Guest Post by: Philip Steinbacher

Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948)

In addition to their advanced intellect, it’s not unusual for gifted children to show evidence of high levels of ethical sensitivity and leadership ability at early ages. Studies suggest that many gifted children demonstrate advanced levels of empathy, compassion, idealism, concern about world issues, and the condition of others well before their age-level peers. (Discuss the current calamity in New Orleans with a gifted child, and you’ll know what I mean.) We've all heard stories of the gifted kid who defends an underdog against injustice, stands up to the older, bigger bully who terrorizes on the playground, or sacrifices her own allowance to help the needy or advance some social cause.

Because of this, gifted children have a tendency to admire and identify with historical figures whose leadership and ethical characteristics mirror their own. Not only does this identification with great figures inspire and motivate these children to work toward achieving their own potential and accomplishing great things themselves, it also provides them with an anchor. Gifted children, who often feel isolated, misunderstood, self-critical, and out of step because of their advanced intellectual and ethical development, need to feel they belong, and will revel in finding out about others of similar ilk from the past -- especially the successful ones. "If they did it, so can I," becomes the mantra for gifted children who have someone they can relate to and emulate. Ask any true leader what motivates them and they will surely mention a figure from history. (Indeed, Martin Luther King, Jr. cites Gandhi as inspiration for his nonviolent protests during the civil rights era.)

In order to meet their social and emotional needs it is important for gifted children to have exposure to the men and women of the past and to learn about the industrious and humanitarian qualities that led to their success, be they politician, artist, inventor, sports hero, or everyday man on the street. Giving children access to the thoughts, words, and deeds of important figures from history is one of the reasons I wrote Quotation Quizzlers: Puzzling Your Way Through Famous Quotations. I wanted to create a fun "hook" that would introduce kids to these important individuals and their thoughts. Using quotations from the likes of Maya Angelou, Thomas Jefferson, Chief Joseph, Albert Einstein, Margaret Mead, and more than forty others, Quotation Quizzlers is a resource that integrates the study of famous figures and what they said and did with the challenge of an engaging brainteaser.

You can download free sample pages from Quotation Quizzlers by visiting the Quotation Quizzlers product page on the online Prufrock Press catalog. If you're interested in a free suggestion sheet for a variety of ways to use Quotation Quizzlers, or to find out how to get a free customized Quotation Quizzler for your own class, e-mail me at writer@ServesYouWrite.com. I welcome and enjoy e-mails and questions from parents, educators, and students, and I am happy to dialogue with teachers about using Quotation Quizzlers in their classrooms.

About this Blog Entry's Guest Author
Philip Steinbacher currently serves as the curriculum coordinator for a K-5 school in Kapa'a, Hawai'i and is the author of Quotation Quizzlers: Puzzling Your Way Through Famous Quotations. His newest title, Vocabulary Ladders: Climbing Toward Better Language Skills, will be available from Prufrock Press in spring 2006. Philip holds an MA in Elementary Education, and has completed 18 additional graduate hours in gifted education. Philip has taught in Hawai'i, Florida, North Carolina, and Illinois, where he served as gifted program coordinator for a small public school district in the Chicago suburbs for five years. Philip invites you to visit him at his personal web site, www.ServesYouWrite.com.