Preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences: Part 1 of a 4 part series

Understanding the Asynchronous Development of the Gifted Child

By Stephanie Newitt

Parent-Teacher Conferences are one week away in Gilbert Public Schools.  These experiences are designed to be focused on discussing both the strengths and challenges of the child as well as goals to promote the child's growth and development.  How can a parent of a gifted child prepare for these conferences with giftedness in mind?

One of the key points to understand in the growth and development of a gifted child is asynchrony.  The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) describes asynchronous development as follows:

Asynchrony is the term used to describe the mismatch between cognitive, emotional, and physical development of gifted individuals. Gifted children often have significant variations within themselves and develop unevenly across skill levels. For example, a gifted child may be excellent in math, but poor in reading--or vice versa. Often, intellectual skills are quite advanced, but fine motor or social skills are lagging. Experts do not completely agree, but because asynchrony is so prominent in gifted children, some professionals believe asynchronous development rather than potential or ability, is the defining characteristic of giftedness.

Below are graphics that depict the contrast between typical and asynchronous development.

If you have ever looked at your intelligent child and wondered, exasperated, "What were you thinking?!?"  then you have experienced an aspect of your child's asynchrony.   It is common for adults to expect gifted children to do or feel what is greater than their natural capacity; however, would we want others to expect perfection of us on our first attempt?  Our second?  No.  This would be extremely frustrating and would likely cause some anxiety.  

Realizing that our gifted children have strengths and challenges respects them both as a child and as a human being.  We should both support their strengths and areas of giftedness as well as provide support for their areas of weakness.  Gifted children may have knowledge about certain subjects, but they lack wisdom.  Wisdom is gained through life experience. Parents and teachers can mentor gifted children as these children gain experience by doing the following:

• Create an emotionally and physically safe environment in which the gifted child can take risks and fail.
• Create a family or classroom culture that FAIL means "First Attempt in Learning."
• Coach the gifted child through failure, encouraging him/her to discuss and explore how he/she could handle the situation differently next time.
• Praise for effort more than outcome.

Additionally, NAGC has prepared a Parent Tip Sheet on asynchronous Development.  Click here to view this parent resource.

As the adults closest to the gifted child realize that asynchrony is a normal part of growing up gifted and provide strategies of support, the gifted child is more likely to develop the skills necessary to be successful in life.

Preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences

As you see areas of asynchrony in your gifted child, discuss these with your child's teacher.  Share that you understand that asynchrony is typical in the development of the gifted child and ask what supports are available to support your child's growth in their areas of deficit.

Part 2:  Tools to Articulate the Needs of the Gifted Child

Part 3:  Emotional Intelligence
Part 4:  Understanding the Visual-Spatial Learner

Source:  “Asynchronous Development.” Asynchronous Development | National Association for Gifted Children, www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/social-emotional-issues/asynchronous-development. Accessed 3 Oct. 2017.

Graphics created by Stephanie Newitt

Stephanie Newitt is a co-founder of Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted and a member of the GPS Gifted Education Parent Council Executive Committee.  She has a B.S. in Family Sciences and is the mother of four gifted children, ages 14-24.

The Ultimate Plan to Help Gifted Education, Part 2

(and Improve Education for All Kids in the Process) 

by Kathleen Casper

This article is from SENG.  Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted is making this article into a five part series.  Part two is below...

Educate gifted parents

Wouldn’t it be great if as soon as gifted traits are identified in children, their parents were given a resource list and access to parent groups so they were surrounded with support? Some schools provide information to families about gifted characteristics and needs when they identify students, but not every school does. And many doctors and other care providers are not equipped with enough resources themselves to adequately support parents of gifted children. In order to help parents help their children and the teachers and administrators who work with their children, the parents themselves need more knowledge.

