For Parents of Gifted Children
Duke Gifted Letter - Think Your Child is a Visual or Auditory Learner? Think Again. When looking at various programs or schools for your child, you may come across discussions of various programs being taught with different learning styles....
Issue 1 / Fall 2010 Makel, Matthew C. Research Briefs Research and Theory
Students will tell you that plagiarism is everywhere and, perhaps, even irrelevant. To make their case, they point to recent examples of high-profile authors, politicians, musicians, and even clergy who have used the work of others without acknowledgment. Although...
Abilock, Debbie Feature Volume 9 / Issue 1 / Fall 2008 Social-Emotional Issues
It’s the first week of school, and you receive the following note from your child’s teacher: Dear Parents, This summer I attended a workshop on differentiated instruction, and I’m excited about using it in my classes. My goal with...
Connections Eidson, Caroline C. Volume 9 / Issue 1 / Fall 2008 Model Program/Schools Parenting/Advocacy
The litany of secondary reform efforts grows longer every year. Looking just at the past decade, we have seen efforts that seem at odds with each other: a rise in career preparation as well as college readiness; a move to...
Volume 8 / Issue 4 / Summer 2008 Pierson Yecke, Cheri Schoolhouse Options
The College Board’s first ever audit of its Advanced Placement (AP) courses is complete, and all stakeholders—the College Board, colleges and universities, AP teachers, and ultimately students—will benefit. To protect the AP brand name and maintain course quality, the College...
Geiser, Debra Bell Volume 8 / Issue 4 / Summer 2008 Research Briefs
The recent audit of Advanced Placement courses mandated by the College Board (see “First Ever AP Course Audit Benefits Stakeholders” in this issue) may cause some parents to question whether AP classes are still a good choice for their gifted...
Expert's Forum Geiser, Debra Bell Volume 8 / Issue 4 / Summer 2008
The Web site, Once Upon a School, is looking for do-gooders and has the goal of telling 1,000 tales of happy endings for public schools in one year. The site seeks adults and businesses in local communities to identify and...
Collins-Perry, Bobbie Currents Volume 8 / Issue 4 / Summer 2008
True or false? Some people are born gifted, and others are not. You can tell who will be gifted from early on. Gifted children should be labeled and praised for their brains and talent. All of these statements are...
Dweck, Carol S. Feature Volume 8 / Issue 3 / Spring 2008 Talent Development
Foundations for Success The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel The Mathematics Advisory Panel, created by President Bush in 2006, was charged with making suggestions to improve America’s math education and student achievement using the best scientific...
Collins-Perry, Bobbie Currents Volume 8 / Issue 3 / Spring 2008 Talent Development
Imagine the thoughts of fifth-grade students preparing to enter middle school. What sorts of questions are forming in their minds? What fears make their hearts race and palms sweat? Plenty! The student may be asking: What is middle school like?...
Foreign language programs are often one of the first items to be scrutinized and cut when elementary, middle, and high schools in the U.S. face poor performance evaluations or budget crunches. However, many studies have demonstrated the benefits of...
Abbott, Martha G. Caccavale, Therese Sullivan Expert's Forum Volume 8 / Issue 1 / Fall 2007 Stewart, Ken
Here’s a riddle for you. What do these people all have in common? Nancy Pelosi (D-California), first woman Speaker of the House Dr. Sally Ride , first American woman to fly in space Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) Senator Olympia...
Volume 7 / Issue 4 / Summer 2007 Sax, Leonard Schoolhouse Options
Few issues have stirred as much controversy recently as school calendar reform. In school board meetings and district forums across the country, educators, parents, and community leaders debate the educational, social, and financial impacts of year-round and traditional calendars....
I was browsing the children’s section at my local Borders when I heard, “Not this—you’re too advanced for these,” and watched an earnest young mother close an oversized picture book and point her preadolescent daughter toward the teen section. As...
Transitioning from elementary school into middle school is a big adjustment—both for children and for their parents. Parents of gifted children often find this transition especially trying, since the services that were available for children at the elementary level are...
Connections Volume 7 / Issue 3 / Spring 2007 Pierson Yecke, Cheri
Florida recently passed legislation that requires all high school freshmen to declare a major. Each high school will decide which majors to offer from a list of 442 possibilities. The aim is to help students focus on potential careers and...
