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Articles from
March 2006
Purchasing Materials for Gifted Students
Are you looking for resources to support gifted students? While many publishers produce general education materials, some publishers specialize in the gifted. All of the following publishers offer online catalogs and ordering:
Many resources to support the Autonomous Learning Model
Specializes in creative problem solving and talent development
Practical ideas for working with the gifted
In addition to books, this site offers some free activities to do with children
A great resource for high-level math materials
Lots of higher-level thinking resources
Another great resource for high-level math activities
Many ideas for learning centers and independent studies and projects
Tools and information that help students survive and thrive academically, socially, and emotionally
Integrated science and humanities series, upper elementary through high school
Books for parents, teachers, and educators of gifted, talented, and creative children
Recommends books for gifted children
A great resource for puzzles and learning games
Books for both parents and educators
Resources to support differentiated education
A wide variety of resources for teaching and parenting gifted and advanced learners, including classroom materials, books, and journals
Includes support materials for gifted and talented and for critical thinking
Gifted Education Magazines and Journals
If you want to become more informed about issues in gifted education, you may want to subscribe to one of the many publications in the field. These publications fall into different categories. Each of these categories meets different needs. Publications written for the adult audience are either journals (covering research in gifted education), or more casual-style magazines (offering ideas and opinions in a less formal reading style). There are also publications directed toward gifted students. Here are some periodicals you may want to consider. Only those with Web sites have been listed.
Research Based Journals
Gifted Child Quarterly–Publishes research studies, as well as manuscripts that explore policy and policy implications. A subscription is available with membership to NAGC.
Journal for the Education of the Gifted–This is the official publication of The Association for the Gifted and reports the latest research findings on such topics as the characteristics of gifted children, effective schools, gifted children with learning disabilities, the history of gifted education, and building successful programs.
Journal of Secondary Gifted Education–Reports the latest research findings on such topics as teaching strategies with gifted and talented adolescents, programs at the secondary level, effective high schools and magnet schools, and Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.
Magazines for Teachers and Parents
Gifted Child Today–Articles include such topics as teaching strategies in gifted education, building a more effective gifted and talented program, working with gifted children who have learning disabilities, raising a gifted child, how to tell if your child is gifted, and effective strategies for parenting a gifted child.
Gifted Education Communicator–This publication provides information and strategies that help apply theory, research, and best practices in the field.
Teaching for High Potential–Filled with practical guidance and classroom-based materials for educators. Subscription is available with membership to NAGC.
Understanding Our Gifted–Addresses the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted students through regular columns and feature articles.
For the Younger Audience
Creative Kids–Filled with games, art, stories, poetry, and opinions by and for kids ages 8-14.
Imagine–This is a periodical for middle and high school students who want to take control of their learning and get the most out of their precollege years. Each issue includes articles about summer programs, advice on planning for college, student reviews of selective colleges, and career profiles of accomplished professionals.
Should Gifted Underachievers Stay in Honors Classes?
I had an interesting conversation the other day with a friend and gifted/talented resource person at a middle school in a very good district. My friend has several students who, on standardized tests for language arts, score very high. These students are enrolled in honors English classes but perform poorly in these classes. The honors teachers want the students to be removed from their classes and placed back in grade-level English. Apparently, the students do not turn in their homework on a regular basis.
Upon quizzing my friend, I learned that each of these students comes from a difficult home situation. Her question to me was, “Should the students stay in the honors classes because they are obviously very bright, or should they be returned to the grade-level classes because they are not performing?”
A number of years ago, underachievement was one of the “hot topics” in gifted education. Much was written about it. It was defined, explored, and strategies were offered for resolving the problem. Unfortunately, underachievement is probably not a dilemma with a “cookie cutter” solution. Worse, it may not have any solution. Family instability is only one of many reasons for underachievement.
Students are strongly impacted by their families. For reasons we don’t fully understand, some youngsters will step beyond the difficulties at home and use learning as an escape or as something over which they can have control. More often, if a strong base is not offered at home, a child cannot get beyond that. This goes right back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If basic physical and psychological needs are not met, one cannot reach self-actualization.
Mentoring students can sometimes be helpful. To have any success when working with underachievers, though, there must be a very strong commitment on the part of the mentor and the ability to create a positive relationship with the student.