Many parents do not even know enough about giftedness to know that their child is different than other children. This happens a lot when raising young kids. As new parents, we tend to think since we have never parented before, that maybe we just don’t know how to deal with the unique needs of our own children, when really our kids are different from others and may need additional support throughout their educational lives. Often, we don’t always know to ask for it. If we are not prepared to advocate for support for our gifted children early and often then our children lose ground quickly and the schools are not always going to catch on and step in like we would hope they would. Gifted children are sometimes lost in the shuffle and parents are the ones who can call the attention of the schools to the needs of their child better than anyone.

We need to find new parents and mention giftedness when we hear about things their little children are doing that sound like gifted traits. We need to reach out in parenting organizations and in parenting publications and blogs and mention gifted support resources, both locally and nationally. If there are events going on in your community such as trainings for gifted education or speakers that parents can attend, or just gifted issues that are affecting students in general, ask the local newspaper reporters to cover these events and issues so that giftedness is not a foreign word to your neighbors. When you visit your children’s doctors talk about gifted issues, when you see the dentist, talk about gifted issues, and ask them if you can leave articles or other resource lists for them to share with other parents.

Don’t forget the local foster care agencies and other organizations working with families who are traditionally left out of the information exchange. We have so many gifted children who are underserved by gifted education programs in the schools because their parents have no idea the programs even exist. The parents often don’t realize they need to be advocating for their child because the teachers and administrators do not understand gifted traits themselves.

We need to help other parents know what they can ask for and where to go for help We need to continue to educate ourselves so we can stand strong when we ask others to support our children.

Part 3:  Educate teachers and administrators in schools about gifted children.

The Ultimate Plan to Help Gifted Education (and Improve Education for All Kids in the Process)

by Kathleen Casper

This article is from SENG.  Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted is making this article into a five part series.  Part one is below...

Gifted education is not going to fix itself. No matter how many gifted people talk to each other about how much their children need different educational experiences, we still cannot move the mountains of politicians and corporations who stand in our way. 

We can have all the gifted education conferences that we want. We can publish magazine articles and counsel gifted families and teach gifted children and beg our school districts and states to change policies. Sometimes they throw us a bone. But mostly the states and federal people take bones away from education in general these days. Or, if they are giving things to education, usually it is tied in with things like standardized testing, standardized teaching, standardized everything... which we all know do very little to help gifted children in schools.

What would we ask for if we had the support of our state and federal governments for gifted education? Well, the things the gifted support organizations like NAGC and SENG and others ask for — teachers who understand gifted children; flexibility in teaching so that kids with gifted traits can achieve and learn every day, no matter what their skill levels (as all kids deserve); schools that are able to work with families to support gifted kids with social and emotional needs; time for students to explore and invent and create; socialization opportunities for gifted children to find peers (be it other children of all ages, or adult mentors); to have gifted education recognized and students identified well and supported on a daily basis with activities that enhance their strengths and build up areas of weakness.

How do we get to these goals when education in general is moving away from flexibility and individualized learning and towards standardized testing and standardized curriculum and “standards” that do not support thinking outside of the box? How do we help those who hold the funding and the rule-making roles in our education society to break away from misunderstandings and to move forward in ways that are healthier for children and that help kids enjoy learning so that cramming their heads full of facts to be tested on is only one little piece of the bigger puzzle of education?

Here are some ideas of where we can start:

Educate gifted children about giftedness. 

It amazes me how many adults grow up never truly understanding what makes them so different from other people…how many gifted adults never even knew what gifted was, or that they were gifted themselves. Many gifted education programs identify gifted children and group them in classes but never actually teach them about the social-emotional traits that they possess, that can make life easier for them, or harder, depending on how well they are supported or how well they understand and embrace and work with those traits themselves.

There are multiple books on gifted traits. Many are written for parents and teachers, but parts can be used with children of all ages. Read them and then share them with your children as parents and as teachers. If gifted children understand the reasons their minds react in different ways than how their friends may be reacting, or the traits they have that make them more intensely interested in some things than in others, they are more likely to speak up and request support for their needs than if they feel like they are just “odd” and try to fit in or dwell on the things as if they are negative traits.