Currents Volume 7 / Issue 3 / Spring 2007 Stephens, Kristen R.
My 10-year-old son has been diagnosed with the writing disability dysgraphia. Because he has difficulty with writing tasks, he tends to avoid them. His teacher has expressed that my son seems to be unmotivated and oppositional regarding writing assignments....
Consultant's Corner Volume 7 / Issue 2 / Winter 2007 Special Populations Thorne, Glenda C.
Not since the Sputnik era has the federal government exhibited such a vigorous interest in increasing the rigor of math education in America’s public schools. In April 2006, President Bush created the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. This body advises...
Currents Volume 7 / Issue 2 / Winter 2007 Legislation/Law Research and Theory Stephens, Kristen R.
In responding to a parent’s concern about a one size fits all type of programming for her fourth grade son in the Consultant’s Corner, I described two factors that influence services: identification and programming. In this column, I will further...
Connections Volume 7 / Issue 1 / Fall 2006 Johnsen, Susan K. Parenting/Advocacy
The desire to provide optimal and appropriate educational challenges has prompted many parents to consider homeschooling their gifted children. Parents routinely supplement their children’s formal education. However, the choice to withdraw them from the traditional classroom for all or part...
Boone, Sarah Volume 7 / Issue 1 / Fall 2006 Parenting/Advocacy Schoolhouse Options
Ever offer your children money, gifts, or special privileges for every “A” they bring home on their report card? If you do, you’re not alone. Across the nation parents are rewarding their children for good grades in a variety of...
Currents Volume 7 / Issue 1 / Fall 2006 Stephens, Kristen R.
Critical thinking is a buzzword among educators, but parents may wonder what it means. Critical thinking has been described as nonlinear, open-ended, and complex thinking; it allows for multiple responses, unspecified answers, various perspectives and interpretations, and recognition of order...
Feature Volume 6 / Issue 4 / Summer 2006 Shaunessy, Elizabeth
Each day hundreds of thoughts go through our heads. Some are simple questions like “How can I turn those chicken breasts into something interesting for dinner?” while others are profound inquiries like “What is the meaning of life?” Everyone thinks....
Volume 6 / Issue 4 / Summer 2006 Stephens, Kristen R. The Editor's View
My daughter’s high school offers both the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. Will these programs sufficiently meet the academic needs of my gifted child? How do I know if they are appropriate for her? Advanced Placement (AP) courses and...
Callahan, Carolyn M. Consultant's Corner Volume 6 / Issue 4 / Summer 2006 Model Program/Schools
Dual enrollment provides high school students with access to college-level courses after they have exhausted all of the options available at their high school. For our son, dual enrollment became the centerpiece of a homeschool curriculum that balanced radical academic...
Volume 6 / Issue 4 / Summer 2006 Parent's Platform Special Issue / Fall 2009 Witte, Gera
The debate over ability grouping has continued for many years, with the same research used in support of both sides. To shed some light on this important topic and its impact on gifted learners, the Duke Gifted Letter posed a...
Allan, Susan Demirsky Expert's Forum Fiedler, Ellen D. Volume 6 / Issue 3 / Spring 2006
Walk into most classrooms these days and you are likely to see a teacher monopolizing class discussion. Most schools remain largely autocratic even though democratically run schools tend to have fewer discipline problems, greater civic involvement, higher student engagement,...
Currents Volume 6 / Issue 3 / Spring 2006 Stephens, Kristen R.
America's school system keeps bright students in line by forcing them to learn in a lock-step manner with their classmates. Teachers and principals disregard students’ desires to learn more—much more—than they are being taught. Instead of praise and encouragement, these...
Feature Volume 6 / Issue 2 / Winter 2006 Robinson, Nancy M. Special Issue / Fall 2009
Encouraging my two-and-a-half-year-old son to write isn’t a problem. Encouraging him to express himself on paper, rather than on the walls, is the issue in my household. But once the act of writing is mastered and scribbling becomes meaningful composition,...
Volume 6 / Issue 2 / Winter 2006 Stephens, Kristen R. The Editor's View
My son always receives A’s on his spelling tests. My daughter loves to write and tell stories. Are these youth verbally gifted? Possibly. Should their parents nurture their potential talent? Absolutely. Experts in gifted education recommend fostering a child’s interests...
