Monthly Archives: April 2018

Social Emotional Needs of Gifted Students

Gifted and talented students’ social-emotional needs are often exacerbated by asynchronous development which necessitates an awareness of each child’s needs. These include the ability to socialize, work with others, and to be self-aware. Their interpersonal needs include peer relations, relations with parents and gifted and non-gifted siblings.

Many gifted children frequently experience the negative consequences of stress and perfectionism as related to the social-emotional characteristics associated with giftedness. Overexcitabilities combined with high intellect and asynchronous development can result in emotional frustration, misbehavior when ability fails to match aspirations, and overall inability to cope with day-to-day functioning.

In today’s political and educational climate, advocacy by parents and educators is paramount to preserving and expanding services. In an era of changing mindsets over the need for provision of services for our most vulnerable students, education of the public and school administrators about the needs of GT students has garnered new importance. The role of professional development should be expanded to address the social-emotional needs of gifted and talented students as it relates to academic success.

The premise for the choice of a specific educational model should be based on the needs of GT students from year to year and be flexible. Check out a previous #gtchat here >>> with extensive resources. Many models exist and new ones are being developed. Educators should research models based on the overall needs of their classroom.

Supports should be based on an individualized plan – all gifted and talented children deserve to be supported as well as challenged in the classroom. Educators can take the first step by learning about the social emotional needs of their particular students.

How can GT educators and professionals support parents of GT and/or 2E students? GT/2E students are more intense intellectually and emotionally. Educators and professionals may need to provide parents with interventions that can be used at home. Parents need information about how the role of giftedness plays in a child’s overall well-being to mitigate their own fear of failing as a parent. A transcript of this chat may be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at Noon NZST/10 AM AEST/1 AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Wakelet. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.

About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com

Links:

The Casper Assessment for Social Emotional Skills (CASES) for K-12 Students

Casper Assessment for Social Emotional Skills (CASES) Rubric (pdf)

Brains on Fire: The Multinodality of Gifted Thinkers

Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning: Research and Practice (Amazon)

Characteristics and Problems of the Gifted: Neural Propagation Depth and Flow Motivation as a Model of Intelligence and Creativity (pdf)

Vulnerabilities of Highly Gifted Children (1984)

What is Social-emotional Learning? (APA)

Social / Emotional Aspects of Giftedness

Social-Emotional Learning and the Gifted Child

The Aspen Institute: National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development

Cultivating the Social–emotional Imagination in Gifted Education: Insights from Educational Neuroscience

Thesis: Social and Emotional Learning Needs of Gifted Students (pdf)

When Gifted Kids Get to Exhale

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted: 30 Essays on Giftedness, 30 Years of SENG (Amazon)

SENG

The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Make Friends (Amazon)

Heightened Multifaceted Sensitivity of Gifted Students (pdf)

Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT: Models of Gifted Education

Sprite’s Site: Stories of the OEs

Sprite’s Site: Doggy Classroom Dynamics

Dabrowski’s Over-Excitabilities A Layman’s Explanation

Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults (Amazon)

Five Unexpected Intensities of Gifted Students

Gifted and Creative Services Australia: Articles and Handouts

“Play Partner” or “Sure Shelter”: What Gifted Children Look for in Friendship

Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom: Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use (Revised & Updated Third Edition) (Amazon)

Teaching Gifted Students in the Regular Classroom: Practical Recommendations and Interventions (pdf)

Cybraryman’s Social and Emotional Learning #SEL Page

Image courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Public Domain

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Posted in Emotional Intelligence, Emotional intensity, gifted and talented, Mental Health, Misdiagnosis, Neuroscience, Psychology, Social Emotional

Early Learning Interventions for Gifted Kids

Apr 25

Posted by gtchatmod

Is it possible to provide early intervention for gifted children without formal identification? Very young children have difficulty paying attention during testing and easily distracted. A young gifted child’s performance on tests can be highly variable and thus deemed not as reliable as for older children. That said, not only is it possible to provide early intervention without formal identification; it is often necessary.

There is strong support for early intervention for gifted children based on developmentally appropriate practice; taking both age and individual appropriateness into account (Bredekamp,1987; Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1992). Informal identification should be based on teacher and caregivers’ observation across domains – cognitive, aesthetic, social-emotional, motor, language – taking into consideration expected behaviors for the age of the child.

“Early intervention is critical to support students’ cognitive and affective growth. Enriched and engaging environments during early childhood years can lead to enhanced educational success. Early enrichment as a form of intervention is even more critical for bright learners who come from poverty or traditionally underrepresented populations.” (Keri M. Guilbault, Ed.D.) “Early educational experiences of many young gifted children provide limited challenge and hinder their cognitive growth rather than exposing learners to an expansive, engaging learning environment.” (NAGC)

Characteristics ‘usually’ associated with early giftedness include excellent memory beyond expectation for a specific age; mature thinking on complicated tasks; or precocious development of a specific skill. Early giftedness may be expressed by self-management of personal learning; seeking new and novel experiences; early reading; delight in problem solving. Young gifted children may seek older playmates; engage in imaginative play; display an advanced vocabulary; demonstrate asynchronous development.