So many gifted children get lost in the shuffle because they try to blend in or because they do not raise the red flags that other students wave when they need assistance. The high intellect that gifted children have makes them smart enough to evaluate whether it’s even safe for them to talk about their gifted traits. They can tell who is going to be receptive and who will make fun of them or use the information later to harm them, even if the harming is not intentional. Gifted children need to know about their strengths and about their weaknesses so they can work on their weaknesses while buoyed by their interest areas and strengths.

It is hard for gifted children to acknowledge weaknesses, but when they realize they have the power to overcome those weaknesses with hard work they can get through the tough spots. That brings us to the issue that gifted children are often not taught to struggle, as academic skills usually come easy to them at first while other kids are catching up with what they already come to school ready to do. So if they are not taught about the need for learning to struggle, when they hit their first hard project or concept they are likely to shut down and begin to slip academically behind academically other students because they are afraid to fail or because they do not want to have to work very hard. By teaching gifted children about their gifted traits and recognizing the tendency to rely on things being “easy,” we can help gifted students achieve when the going gets tough.

When gifted children know more about giftedness and can effectively communicate about giftedness, they become our best spokespeople for gifted education. By teaching gifted students to ask for things they need and then who to go to for help when they aren’t successful at getting the support they require, we give the whole field of gifted education examples in the world on a daily basis. Teach the kids who they are and what they need to do to strengthen their own abilities and make them their own best advocates early. Lead by example by being your own best advocate and show them that they will use self-advocacy throughout their lives. Give them tons of hugs and as much support as you can, because being a gifted kid is hard and until the education system changes to support them better, they will need as much love and support as they can get from us at home.

Part 2:  Educate gifted parents.

How to Talk About Giftedness Part 1 of 5 - The Gifted Label and Changing Mindsets

Recap of the January 2016 Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted Guest Lecture

How to Talk About Giftedness -  PART 1 (of a 5 part series)

The Gifted Label and Changing Mindsets

Bringing Giftedness Out into the Daylight!  A.K.A. Talking to others about giftedness, the Elephant in the Room!

It’s difficult to discuss giftedness with others.  Will I, as a parent of a gifted child, be perceived as elitist?  Will their eyes roll and they not believe me when I say my kid has struggles too?  If I don’t talk about it, how will I find others who understand what I deal with every day?  How will I find what is needed to help my child grow? 

As parents of gifted kids, what can we do?

We can learn to comfortably talk about giftedness in order to help create change.  We can start right where we are by refusing to agonizing over a better word.  As we fight the battle of semantics we are losing the war.  We can help desensitize people to the word “gifted” by educating them on its FULL meaning.  We can stop concentrating solely on what gifted is and give equal due to what it is NOT.  We all know it is NOT a guarantee of success.  It is NOT a life on the yellow brick road.

We can form alliances and look for common ground because it builds empathy and support.  We can go beyond “preaching to the choir.”  We can recognize and use common vocabulary, such as “work ethic,” “emotional development,” “learning to deal with frustration and competition,” etc.

The Gifted Label 

The gifted label does have its benefits.  It is helpful when requesting services.  It is helpful in the legislative venue, whether it’s a local, state or national level.  If we can’t name this condition then we are stuck!  So, we must change the understanding of the label.  Labels have changed throughout history and we can do our part to change the understanding of the gifted label.   

(For an example from history on how some labels have changed from the 1960’s to now, see the personal boyhood incident of Dr. Ben Carson in the book Gifted Hands, p. 38-39)

When talking about the gifted label, don’t get bogged down in the detailed definitions like percentile rankings, IQ scores, etc.  In this war these are less important than describing characteristics.  Use your own passion and affiliations to:

·         Share with professionals  (pediatricians, family therapists, etc.)

·         Comment on social media

·         Be public: Respond to blogs, write articles, have conversations, conduct meetings, teach, present, etc.

