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Articles from
April 2006
Gifted Education Book Sale
 Wow! Books on Sale for 99¢–$1.49!
I need to clear out some of our oldest titles to make room for our exciting new releases. The 35 books I have placed on clearance are in perfect condition. Many of these wonderful titles have been quite popular over the years, but I simply have too many in inventory, and I want to sell them while they are still effective tools for the classroom. Save money on great classroom materials during Prufrock's year-end inventory clearance. Order before June 15 and receive these books for 99¢–$1.49! Supplies are limited, so please act quickly. Click here to visit our "Web-Only Clearance" sale.Added on June 23, 2006: The "Web-Only Clearance" sale has ended for this school year. Check back in late May of 2007 for our next clearance sale. In the meantime, visit the ongoing "Web-Only Specials" area of our online catalog. These special include some great books at reduced prices.
Keep Gifted Students Motivated Through Mentoring
This year, 28 students have been paired with an architect, a doctor, writers, a biathlon coach, a municipal counselor, veterinarian, artists, a theatrical makeup expert, a lawyer, a carpenter, photographers, an interior designer, computer experts, and a cartoonist. These community members meet with the children for 2 hours each week over an 8-10 week period. At the end of the program, students prepare a presentation for their classmates. These young people have accomplished a variety of tasks under the tutelage of their mentors, including building a ski rack, mastering an architectural drafting program, and working at a veterinary hospital.
The two teachers in charge of the program this year said that they were surprised that it wasn’t that difficult to find community members to volunteer their time to help the students and that the program is very fulfilling to the mentors, as well as the young people.
Each student should be screened to determine if he really has a strong interest in a subject and is willing to commit to the time necessary to participate in such a program. This can either be accomplished through the school or parents can make arrangements on their own. Think about the type of person who might support the child’s interest and begin networking through friends and professional acquaintances. As both a teacher and a parent, I have had other adults approach me with their child’s interest, asking if I knew anyone who might help. I can almost always think of either individual people with expertise or organizations the parents might begin contacting. All of the personal experiences I have had with mentorships—elementary through high school—have been very successful.
Gifted Children Especially Vulnerable to Effects of Bullying
 This morning I came across an article from the Purdue University News Service. The article was titled "Gifted Children Especially Vulnerable to Effects of Bullying," and it summarized research findings coming from a study by Dr. Jean S. Peterson and Ms. Karen E. Ray at Purdue University.
Quoting from the article:
In what is believed to be the first major study of bullying and gifted students, researchers found that by eighth grade, more than two-thirds of gifted students had been victims.
"All children are affected adversely by bullying, but gifted children differ from other children in significant ways," says Jean Sunde Peterson, an associate professor of educational studies in Purdue's College of Education.
"Many are intense, sensitive, and stressed by their own and others' high expectations, and their ability, interests, and behavior may make them vulnerable. Additionally, social justice issues are very important to them, and they struggle to make sense of cruelty and aggression. Perfectionists may become even more self-critical, trying to avoid mistakes that might draw attention to themselves."
It does strike me that gifted children might find the effects of bullying especially difficult to manage. It is generally accepted that gifted children often have heightened emotional sensitivities. It makes a lot of sense that, in turn, gifted children respond more strongly to something as unfair and cruel as bullying.
In the article, Dr. Peterson offers some suggestions for parents concerned about this issue. "We found that the vast majority of students who were bullied were silent about it because they thought others would see them as weak or because they believed they wouldn't be taken seriously. That's why it's crucial that adults take an interest in their child's life and pay attention if they mention they're being picked on."
Dr. Peterson explains that if a parent suspects their child is being bullied, the first step is to talk with school officials. "Most bullying probably happens under the radar, and teachers may not be aware of it. It is important that all school personnel agree that bullying can be either or both verbal and physical, and it needs to be addressed in and outside of the classroom whenever it occurs."
The findings of this study will be published in two separate articles scheduled to appear in the Spring 2006 and Summer 2006 issues of Gifted Child Quarterly.
Resources About Bulling and What to Do About It
I'm not terribly well versed in this subject, and I don't publish any books on the topic. However, I respect the folks over at Free Spirit Publishing, and they have published several books on this topic. The reviews for their books on this issue are very positive.