Fairchild, Lyn Volume 6 / Issue 2 / Winter 2006 Talent Development Tapping Talent
After several decades of gradual decline, foreign-language learning is now on the upswing. Educators and businesses alike see value in knowing a second language. There are several things parents should know about second-language learning to help their children be successful...
Volume 6 / Issue 2 / Winter 2006 Matthews, Michael S. Special Focus Talent Development
I should have seen it earlier. My son Steven gave me the clues, but I didn’t recognize them. When he was eighteen months old, he preferred conversations with adults. At two, he wanted to leave the park when too...
Volume 6 / Issue 2 / Winter 2006 Jo, Ivy Parent's Platform Social-Emotional Issues
In about a dozen cities, school district administrators are thinking of eliminating middle schools and reverting to K–8 schools. Their belief is that middle school students will perform better academically in a smaller, more nurturing atmosphere. Studies conducted in...
Currents Volume 6 / Issue 2 / Winter 2006 Model Program/Schools Stephens, Kristen R.
Mathematically talented students often show an early interest in and facility with numbers. For example, they may learn to tell time at age two and begin adding and subtracting long before they enter kindergarten. Anecdotes shared by parents about...
Volume 6 / Issue 1 / Fall 2005 Lupkowski-Shoplik, Ann Talent Development Tapping Talent
What Is a Science Fair, Anyway? A science fair is an event in which students present independent research projects. They are required to produce new data to answer a question, which is considered a higher-level skill than merely summarizing knowledge...
Connections Volume 6 / Issue 1 / Fall 2005 Matthews, Michael S. Talent Development
Ned’s parents found themselves begging for greater challenges for their son from a school that prided itself on its “challenging curriculum.” It set a pace six months faster than other schools, but Ned’s abilities went years beyond that. They decided...
Hassel, Bryan Hassel, Emily Ayscue Volume 6 / Issue 1 / Fall 2005 Parenting/Advocacy Schoolhouse Options
Beware the summer slide—not the spiraling, thrilling water chute found at your local water park, but the loss of academic skills during the summer months. Math skills often slip the farthest, with students losing an average of 2.6 months...
Volume 5 / Issue 4 / Summer 2005 Stephens, Kristen R. The Editor's View
Since we are a multicultural family with immediate relatives in France and Taiwan, our suitcases never gather dust. Our children, Sebastien, Alexandre, and Camille (ages 13, 11, and 3), have already amassed a wealth of travel experiences, such as...
Hsy, Alice Volume 5 / Issue 4 / Summer 2005 Parent's Platform
The phone call came in May, just days after my niece had completed the eighth grade. The spunky preteen who had begged to copilot a small plane at age 12 said, “I just don’t want to go to high...
“Hey, Mom, I have a report to do,” my son James informed me as he pulled out a crumpled assignment sheet from his teacher. “When is it due?” I asked, hoping that tomorrow wasn’t the answer. He responded, “Not...
Connections Volume 5 / Issue 3 / Spring 2005 Johnsen, Susan K.
Parents often ask the editors of the Duke Gifted Letter about the benefits of sending their children away to residential high schools. So we asked an expert to share her advice. Last June I attended the graduation ceremony at...
Consultant's Corner Volume 5 / Issue 3 / Spring 2005 Kolloff, Penny Britton Model Program/Schools
Parents of gifted children and youth have resources available to them both in school and in the community. However, there is an often overlooked resource in the family itself—grandparents. Parents can encourage interaction between grandchildren and grandparents by sharing...
Besnoy, Kevin Volume 5 / Issue 3 / Spring 2005 Karnes, Frances A. Special Focus
Our 16-year-old son, Samuel, was identified as gifted during kindergarten. He has remained in the public school system, and we have been pleased overall with the quality of his education. However, even the best schools are unable to meet...
Volume 5 / Issue 3 / Spring 2005 Parent's Platform Technology Wilson, Nancy
A new survey reveals that 79 percent of American middle and high school students participate in some sort of extracurricular activity both after school and on weekends. Activities range from sports to music, with 57 percent of students participating...
Currents Volume 5 / Issue 3 / Spring 2005 Stephens, Kristen R.