The Problem and Its Roots

The problem exists because there is a reluctance in our society to discuss giftedness, and because of this the needs of gifted children are not addressed.

The Roots of this problem are due to the fact that -

1.       Society limits giftedness to education

2.       Myths about giftedness are entrenched

3.       The concept of intelligence creates discomfort

Giftedness is broadly misunderstood and is often discussed only in the context of eminence, achievement and success.  This fosters the perception of elitism and perpetuates the myth that only the gifted can be successful in life.  Also, across all disciplines giftedness is misunderstood to be a topic only about education.  However, giftedness affects the development of the whole gifted child – intellectually, socially, emotionally, etc.

Solving these problems requires changing deep rooted mindsets …

Commit to being part of the solution.  Commit to speaking up.  Commit to educate without being aggressive.

Now that we’ve laid some groundwork regarding our mindsets, part two of this series will provide tips on how to bust some common myths about giftedness.  STAY TUNED!

Reminder - Guest Lecture on 4/14/16 "How Can I Talk to My Child About Giftedness?"

Reminder - Guest Lecture "How Can I Talk to My Child About Giftedness?" - Thursday, April 14, 2016

Join us for our Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted guest lecture.

Thursday, April 14, 7:00-8:15 p.m.

At the Greenfield Junior High Library

“How can I talk to my gifted child about giftedness?” 

Speaker: Rebecca Baker, Counselor, 

ASU Herberger Young Scholars Academy 

What does it mean to be gifted?

What is the brain development of a gifted child like? 

How do we explain giftedness to our gifted children?

Note: We will be holding Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted board elections at the beginning of this meeting. We are always looking for people to come join forces with us in being advocates for our gifted community. If you are interested, please email us at GilbertGifted@gmail.com for more information.

Guest Lecture "How Can I Talk to My Child About Giftedness?" - Thursday, April 14, 2016

Join us for our Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted guest lecture.

Thursday, April 14, 7:00-8:15 p.m.

At the Greenfield Junior High Library

“How can I talk to my gifted child about giftedness?” 

Speaker: Rebecca Baker, Counselor, 

ASU Herberger Young Scholars Academy 

What does it mean to be gifted?

What is the brain development of a gifted child like? 

How do we explain giftedness to our gifted children?

Note: We will be holding Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted board elections at the beginning of this meeting. We are always looking for people to come join forces with us in being advocates for our gifted community. If you are interested, please email us at GilbertGifted@gmail.com for more information.

Article: "I Have a Gifted Kid and I Will No Longer Be Ashamed"

Here's a great article that we found on another website:

Yes, I have gifted children—born, not made. And I will no longer be ashamed to say my kids are gifted. …

… Here’s the deal. The word gifted does trigger thoughts of privilege and advantage, but it is the clinical term psychologists, doctors, and education professionals have used for years to identify and label children who were born with distinct cognitive differences—these differences can be good AND bad. It’s the way their brain was wired.

How can being gifted be a bad thing?

It can be a burden because too many in our society think gifted kids are the stereotypical straight-A, well-behaved students who get chosen to participate in those special, elite gifted programs at school and then graduate as valedictorians.

But, nope, not always.

Read the rest of the article HERE.  

Which lecture topics interest you?

We would love to know which topics are of interest to you for future Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted lectures.

Please click on the following link to take a quick survey.  And when we say, quick, it only has one question!  You can also add another topic if we don't have it listed and we can consider that too.

Thanks!

CLICK HERE TO TAKE SURVEY

NAGC Parent Day - November 12-15, 2015

ASU Earth and Space Exploration Day - 11/7/15

This is a wonderful family event that features hands-on exploration activities with earth and space scientists.

WHAT
ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration's annual Earth and Space Exploration Day - This annual event, hosted by Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, has experienced remarkable growth over the past several years. Staffed by the school's faculty, researchers and students, the event is an opportunity for children and the general public to engage with scientists and researchers one-on-one or in small group settings. Earth and Space Exploration Day is one of the school's most visible efforts to increase science literacy in Arizona.

