Suggested Reading
How To Support Your Gifted Child During Covid-19
Read this how-to guide, prepared by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and learn how to help your gifted child face new norms like social distancing, remote learning, and shelter-in-place orders. Download the printable PDF here.
You can find a whole list of ideas here to keep your gifted kids busy and help them thrive while being stuck at home during the pandemic.
Want to go deeper? Check out the TiLT Parenting Podcast for a whole series of in-depth video interviews with experts on schooling and supporting gifted and differently wired kids. Or hop over to the video blog at Bright & Quirky for even more answers and expert advice.
How Should Parents of Special Ed Kids Help Them Thru The Pandemic?
"There’s something I want those parents to remember as we head into the school year: You are not your child’s teacher, and you shouldn’t try to be. That may sound harsh, but I truly mean it kindly: Give yourself a break." Read more from this Slate article here.
How Parents Can Proactively Prepare, So Your Child Has More Success
From Executive Function Coach Seth Perler: "We know this fall is full of educational uncertainty! So if your child already struggles with executive function, it will be even more challenging with all the disruptions this fall." In this 7-min video , he explains 3 KEY areas to consider (Systems, Mindsets, & Habits) and provides a clear framework to help you prepare your child for success.
Exercise Helps Kids With ADHD Academically
Getting kids to exercise before they sit and start schoolwork primes them for learning. According to this story researchers found that as little as 20 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise immediately improves academic performance in children (find the full study here). In this 2012 study researchers found that immediately after exercise, children with ADHD performed better on tests in reading and math, had greater levels of attention and self-regulated better than they did after solitary reading. So children with ADHD could stay on task longer and require less redirection, which could make instructional time more effective when kids are home this fall. The good news is that 20 minutes may not be necessary because even short bursts of exercise during breaks in instructional time are effective, and any movement works. Go deeper: learn about Nature Deficit Disorder and this study that showed that green outdoor settings appear to reduce ADHD symptoms in children across a wide range of individual, residential, and case characteristics. San Diego Children and Nature leads the regional movement to connect all children to nature by providing professional learning, and networking for educators, families, and communities.
What are Executive Functions and Why Should I Care?
Executive functions act like the air-traffic control center of the brain. Some gifted children have weak executive functioning that can cause homework struggles, trouble staying on-task, problems with time management, disorganization, avoidance, resistance, or forgetfulness. These skills can impact kids and adults at home, at school, and in social situations. Weak skills can prevent them from reaching their goals and their potential. Read a short description of executive functions here. Dig deeper here.
Misdiagnosis
Behaviors directly associated with giftedness may mimic medical or mental health disorders. Intellectually gifted people may exhibit traits and behaviors that resemble conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), for example. Misdiagnosis is a widespread issue for the Gifted/2e community and can result in unnecessary medication and unintended harm. Proper assessment is essential for applying the right social and emotional support in home, work and school settings. Since 2012, SENG has made a commitment to raise awareness of possible misdiagnosis with physicians and mental health providers and they provide a free printable brochure (in multiple languages). For more information, read the book by James T. Webb et al. “Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children & Adults”. Another resource is the book "Child Decoded" by Robin E. McEvoy et al.
Parent TIP Sheets From the National Association for Gifted Children
This list of Timely Information for Parents (TIP) Sheets provides a host of downloadable articles for parents and caregivers of gifted children. Topics include acceleration, asynchrony, assessments, perfectionism, GATE 101, and more. Find it here.
Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities
Sorry, Differentiation Still Doesn't Work
"When we lump all kinds of kids with all levels of abilities into one classroom and expect one teacher to meet the needs of every student through differentiation, the kids who get the shortest end of the shortest stick are the smart ones, because the myths about their learning needs continue to prevail". In this article, Jim Delisle explains why differentiation - a frequent model for gifted education - just doesn't work. Want to go deeper? Read more about differentiation here.
Grasshopper Thinking
Gifted thinkers are rarely one-mode thinkers. Rather, they are great organizers of diverse and multimodal information. This multimodality means that gifted thinkers often make connections in ways other people don’t. Read more here. Dig deeper into gifted cognition here and the neuroscience of the gifted brain here.
Children Don't Misbehave
All behavior is communication. According to this article from PET founder Dr. Thomas Gordon: "If parents only knew how much trouble this word “misbehavior” causes in families! Thinking in terms of children misbehaving not only spells trouble for the kids, obviously, but it brings on unnecessary problems for their parents." Read his thought-provoking article here.