Special activities and/or accommodations provided in the early childhood classroom or child care environment may include providing opportunities to interact with mental peers; opportunities to think both divergently and convergently – experiences with more than on answer. Very young gifted children need exposure to social situations which respect the contributions of less-able children and foster recognition of the worth of all abilities. Young gifted children are individuals with different needs. They shouldn’t be expected to take on additional tasks or those beyond development capabilities. Consider exposure to a variety of experiences.

What can parents do to make sure their child receives needed interventions during early childhood? They can create a portfolio of their child’s work to serve as a basis for consideration in later identification. They can keep a diary of milestones and skills attainment. Parents should take care not to place unnecessary expectations on their child. They can provide opportunities for exploration of interests with trips to the library, visits to museums and cultural events, and nature experiences. A transcript may be found at Wakelet.

Links:

Gifted Children Have Special Needs, Too

AUS: Identify Gifted Children

AUS: Gifted and Talented Education – Identification (pdf)

The Gifted and Talented Child: Best Practices for Identifying Gifted Students (pdf)

NZ: E-Portfolios as a Tool for Supporting Gifted Children in New Zealand Early Childhood Education Centres A Critical Appraisal

Early Enrichment for Young Gifted Children

Psycho-Pedagogical and Educational Aspects of Gifted Students, Starting from the Preschool Age; How Can Their Needs Be Best Met?

Small Poppies: Highly Gifted Children in the Early Years

Practical Recommendations and Interventions: Gifted Students (pdf)

A Different Perspective to the Early Intervention Applications during Preschool Period: Early Enrichment for Gifted Children

Serving Twice-Exceptional Preschoolers: Blending Gifted Education and Early Childhood Special Education Practices in Assessment and Program Planning (pdf)

Appropriate Practices for Screening, Identifying and Serving Potentially Gifted Preschoolers (pdf)

Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home (8th Edition) (Amazon)

Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum: Best Practices in Early Childhood Education (Amazon)

Cybraryman’s Early Intervention Page

Image courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Public Domain

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad

Posted in Advocacy, Education, gifted and talented, gifted education, Identification, parenting

1 Comment

Tags: Early Learning Intervention, gifted, gifted children, gifted education, gtchat, identification, TAGT, Twitter

Equity and Access to Gifted Education

Apr 15

Posted by gtchatmod

Minority students including African Americans and Hispanics; ELL (English Language Learners); as well as low SES (socio-economic status) students are often left out of gifted programs. Today, we also need to be aware of bias against LGBTQ students, children of military personnel, homeless, and most twice-exceptional students.

Barriers to gifted education include school district policies that fail to recognize and value cultural diversity. Presumptions about low-income and minority students are given too much credence by decision-makers. Twice/thrice-exceptional students may not be achieving at acceptable levels and thus barred from participation in gifted programs. Schools tend to focus on disabilities which may be masking abilities.

The identification process can affect equity. Identification of giftedness is too often based on outdated information or research that doesn’t take into account cultural diversity and the needs of ELL students. Parents and students need to be better informed by school districts about the benefits and opportunities afforded by participation in gifted programs.

Join TAGT for Gifted Plus Equity Conference

There are laws already in place to change this situation. Gifted education has been successfully argued under civil rights legislation. Also, twice-exceptional students are often covered by special education regulations. The legality of participation in gifted education programs is often dependent on state laws and regulation. Parents and teachers should check with state or national gifted organizations for laws applying to their particular state or country.

Parents can make a difference in their school district. They are passionate about the education of their children. Parents of gifted children should learn the lessons provided by parents of special needs children who took their battles to the courts. Parenting a gifted child is hard work – parents should become knowledgeable about state regulations regarding gifted education and who their state congressional representatives are as well as their child’s school’s written gifted policies. Parents also need to learn the ‘chain of command’ in their school district. Start with the child’s teacher, then administrator; and if necessary, school board.

There are practical steps can educators and policy makers can take to increase equity in gifted programs. These include seeing possibilities rather than limitations, seeking solutions rather than dwelling on obstacles, emphasizing student’s strengths over weaknesses, and improving communications with parents. Policy makers and administrators need to provide cultural sensitivity training for all educators, high quality course offerings that are culturally sensitive and ELL compliant, and expand access to rigorous curriculum. Administrators should provide PD in gifted education which would aid in achieving accurate identification, increase out of school opportunities for most at-risk students and engage community support for expanded opportunities. A transcript of this chat can be found at Wakelet.