Teachers concerned about bullying in their classroom and school may wish to take a look at The Bully Free Classroom: Over 100 Tips and Strategies for Teachers K-8.
Free Spirit also publishes a book for kids on this subject titled, Bullies are a Pain in the Brain. This book looks like a really good resource for kids during the elementary years.
Feel free to suggest other resources or insights on this topic using the "Add Comment" button below.
Don't Jump to Conclusions about Your Child's Gifted Characteristics
Recently I had some pretty obvious physical symptoms that indicated I should see a doctor. Because my symptoms were pretty pronounced, I was shuttled from doctor to doctor in quick succession. Each specialist hypothesized about what awful disease I probably had. While each of these doctors had a lot of experience in their professions, we had no test results back yet. There was little objective information. I didn’t want to listen to any of their speculations, because I would worry myself unnecessarily. It also would have made no sense for them to treat me for an illness they just thought I had. This reminded me of communications I have with many parents.
I hear a lot from concerned parents with young children. Either the parents or others are having trouble with the kids. The parents are certain that their child is gifted and that is the cause of the problems. They don’t know what to do. They are frantic. I often want to say, “Slow down. You do not have enough information to come to any conclusions yet.” Because some well-meaning teacher or friend tells you that they think your child is gifted, doesn’t mean she is. Even if your child is gifted, that doesn’t mean that his or her giftedness is the cause of whatever problems you are having. The parents are assuming a “diagnosis” and speculating about “treatment” prematurely.
Once your child is in school, talk with your child’s teacher. While you may see one side of your child, your child’s teacher has worked with many children and may have valuable information to share with you that is quite different from your perspective. While it is important for you to share your knowledge, it is also extremely important for you to truly listen.
Parenting Books on the Gifted
Want to learn more about parenting the gifted? Read some of the following books:
Practical strategies for the education of exceptionally high ability children.
A good mix of research-based conclusions and anecdotal stories of how children, parents, educators and society at large deal with giftedness.
From solving social problems, to dealing with perfectionism, and developing time-management strategies, to mastering goal setting, this is an up-to-date guide for gifted kids, their parents, and teachers.
This user friendly guidebook educates parents and teachers about important gifted issues, an ideal resource for the beginner to seasoned veteran in educating gifted children.
Provides a humorous, engaging, and encouraging look at raising gifted children today with practical, down-to-earth approaches. Goes beyond the basics, focusing on attitude, reflection, and subtle changes, rather than specific, cookie-cutter recipes for action.
Great introduction to IQ testing and gifted children. Answers your questions, from “Why test?” to “What do the scores mean?” and “What about scores of twice exceptional children?”
A practical, informative, and authoritative primer for raising and educating gifted children from preschool to adolescence. Beginning with sensible strategies to determine whether, and in which area, your child is gifted, this book takes parents through selecting an appropriate day-care center, a school, and a home reference library.
Helps you understand the meanings and implications of having a gifted or talented child in your family and provides practical suggestions for working with your child's school.
Helps you recognize your child's gifts, understand his or her problems at school, find out your district's policy on gifted education, explore various options, communicate effectively with the school and district, and provide enrichment at home.
Helps you understand what giftedness is (and isn't) and how kids are identified as gifted. You'll discover encouraging practical tips for living with your gifted child, find out how to keep from raising a "nerd," how to prevent perfectionism, and when to get help. And you'll learn how to advocate for your child's education at school and in your state.
Offers background and advice from the identification process, to choosing a teacher, to gifted programs and curriculum.
Stories of gifted kids, from verbal to humor, and great quotes from the experts, all to get you started on your adventure with your gifted child.
How to recognize giftedness, from the obvious signs such as advanced language, math and motor skills, to the less obvious ones such as sense of humor, good memory and active imagination. The book also offers a variety of age-appropriate techniques to stimulate your child's curiosity.
Funding for Gifted Education Projects
 Today, I came across an exciting organization that I wanted to let you know about. DonorsChoose offers a way for teachers to get exciting projects funded that they could not otherwise afford.