For some parents of gifted children, homework comes with many hassles, leaving Mom and Dad with more questions than answers: What is the purpose and value of homework? What is a reasonable amount of homework? When should I help, and...
Connections Volume 5 / Issue 2 / Winter 2005 Riley, Tracy L.
I would like to send my child to a summer residential program, but she is hesitant to go. I know that she will gain much from the experience, but how do I convince her without feeling as if I...
Consultant's Corner Volume 5 / Issue 2 / Winter 2005 Olszewski-Kubilius, Paula
Midwinter—that gray eclipse between New Year’s and spring break when we’re tempted to hibernate.With the winter holidays over, academic rigors and extracurricular activities reconvene full force. However, the afternoons are short and often dreary, and long winter nights can become...
For years acceleration has been misunderstood and has been the least accepted intervention for highly capable students. Finally, A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students, a national report that provides key findings from 50 years of...
Currents Volume 5 / Issue 2 / Winter 2005 Stephens, Kristen R.
Challenging the belief that programs for gifted children are elitist, Being Smart about Gifted Children, by Dona Matthews, PhD, and Joanne Foster, EdD (Great Potential, 2004), shows that providing appropriate educational experiences for children of high ability is the right...
Book Reviews Collins-Perry, Bobbie Currents Volume 5 / Issue 2 / Winter 2005 Parenting/Advocacy
Dual enrollment, whereby high school students enroll in college courses and earn high school and college credit simultaneously, is increasingly the subject of state legislation. Do your state’s policies promote or impede such programs? State Dual Enrollment Policies: Addressing Access...
Currents Volume 5 / Issue 2 / Winter 2005 Legislation/Law Stephens, Kristen R.
"Mom, you know how the meteorologist on TV talks about the different computer models that predict where a hurricane is going to hit? Well, I asked my teacher about it, but he said I should probably wait to learn more...
School guidance counselors are an invaluable resource if you know what to ask of them. They are a school’s go-to people for personal and social dilemmas, academic advising, testing programs, tutors, after-school programs, summer opportunities, and community resources. The counselor’s...
Feifs, Elizabeth Volume 5 / Issue 1 / Fall 2004 Social-Emotional Issues The Emotional Edge
Your gifted child may have special interests and a desire for knowledge beyond what school, teachers, and you can provide, and you may have decided that she or he is ready for a mentor in a specific area of interest....
Volume 5 / Issue 1 / Fall 2004 Macalister, Heather Technology Technology Matters
DGL: Which delivery models are most prevalent among gifted programs in the United States today? Joyce VanTassel-Baska: The models have not changed much in the past 25 years. At the elementary level, the pull-out model, in which gifted students are...
Expert's Forum Volume 5 / Issue 1 / Fall 2004 Reis, Sally M. VanTassel-Baska, Joyce
Our son Daniel has always been the type of person to make things happen. He met his mentor, Dr. Sabine Heinhorst, after taking a serious interest in the eighth-grade science fair. Daniel resolved to “be brave” and simply ask Dr....
Volume 5 / Issue 1 / Fall 2004 Murin, Charles Murin, Debbie Parent's Platform
Gifted learners who are avid readers tend to read not only for the simple joy of it but to cope in a world that does not understand giftedness and is sometimes openly hostile to the intellectually gifted. These students...
My 12-year-old child is reading at an advanced level. Many of the books at her reading level do not present appropriate content. How can I find reading material for her that is appropriate both in challenge and in content? You...
Our 15-year-old son, Tyler, was identified as highly gifted shortly before his fifth birthday. Since then he has attended both private and public schools in three different states. As parents, our biggest challenges have been selecting the right schools,...
Volume 4 / Issue 3 / Spring 2004 Parent's Platform Willis, Jan
Can gifted students receive appropriate instruction in a regular classroom, or do they need to be grouped together for their curricular needs to be met? A recent article in Educational Leadership (vol. 61, no. 2) explores various researchers’ views. There...
Currents Volume 4 / Issue 3 / Spring 2004 Stephens, Kristen R.
A s the temperature drops farther and the winter holidays conclude, probably the last thing on your mind is summer. But now is the ideal time to begin planning summer experiences for your child. Many summer enrichment programs already...
