Talk for Mensa of Jacksonville, Florida

by Lynn Elizabeth Marlowe

October 2013

HOW TO PARTNER WITH YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL AND MORE

OVERVIEW -BASED ON PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE

How to talk to your child’s teacher – arm yourself with knowledge about

giftedness…Why gifted kids are at risk,

asynchrony, classroom differentiation

How to partner with the school – acceleration decisions

Outside of school – talent searches and camps (and how talent searches relate to

advocacy)

PART ONE

Arm yourself with knowledge about giftedness

BRIGHT VS. GIFTED

Top student, makes “A” grades, pays attention, is a delight to teach…. This might be the bright child, not the gifted child.

photo: Photobucket user

GIFTED CHILDREN MIGHT BE INTENSE

COPING WITH THE INTENSE CHILD

SensitivitiesPerfectionismStubbornnessHigh energy

Need for stimulationNeed for alone timeCreativity and divergent thinkingMisdiagnosis

GIFTED CHILDREN MIGHT BE ASYNCHRONOUS

• Handwriting age 5

• Reading age 7

• Science age 9

• Math age 10

WHY GIFTED KIDS ARE AT RISK

Reluctance to make choices

Fear of trying and failing

Deep concern with issues in the world/justice

Feeling isolated, misunderstood

Eating disorders and chemical abuse

Existential depression

(SENGgifted.org)

CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATIONS

Don’t ask the child to do extra work, it feels like a punishment

Don’t ask the child to teach the other children instead of teaching them (child needs challenge, especially if afraid of failure, needs positive peer interaction, not isolating peer interaction)

ACCOMMODATION EXAMPLES

Curriculum compacting (University of Conn) – pre-testing

Open ended tasks – examples would be blogging or independent projects

Cross curriculum projects – like the history of science

Using computer program in classroom like Aleks or Khan Academy

PART TWO

Acceleration decisions

ACCELERATION

• The research exists – see A Nation Deceived and the Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual

• Subject acceleration, early entrance to Kindergarten, early entrance to first grade, grade skipping, dual enrollment, early entrance to college

ACCELERATION, CONTINUED

• “Least worse decision”

• Impact of boredom on emotional life, getting in trouble, checking out

• Social life – sometimes age mates not the best match

• Sports, talent searches, competitions – age based issues

• Double skips and homeschooling

LYNN’S CHART OF WORRIES AND EXPECTATIONS

Student-frustrated, lonely,

unchallenged-can’t articulate problem

-anxiety-feels bad or guilty about

inability to “just fit in”-afraid to try

Teacher

- I do so much already, how can I possibly do

more?

- hurt feelings that curriculum not “good

enough”

- doesn’t have training in gifted education and ideas

for accommodations

Parent

- sees child in home environment

- emotional

- afraid accommodations will require money for testing and materials, time commitment

- doesn’t want to be labeled a problem parent

Administration

- worried about charge of elitism or unfairness

- concerns over scheduling and money

- doesn’t want mistakes to be made and be

liable

PART THREE

Talent searches and camps

TALENT SEARCHES

• Belin Blank (University of Iowa)

• Duke University

• CTY – Johns Hopkins

• CTD - Northwestern

• Explore test

• ACT or SAT

• SCAT

TALENT SEARCHES, CONTINUED

• Use for advocacy at school, some teachers and administrators “speak” SAT or ACT

• Scores offer more data on student’s strengths and weaknesses than typical standardized testing does, “out of level”

• Can lead to camps, online courses, awards

CAMPS

• Stetson – HATS

• Duke University

• THINK

• CTY – Johns Hopkins

• Yunasa

• Specific math camps, writing camps, language camps, theatre camps, music camps

• (see Hoagies – summer)

CAMPS, CONTINUED

• Camps for gifted and talented students might offer the best place for exciting peer interaction

• Offer courses not available during the school year, unusual topics, accelerated topics

• Scholarships sometimes available

• Be aware of early deadlines for testing and deposits

• Beware of camps on college campuses without real contact with those professors (on that campus for name only)

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Being gifted does not equal success!Communicate with your child’s teacher and find outside outlets like camps, if feasible.Contact me:

www.lynnelizabethmarlowe.comlynn@lynnelizabethmarlowe.com