The group funds all kinds of projects, including those that support gifted child education. DonorsChoose is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that public schools often lack.
At this not-for-profit Web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These projects become reality when concerned individuals choose projects to fund. Thus far, the group has raised more than 6 million dollars for projects proposed by teachers.
If you are a public school teacher, DonorsChoose invites you to submit a project proposal for materials or experiences that would help your students learn.
Eligibility: DonorsChoose currently serves all public schools in Alabama, Chicago, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York City, North Carolina, the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties), South Carolina, and Texas.
More Gifted Education Funding Ideas...
 How to Get Money for Your Classroom & School
By Frances A. Karnes, Ph.D., & Kristen R. Stephens, Ph.D.
ISBN: 1-59363-158-8; Price: $12.95
For more funding ideas, check out Prufrock Press' fantastic book, How to get Money for Your Classroom & School. One of the biggest challenges for teachers today is finding the extra money needed to provide students with the very best education.
How to Get Money for Your Classroom & School provides teachers with the solid know-how to meet that challenge head on! This book offers a complete course in raising funds for the classroom or school. Nationally respected authors Frances A Karnes, Ph.D., and Kristen R. Stephens, Ph.D., offer practical, hands-on ways to find the resources you need.
The authors offer a step-by-step guide to grant writing; fun, success-proven fund-raising ideas; and a practical how-to for long-term fund development.
Oprah's Disservice to Public Education
I generally enjoy the Oprah show. I don't get to watch it that often, but I did catch snippets of a program she did recently called "Schools in Crisis." To view an excerpt from the show, visit the "Video Dog" section of Salon.com (you have to watch an advertisement to view the video, but it's worth it if you want to get your blood boiling).
According to Oprah, "Bill Gates first sounded the alarm" about a crisis in public education in a speech he gave last summer. Gates believes our public schools are "obsolete," and he is "terrified" about America's workforce of tomorrow. The rest of the video is a reiteration of the notion that we have a crisis in public education.
I want to admit two biases. The first has to do with our notion of "crisis" in public education. Anyone, and I mean anyone, who has taken a course in education history knows that we have always had an education "crisis" in this country. Critics of public education haven't stopped their "sky is falling" mantra since free, public education first opened up opportunities to all citizens and not just the privileged few.
Had Oprah wished, she could have featured several authors of "educational crisis" books that support the thesis of her show:
Quackery in the Public Schools by Robert Hutchins
Why Johnny Can't Read by Rudolph Flesch
Education Wastelands by Arthur Bestor
The trouble is that the crisis these books were concerned with was the state of public education ... well ... 50 years ago.
I'll also mention a second bias. When I watch Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, two of the richest people in the world (the kind of folks who live in gated compounds and shop after hours in exclusive Paris boutiques), get together to talk about what's really happening in America's public schools, I start exhibiting a neurotic tick.
Playing Fast and Loose with the Facts
The really creepy thing about this video is the way the show plays fast and loose with the facts. After watching it, I looked up every "fact-let" spouted off in this video. Admittedly, there was a grain of truth to each, but you really had to dig deep to find it. It was like watching the equivalent of a high school debate where the other team didn't show up and the one team that did felt free to exaggerate.
For example, Melinda Gates (who appears on the show with her husband) states that of all the U.S. students going to college, "more than 40% are doing remedial work." It took a bit of time to track down the obscure study to which Ms. Gates was making reference. The study in question looked at Ohio students, and it found that up to 40% of of college students in that state took at least one remedial class in college.
If you enroll in a community college after high school and try to brush up on your algebra skills by taking a remedial class to get yourself ready for calculus, then you get to be part of Melinda Gates' students in crisis. The fact that I did just that when I attended Northern Virginia Community College more than 20 years ago makes me part of Melinda's crisis--I suppose.
Ignoring Improvements in Public Education
 Today's critics of public education pick and choose among their facts. They decry U.S. students' drop in scores when compared to other countries. They cull through large data-sets looking for any drop in our standings in order to decry free public education in this country and to promote everything from the privatization of public education to the dismantling of the institution altogether.