So, let’s go back to my friend’s question, “Should the students stay in the honors classes because they are obviously very bright, or should they be returned to the grade-level classes because they are not performing?” I would hope that before any changes are made, someone will attempt to address the personal difficulties of the kids.
Online Classes for Gifted Students
In addition to meeting the needs of mainstream gifted students, online classes are also of benefit to:
- those who live in rural areas where smaller populations reduce the number of available classes,
- families who are traveling for extended periods of time,
- homeschoolers,
- young people who need to devote an unusual amount of time to their talents in the arts or sports, and
- students who need to accelerate their learning.
The Stanford University EPGY Online High School is launching it’s program in September 2006. It will offer a fully accredited high school diploma with academically rigorous courses. University-level courses will be available in some subjects. Tuition is approximately $12,000 for a full-time academic year.
Lists of state-level virtual schools and links to obtain more information about them can be found at e-learners.com. It should be noted that not all of these schools will offer classes suitable for gifted students, but they are worth exploring.
Also, there are approximately 31 virtual charter schools in 12 states. Information about these and links to the actual schools are available.
So, keep an open mind when searching for differentiation techniques for meeting the needs of gifted students. Taking online classes—whether it’s one class or an entire curriculum—is one possible solution.
Blogs for the Gifted Classroom
You are reading a blog entry right now.
The blog is an evolving technology. Originally, blogs started as personal diaries on the Internet. As with many types of technology, people viewed them and asked, “What is the value?” Now, all kinds of individuals, organizations, and companies are looking at the possibilities--even wondering if they can survive without blog technology.
Blogs can be used in a variety of ways in schools. They can be used as a communication tool between the school and parents, between teachers to share ideas and problems, and as a tool for teaching students.
In education, where students frequently ask, “What is the relevance of the class I am taking?” blogging may be helpful. It is a method for communicating with others, for receiving recognition, and for improving students’ skills, all using the technology of the day.
When viewing blogs and suggestions for blogs, remember that this medium is not static. If you don’t like what you see, think about how could you make it more valuable. How can you use your creativity to find value for this technology?
To learn more about incorporating blogs into schools and the classroom, visit
Writing a blog can involve research, as well as writing. For instance, to write this blog, I did research on the Internet to find other Web sites, or links, to provide information for the reader to click on. Imagine a student doing this for a science or social studies class.
If you are using blogs in your school or classroom, let us know about them. Just click on the “add comment” link below this entry and tell us all how the blogs are being used and if they are beneficial.
Gifted in Music--Whose Responsibility Is It?
How much should we expect public schools to do for gifted students? We already want the schools to meet the needs of gifted students academically. Is it realistic to also expect schools to meet the needs of those who are gifted in music? One of my sons was a very talented piano player. He was not talented enough to be at the top of the class at the best music schools in the country, but he was heads and shoulders above his K-12 academic peers. It never occurred to me to expect the public schools to address his needs. Instead, I made sure we hired the best private piano teachers in our area. As he approached middle school, he spent a week for each of two summers at a music camp where the kids practiced five hours a day and had lots of private lessons and performance opportunities. He absolutely loved it. It was the first time he ever met others who shared his interest so passionately. I could not expect the public schools to offer these types of opportunities. We were fortunate, because we could afford the private lessons and the camp. It is much more difficult for those who are not in the same position. [However, there are organizations, such as The MusicLink Foundation that can help.]
I’m not sure what the definition is of a child who is gifted in music. We used to laugh about Todd because he would sing himself to sleep long before he could talk. After I would put him down for a nap, visitors would say “What’s he doing?” I replied that I always rocked and sang Brian to sleep, but I didn’t have as much time with Todd, so I just taught him to sing himself to sleep. When he was still very little, he would sit with a record player so he could listen to and sing with the music. I had lots of old 45 rpm records from my youth and I didn’t care if they got scratched, so he would play those over and over again. When Todd was 3, my mother sent out the piano that had been in our house when I was growing up. Todd begged to learn to play. I started teaching him and there was no stopping him after that. Eventually, Todd got his first college degree in music. Does that make him gifted? I don’t know. But I do know that I could not expect the public schools to meet his needs in music.
When observing children who have a strong interest in music, remember that they may have great strengths in one area, but not another and that is just fine. For instance, a young person may have talent singing, playing a specific instrument or type of music, composing, or conducting. Don’t expect a student (even one who is musically gifted) to be interested in all areas of music.
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