WHEN
Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE
Arizona State University Tempe campus - Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV (ISTB 4) - located on the corner of McAllister Ave. and Terrace Rd.

WEBSITE
http://sese.asu.edu/earth-and-space-exploration-day

DETAILS
Earth and Space Exploration day is a free annual fall event hosted by the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) on ASU's Tempe campus inside/outside ISTB 4. The SESE community offers special science-related activities from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. for students age five and up, families, educators and anyone interested in exploring Earth and space alongside real scientists. One of the biggest attractions is ISTB 4 with its Gallery of Scientific Exploration offering a variety of interactive exhibits and the Marston Exploration Theater, which will be running 3-D astronomy shows throughout the day. Visitors can see a replica of Curiosity rover, explore Tempe Butte on a guided field trip, pan for gold, watch science demos, dig for meteorites, bring rock samples for Dr. Rock to examine and so much more! Dr. Rock will be available to analyze rock samples and children are encouraged to bring samples from their backyard for analysis.

A list of activities is available on the event's website:
http://sese.asu.edu/earth-and-space-exploration-day.

Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure that visitors are able to secure tickets for the astronomy shows and other ticketed activities. Public parking is free in any ASU lot south of University Avenue on Nov. 10. The most convenient parking is available in the Rural Road parking structure (#4) on Lemon St. and Rural Rd., and the Tyler Street parking structure (#2) on the corner of Tyler Street and McAlister. A parking map is available at: www.asu.edu/map.

NOTE FOR EDUCATORS / TROOP LEADERS
Student visitors can get their event "passport" stamped upon completion of an activity. After the event, some teachers and troop leaders collect the "passports" and award extra-credit or badges based upon the number/types of passport stamps. Free teacher resources will be available such as educator packets, hand-outs, supplies and posters, as well as contacts for outreach and more educational interactions with ASU scientists and students.

Personal Note:
Here's a picture from a few years ago when we enjoyed this event with cousins who came from out of state.  It was very inspiring to these children since several of them are interested in pursuing STEM careers in the future.  Even the toddler enjoyed the experience (well, at least until he lost patience with the picture taking process).

NAGC Parent Day and Kid Program Scholarship Opportunity

An affiliate of the National Association for Gifted Children

Arizona Association for Gifted & Talented (AAGT) is excited to announce the 2015 National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Conference Parent Day and Kid Program Scholarship opportunity! 

Parent Day will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2015 from 8:30a - 4:30p during the NAGC Conference.

Parent Day is a one-day event during the upcoming annual NAGC Conference that gives parents tools, information, and networking opportunities to help them support their children’s optimal development and ensure their continued growth. Each grade group (K-8) will enjoy a full day of classroom activity run by student teachers from ASU and each will be joined by Joe Hudy to MAKE something and showcase it at the end of the day while the parents attend the formal Parent Day session.

Who is Joe Hudy? 

Joe is the youngest person Intel has ever hired through its corporate internship program, which traditionally is meant for talented college-age students AND he is from the Valley!

Below is the application/funding criteria:

• A limited number of partial scholarships are available to send parents and/or students to the NAGC Parent Day
• Parents and children from the same family can apply at the same time.
• Scholarship covers conference fees to attend the 62nd Annual NAGC Conference Parent Day, does not cover food & beverage, parking or lodging accommodations
• This scholarship is open to all parents and children in the state of Arizona
• Scholarship is open until all scholarship reserves are disbursed
• To view the full application, click HERE
• To apply, please call Robin Feldman at (202) 785-4268 or email her at rfeldman@nagc.org  
• For more information on Parent Day please click HERE.

Thank you to our generous sponsors for making this scholarship opportunity possible:

  

"Anxiety & Depression in Gifted Youth" - Guest Lecture on 9/24/15

Join us for our guest lecture to be held on Thursday, September 24th at 7:00 p.m. in the Greenfield Junior High Library (101 S Greenfield Road, Gilbert).  Note that the location has changed from previous lectures.

