Long-Range Academic Planning
This post outlines options for planning gifted education, including program formats (full-time, part-time, cluster, homogeneous grouping), differentiation strategies (pacing, varied content, enrichment), acceleration methods (grade-skipping, telescoping, early entrance), access to advanced programs (IB, AP, dual enrollment, early college), and other options like distance learning and internships.
Attention and Passion
An experienced neuropsychologist reflects on inattention, describing everyday forgetfulness and a busy life that complicates organization. She cautions against quick diagnostic labeling or relying solely on medication, urging consideration of context, balance for gifted children, and practical strategies to manage passions and responsibilities.
Teenager Logic
This post explains adolescent overconfidence and distorted risk perception, noting gifted teens may feel exceptional. It offers parenting strategies: be concise, reflect arguments, avoid personalizing behavior, reduce power struggles (tutors, family therapy) and recommends Dreikur’s Children: The Challenge for managing power-struggles.
Mentorship & Emotional Well-Being: Critical for the Success of Gifted Black Students
The author describes mentoring gifted Black students who face financial barriers to enrichment programs, emphasizing the need for resilience, long-term mentorship, counseling, and access to alternative opportunities. She argues sustained emotional and practical support helps these students cope with discrimination and reach their potential.
Gifted Students from Culturally Diverse Populations
A school psychologist reflects on developing a passion for gifted education among culturally diverse students, describing work on a gifted task force, scholarship-supported learning, a school-based resource center, and concerns about under-identification that prevents talented students from accessing specialized services and enrichment opportunities.
Emotional Sensitivity
Gifted children often experience intense emotional sensitivity that can be misunderstood in school settings. Schools may discourage emotional expression, leading to masking, isolation, or behavioral issues. Parents should support healthy integration of emotions, encourage outlets, model constructive responses, and provide space for imagination, nature, and resilient purpose.
Gifted and Learning Disabled: A Neuropsycholgist’s Perspective
Neuropsychologists describe how gifted children can also have neurological or psychological disorders, making diagnosis complex. Twice-exceptional students may compensate, be misidentified, or under-supported. Accurate assessment should consider cognitive, emotional, sensory, and executive functioning needs and guide tailored interventions rather than single-label solutions.
Diversity in Giftedness
The article argues gifted individuals are diverse and cautions against generalizations. It explains the ‘splitter’ versus ‘lumper’ perspective for examining individual characteristics and points readers to the SENG website for resources on topics such as giftedness levels, adolescence, introversion, intensity, attention deficits, depression, and adults.
Holidays and the Spiritual Side of Giftedness
During the holidays the author contrasts commercial gift-giving with meaningful gifts that nourish spirit. She describes a family tradition of donating time or money to charities to teach gifted children service and awareness. Practical guidelines and charity resources help families choose organizations and involve children.
The Magnificent Void
A reflective piece encouraging adolescents and parents to practice thoughtful self-examination through music, literature and shared activities. The author suggests questions for personal reflection, practical exercises (shared journals, quotes, reading aloud), and music/book recommendations to foster insight, conversation and emotional growth.