Volume 4 / Issue 2 / Winter 2004 Stephens, Kristen R. The Editor's View
More schools, taking to heart a recommendation made in “Raising Our Sights: No High School Senior Left Behind” (DGL spring 2002), are assigning senior projects. The goal is for students to demonstrate skills such as planning, researching, writing, and presenting;...
Currents Volume 4 / Issue 1 / Fall 2003 Stephens, Kristen R.
Teens tend to get sleepy about 11 p.m. and wake up around 8 a.m.—a biological drive that maximizes brain development. So, when school starts at 7:30 a.m., it’s the equivalent of an adult attending a meeting at 4:30 a.m....
Collins-Perry, Bobbie Currents Volume 4 / Issue 1 / Fall 2003 Research and Theory
Nearly one million school-aged children in the United States are educated primarily at home. Many of them are gifted. Parents who wonder if homeschooling will work for them need to consider the reasons for doing it and how to meet...
My child’s grades are suffering. He is acing all his tests but is getting marked down for not turning in homework. He forgets to bring home the assignment or the book that he needs to do it, or he...
Consultant's Corner Delisle, Deborah S. Volume 3 / Issue 1 / Fall 2002
What is the ideal age to introduce a second language to children? Contrary to popular belief, cognitively mature students with advanced first-language skills acquire a second language faster, as long as their motivation to learn it remains high. Middle...
Bernal, Ernesto M. Expert's Forum Volume 2 / Issue 4 / Summer 2002
I t is commonly believed that leaders are born, not made. In fact, leadership is nurtured and developed. It does not “happen.” So, don’t wait for your child to emerge as a leader. Develop leadership capacity in your child...
Feature Volume 2 / Issue 3 / Spring 2002 Roberts, Julia Link Talent Development
Whether you are homeschooling or seeking enrichment for your child, these activities focus on the individual child’s educational needs, and gifted children clearly have individual educational needs. Parents may find themselves stretched to meet the challenges posed by their...
Boone, Sarah Volume 2 / Issue 3 / Spring 2002 Technology Technology Matters
As an adult, you have probably set many goals during your life, but have you ever wondered if your child has goals? All parents want their children to have aspirations. Sure, your child may want to achieve the highest...
Volume 4 / Issue 4 / Summer 2004 Stephens, Kristen R. The Editor's View
Joann is interested in studying advanced biology, but her school biology curriculum does not extend beyond an introductory course. Silas is learning his physics material at twice the pace that his class is progressing. By the third grade Rena has...
Volume 4 / Issue 4 / Summer 2004 Siegle, Del Technology Technology Matters
Pulling our son Dan out of middle school was one of the most difficult parenting decisions my husband and I ever made. Labeled as gifted, Dan did well in elementary school. He earned As and Bs, and we seldom heard...
Greene, Robin Volume 1 / Issue 3 / Spring 2001 Parent's Platform
The next time you see your child engrossed in a video game, watch carefully. Notice the look of intense concentration. Except for the occasional gasp of excitement or exasperation, he or she is silent and may remain that way for...
It’s the middle of the school year, the winter skies are gloomy, and your child is restless. What better way to break up the winter doldrums than to plan for summer? A summer program can offer your child a challenging...
Collins-Perry, Bobbie Currents Volume 1 / Issue 2 / Winter 2001
Should gifted five-year-olds skip kindergarten and enter the first grade? Or can they benefit from developmental activities like storytelling, block building, painting, music, and finger plays in kindergarten? Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar became more and more anxious about the first...
Brown, Teri Cooper Volume 1 / Issue 2 / Winter 2001 Special Focus
Ability grouping and tracking are two methods of grouping students for instruction. Ability grouping, commonly practiced in elementary schools, is when students of similar ability or achievement level within a class are grouped for instruction. Tracking, or grouping between classes,...
Volume 1 / Issue 2 / Winter 2001 Jarosewich, Tania Research Briefs Research and Theory
A parent asks, “Since my child entered middle school, she doesn’t seem challenged academically. What advice can you give me and my child’s teacher?” Two authorities in the gifted field provide a response. Dr. Maureen Niehart: A sportswriter once said...
Consultant's Corner Volume 1 / Issue 1 / Fall 2000 Neihart, Maureen Stocking, Vicki