Dr. Laura Wingers will be speaking to us about "Anxiety and Depression in Gifted Youth."

Learn about the early signs of anxiety and depression in gifted youth and how parents can appropriately support gifted children who are dealing with these issues.  Dr. Wingers will also share resources that are available to parents.  Please spread the word to other parents and educators.

NAGC 62nd Annual Convention and Exhibition - November 12-15, 2015

In lieu of Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted hosting a November lecture, we encourage you to register and attend the NAGC conference being held right here in the Phoenix area on November 12-15. 

Early Bird Registration closes September 21st.  Visit HERE for more details or to register.

 Please see the graphic below for more details.

NAGC 2015 Annual Convention and Exhibition in Phoenix

Don't forget to register for the largest annual convention devoted to gifted and talented learners.  It will be held on November 12-15 in Phoenix!  It is a rare treat to have this event in Arizona. This event will be hosted by the NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children).

People who would benefit from attending are:

Classroom teachers, gifted/talented coordinators, school administrators, parents, college & university faculty, researchers, and more.

There will be a Parent Day and Kids Program on Saturday, November 14th.  NAGC Parent Day is "a one-day event that gives parents tools, information, and networking opportunities to help them support their children's optimal development and ensure their continued growth." This event is being co-hosted with AAGT (Arizona Association for Gifted Children).  Click HERE for more information.   The Parent Day event will be $45 per person and the Kids Program will be $35 per person (no meals included).

Click HERE to see pricing and register for the annual convention.  Early bird and group discounts available through September 21st.

4 Life Lessons To Teach Your Gifted Kids (and one for you to learn, too)

By Alessa Giampaolo Keener, M.Ed.

Re-posted from the blog "Everyday Learning:  Where curiosity guides your education.

My oldest child turns 21 in one week and I’ve been reflecting back on a lot of childhood memories recently. So, when the request came in to blog for Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page on “lessons learned” along the gifted journey, I kind of chuckled to myself. If we measure ourselves by how many “A’s” we get on the first go-around of “tests” we encounter as parents, I would be no where near the head of the class.

Parenting gifted children can be filled with intensities: The need to know. The need to learn. The need to be right. The need to fight for justice. The need to do things independently.

By the end of many days, especially during that 4-8 year old range, I would find myself just needing a little peace and quiet – especially trying to go to the bathroom with the door closed *without* a running monologue about string theory on the other side.

When you first start out on the gifted journey, you find much to learn about educational advocacy. Achieving the right educational fit can often help resolve many other issues you might find yourself facing with your kids.

All the same, I’m going to gently suggest that too much focus on academics isn’t always the best choice for gifted children. Yes, there’s much to learn in life, but not all of it comes from books.

Life Lessons Worth Learning

Learn to Climb Trees
Unplugging and tuning into nature provides so many benefits for kids – beginning with learning how to self-soothe when you’re not bombarded by intellectual stimulation. (In other words, it teaches your kids to not rely on you to be their 24/7 conversation partner or playmate.) ... see more at Everyday Learning

Webinar - Organizing Chaos: Solutions for Everyday Life in a Gifted Family

From the Summit Center of California ... Organizing Chaos: Solutions for Everyday Life in a Gifted Family

Thursday, September 03, 2015, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Pacific Time) Living in a gifted family can be chaotic. Overwhelmed with schedule and time management? Exhausted trying to keep everything and everyone on track? Frazzled when you can't find what you need? We will explore which organizing methods increase emotional connection and functioning within the gifted family. Learning objectives: ·  Identify how gifted characteristics can be used to help get and keep your family organized ·  How to enlist help from everyone in the family ·  Establishing routines and good habits to get organized ·  Evaluate time management and expectations ·  Learn what can realistically be accomplished CLICK HERE TO REGISTER