Never, and I mean never, do they point to US students' significant improvements in achievement over the last decade. They never mention the fact that during the 1990s and up through today, after rolling up their sleeves and working hard to help students, American public school teachers improved their students' performance on international assessments. Additionally, big achievement gains made by U.S. African-American and Hispanic students over the last 10 years are all but ignored by such critics.
Critics of public education simply side-step the results of a massive government-financed study that recently concluded that when it comes to math (the only subject area reviewed in the study), students in regular public schools do as well as or significantly better than comparable students in private schools.
Despite the significant improvements and ongoing successes of public school students, these critics still decry U.S. public education.
Didn't Oprah Learn Anything from the James Frey Fiasco?
If all this wasn't enough, Oprah ends the episode with a video of a Chinese student who could name the first five presidents of the United States. Then, the video goes on to show some American students who could not. Oprah says it's worrisome and eyebrow-raising (she actually raises her eyebrows when saying it). I say it just means you can go out and find some kids that can't name the first five presidents. I'm sure they could have found many that could--had they wished to feature them in the video.
Didn't the fiasco with James Frey’s falsehoods teach Oprah anything? Sensational exaggerations may sell books and get you ratings, but hard facts and information are what this country deserves--especially when we are talking about the education of our children.
Schooling Options for Gifted Students
Because parents want the best possible opportunities for their children, different school options should be explored. Each type of schooling has positive and negative aspects, and there is no one right solution. The best choice lies within the needs and characteristics of your individual child and your family.
Let’s look at three possibilities: neighborhood school, special school for the gifted, and homeschooling. We will look at these broadly, because even within each of these categories, there can be great diversity. I have listed both advantages and disadvantages for each type of schooling, but these are only possible advantages and disadvantages. Much will depend on the specific situation, including training of teachers, characteristics of individual students, the population of the neighborhood or special school, etc.
Neighborhood School
Advantages—This is certainly the most convenient possibility. The school is close. It is probably either within walking distance or provides transportation. The school often has before and afterschool options, which is convenient for working parents. Children become acquainted with others in the neighborhood, making it easier to make friends in the area. Your child may feel very confident knowing that he is one of the best students in the school. He will be exposed to a wide variety of types of people and, hopefully, learn to get along with those who have different backgrounds, ethnicities, and intellectual abilities.
Disadvantages—A gifted child may not find a cadre of intellectual peers at the neighborhood school. She may feel very lonely and set apart from others at the school. Teachers and/or the organization of the school may not be equipped to provide for the higher intellectual needs of the student; therefore, your child may not feel intellectually challenged.
Special School for the Gifted (may be private or public)
Advantages—Since the school is designed for the gifted, the curriculum will be more intellectually appropriate and stimulating. Your child will have intellectual peers and challenges. She may be better prepared academically to go on to the next level of education. Teachers are trained specifically to work with intellectually able children and will cover not only more content, but higher level thinking skills.
Disadvantages— Transportation may be a problem. There may be additional costs if the school is public. There definitely will be costs of tuition, etc. if the school is private.
Your child will probably not be exposed to as great a diversity of children as in your neighborhood school. Your child may feel intellectually average or even below average amongst so many smart kids. High expectations may feel too challenging and stressful.
Homeschooling
Advantages—Your child can focus on his real strengths. He may advance much more quickly through curriculum and also go more in-depth with it. There may be more time to pursue the study of an instrument or some other nonacademic interest area. There are more opportunities to visit museums and other outside educational venues. Your student may be spared from dealing with others who may be unkind or have different values than your family.
Disadvantages—Homeschooling is a very large commitment on the part of the parent. If both parents are working or the child is from a single parent home, this may not be possible. Parents may not have the tools to effectively homeschool their child. Parents will need to work harder to provide social interaction. Your child may not have the opportunity to learn to deal with students who are unkind or have different values than your family.
Each of these possibilities has advantages and disadvantages. You will have to look long and hard at your family’s situation. When you do make a decision, be careful not to shut doors behind you. You may try an option and find that it doesn’t work as well as you hoped. You want to leave doors open so you can eventually reverse your decision if you decide that is best.
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