(Editor’s Note: This piece by SENG Director Carolyn K. is part of the 2012 National Parenting Gifted Week Blog Tour.)
Whether you’re brand new to giftedness, or you’ve been around the block for a few years or a few decades, there are many great resources to help with whatever you’re facing right now.
There are tons of free online resources but the best starting point for new and experienced parents is James Webb, Janet Gore, Edward Amend and Arlene DeVries’ book, A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children. The first thing you’ll notice is that all the authors are past SENG board members and pioneers in the gifted community. More important is the content: terms and definitions, characteristics and identification, and OverExcitabilities (OEs). It covers social-emotional issues, grandparenting, siblings, twice-exceptional children and much more. This book is useful for beginners and experienced parents alike.
Once you’ve got the basics covered, the question becomes: what do I need to know next? That’s where Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page comes in. If you want to learn more about every aspect of parenting gifted kids, heed this warning: Hoagies’ Page is the world’s largest online resource for giftedness — you can get lost for hours.
Communities
Find a group of gifted parents facing the same issues and pressures that you are, or a place where you can share and learn. For mailing list communities, subscribe to TAGFAM or GT-Families. TAGFAM offers lists for parents of gifted kids, homeschooling parents (TAGMAX), and parents of those with additional needs (TAGPDQ). GT-Families offers similar lists including support for twice-exceptional kids.
For Facebook communities in addition to SENG and Hoagies’ Page, check out Gifted Homeschoolers Forum (GHF). GHF includes local support lists and national resources including articles and online classes. Institute for Educational Advancement and NAGC also offer helpful Facebook resources for gifted families.
There are active Twitter communities and interactive tweet-chats on gifted education each week. If you Tweet, follow gifted educators and advocates, and check #gtchat (hosted by TXGifted) on Fridays for new topics and community discussion.
Articles and Research
Favorites for articles and research include SENG and the Davidson Gifted Database (DITD). SENG focuses on the social-emotional side of giftedness and offers pages like “Complexities of Successful Parenting.” DITD hosts articles by researchers and gifted individuals and provides recommended readings on topics such as friendship.
Social and Emotional Reading
For social-emotional conversations, pieces like Tracy Cross’s work on myths about gifted students and Miraca Gross’s writing on acceleration offer useful perspective. Maureen Neihart’s research on the socioaffective impact of acceleration and ability grouping provides best-practice recommendations. A practical parent resource is the SENG Model Parent Group (SMPG), where local parents gather to discuss challenges and solutions.
On Testing
If your child’s scores vary across different tests, resources such as Parent’s Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education explain testing types and interpretation. For test preparation and understanding identification (including use of GAI vs. full-scale scores), consult expert guides and articles that clarify why scores may differ between group and individual tests.
Fun, Games, and Books
When it’s time for fun, explore lists of movies featuring gifted kids, game recommendations like Mensa Mind Games winners, and NAGC’s picks from Parenting for High Potential. Hoagies’ Smart Toys highlights durable, engaging games. For reading, resources range from bibliotherapy guides like Judith Wynn Halsted’s Some of My Best Friends Are Books to curated reading lists for different ages and interests.
The most important thing to remember when parenting gifted children is… You are not alone!