Links:

Gifted Cubed: Race & Culture

Gifted Cubed Printable Color Brochure

Want to Make Gifted Education More Equitable? First, Be Aware of the Political Winds That Drove (and Derailed) Innovative Policies in These States

Perspectives on Equity in Gifted Education (pdf)

Bright, Talented, & Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners (Amazon)

The Rare District That Recognizes Gifted Latino Students

NY: White Plains Schools Focus on Increasing Diversity in Advanced Courses after Fed Investigation

Access and Equity through Career and Technical Education

Enhancing Professional Learning Strategies to Increase Students from Diverse Cultural Groups Participation in Gifted Programs

Report Shows Widespread Lack of Support for High-Ability, Low-Income Students in U.S.

County Aims to Break Down Racial Barriers to Gifted Classes

Equal Talents, Unequal Opportunities 2^nd Addition (pdf)

Norwalk Schools Reveal Gifted Program Redesign

What to Do About a Generation of ‘Lost Einsteins’

A New Majority Low Income Students Now a Majority In the Nation’s Public Schools (pdf)

Universal Screening in Gifted and Talented Identification: Implementation and Overcoming Challenges

Universal Screening Increases the Representation of Low-Income and Minority Students in Gifted Education

What if low-income, gifted students had the same support and connections as their affluent classmates?

5 Ways to Help Bright Low-Income Students to Excel

Report from National Center for Research on Gifted Education (pdf – PP)

Students in Poverty Less Likely to be Identified as Gifted

Effective Practices for Identifying and Serving English Learners in Gifted Education (pdf)

Parental Expectations for Asian American Men Who Entered College Early: Influences on their Academic, Career, and Interpersonal Decision-Making (pdf)

Recruiting and Supporting Underrepresented Students in Gifted and Talented Programs (pdf)

Identifying Gifted and Talented English Language Learners (pdf)

Underrepresentation of Minorities in Gifted and Talented Programs: A Content Analysis of Five District Program Plans (pdf)

Underrepresentation of Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education: Reflections About Current Problems and Recommendations for the Future (pdf)

Equitable Access for Underrepresented Students in Gifted Education (pdf)

Minority Students Underrepresented in Gifted Programs

Can Universal Screening Increase the Representation of Low Income and Minority Students in Gifted Education? (pdf)

Underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic Students in Gifted Programs (YouTube 5:14)

Building Diversity in Gifted Programs (TEDxABQED 6:41)

To Be Young, Gifted and Black (Amazon) Excerpt (pdf)

Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present (Amazon)

Income, Race Big Factors in Rates of ‘Gifted’ Students

Multicultural Gifted Education, 2nd ed. (Amazon)

Image courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Public Domain

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Posted in Equity, gifted and talented, gifted education, Identification, Multicultural, Twice-exceptional

Finding Summer Enrichment Opportunities

Apr 6

Posted by gtchatmod

Why is it important to find summer enrichment opportunities for gifted kids? There are many reasons to find summer enrichment; particularly when so many gifted students are languishing in classrooms where they lack challenge and enrichment. It’s been my experience these kids crave enriching summers. Summertime and school holidays can provide those rare opportunities for family time; forming true-peer relationships in pre-college or camp experiences; engaging in passion projects; exploration of new interests.

Enrichment can cover wide-ranging areas; but should ‘extend’ learning experiences. Consideration should be given to a child’s current level of understanding and desire to enhance knowledge in a particular area. It should not be an attempt to recreate the ‘classroom’ in just another setting. It should be fun and interesting for kids. They should be the one to determine the content of their enrichment experience.

Families can use summer and holiday time to seek enrichment opportunities. They need to take time for careful planning both in terms of time constraints, budget, and what the child wants to do. Family time together is precious; a time for building memories. Including enrichment is a win-win situation. Favorite vacation destinations, a family visit, even sightseeing; all can be repurposed or enhanced to seek enriching experiences for gifted kids. Family planning sessions can help to maximize the benefits for everyone.

Virtually all colleges and universities offer some form of pre-college enrichment. By scheduling opportunities at various schools, students can get a feel for the college experience while deciding what they are looking for in a school. We had a great experience with a summer program that was housed at a university. Not only did my daughter benefit from the program, but also got to experience being on a college campus, attending classes, socializing and dorm life.

Camp-style experiences can address social-emotional concerns while also guaranteeing a gifted child being able to associate with intellectual peers and mentors. These opportunities afford gifted students the chance to have a relaxing and fun experience that informs,instructs, and enhances learning outside a traditional classroom. Please see below for a list of summer opportunities. A transcript may be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at Noon NZST/10 AM AEST/1 AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Storify. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.