and denied the ability to reach their full potential. When this happens, our entire society suffers. Imagine if Einstein, Churchill, Edison, and other great thinkers who struggled in school were held back and forced to be ordinary. What if we had labeled them as slow learners and medicated them? How might the world be different today? I wonder why we assume children who misbehave are unintelligent. For some reason we’ve adopted this thinking in the … Continue reading →

ADHD? Or is Your Child Actually Gifted?

Gifted and creative children often have difficulty in the public school system. Their behaviors can mimic ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and they can sometimes be labeled as problem children, daydreamers, or even slow learners. Instead of getting the special educational opportunities that they need and deserve, they are incorrectly classified and improperly held back from achieving their full potential. When gifted children have their talents properly channeled and find an appropriate setting for education, they can make contributions to society which can transform the world. A New Perspective Just think…perhaps your child is not just hyperactive, restless, and reactionary, but … Continue reading →

Reaching the Gifted: Assessment and Identification

Back in the early 80s, before the current group of college undergraduates were even born, I started my education career as a substitute in an elementary school in New York City. It was a wonderful experience, learning from different teachers and meeting different types of students from all over the world. I did this while I was still completing my undergraduate courses in education. One of the classes I subbed for on an ongoing basis was a 5th grade for gifted students. As I got to know more about this group and the activities planned for them, I realized that … Continue reading →

She’s only 5 and Feeling the Stress!

My oldest is in Kindergarten, in a program for what they used to officially call “gifted” children. The teacher says she’s terrific and a fast learner. She grasps concepts quickly and knows how to apply them. She’s also well-behaved in class and works well with her peers. And she’ll probably end up experimenting with cigarettes at 13! Okay, I hope not. But the other day she did not want to go to school. She was crying about it. When my wife spoke to her in the car, she finally got the explanation. The kids write little stories in class and … Continue reading →