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Gifted individuals can often be described as people who crave challenges. One of the earliest indications that our son was gifted was his consistent thirst for knowledge and challenges. He was potty trained at the age of 2 and was motivated by the opportunity to learn about ceiling fans through catalogs he “read” while training. He learned to swim independently across the pool at 3 years old after doing multiplication problems in between each attempt. While in K5, he became disengaged in class because of a complete lack of challenge. Our conference that fall was disappointing and alarming. After a mid-year school switch, when he was 6, he did his first Power Point presentation because he wanted to illustrate the history of the piano and his passion for it to his peers; it was a challenge he took on all by himself, creating every slide and its animations independently after a brief tutorial. And today, just recently at 9, he prefers challenging piano pieces over those that are simple. He assembles expert Lego sets containing thousands of pieces in a matter of hours. He masters “challenge” pieces more quickly than the piano pieces that are supposed to come next in his repertoire. He works on his Lego sets with intense focus; each page is a different and unique challenge and the motivation to complete the biggest sets in a short time keeps him interested. Challenges motivate our son and so many other gifted children. Without challenges, the risk of undesirable behaviors escalates. It is our job, then, as parents and educators, to find ways to keep our curriculum engaging and stimulating so that we do not “lose” the gifted kids in the mundane, repetitive, and slow-paced environment that is a traditional classroom. Keeping gifted children challenged is a constant struggle. As parents, we strive to find enrichment activities for after school or throughout the summer months. We beg schools to give our children more in-depth material, to move them along at a faster pace than their peers, or to allow them to accelerate to a more appropriate placement for their current academic level. We constantly invest in books, toys, and online learning platforms to fill their constant desire for information and challenge. We take them on trips around the world, join several different FB groups; we are desperate for inspiration, and even choose to move states to find an environment that will consistently offer our children the challenge that motivates them to remain passionate about learning and remain engaged. So often, we hear the phrase “rise to the challenge.” In the gifted world, no truer words have been spoken. Gifted kids need to be challenged. They ought to have the chance to reach their fullest potential. They aren’t “just fine” because they are smart. They deserve, as outliers to the norm, to have an education and opportunities that allow them to flex their curiosity. We have a challenge before us - to keep these children motivated, and although it won’t be simple, I promise it will be worth it in the end! Mary Pape WATG Board Member (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found below.) Motivado por el desafío: Una perspectiva del padre Los individuos con talentos excepcionales a menudo se pueden describir como personas que anhelan desafíos. Uno de los primeros indicadores de que nuestro hijo tenía talentos excepcionales fue su consistente sed por conocimiento y desafío. El ya avisaba para ir al baño a la edad de 2 y estaba motivado por la oportunidad de aprender sobre los abanicos de techo a través de los catálogos que “leyó” mientras se entrenaba para ir al baño. Aprendió a nadar de manera independiente atravesando la alberca a los 3 años de edad después de hacer problemas de multiplicación entre cada intento. Cuando estaba en kínder, él se desintereso en la clase por la total falta de desafío. Nuestra conferencia en ese otoño fue decepcionante y alarmante. Después del cambio de mitad de año, cuando tenía 6, el hizo su primera presentación en Power Point porque quería ilustrar a sus compañeros con la historia del piano y su pasión por el; fue un reto que lo tomo todo para si mismo, creando independientemente cada hoja de presentación y sus animaciones después de un breve tutorial. Y ahora, recientemente a los 9, prefiere el desafío de piezas en piano que aquellas que son simples. El ensambla en cuestión de horas, juegos de piezas de legos para expertos que contienen miles de piezas. El domina las piezas de “reto” más rápido que las piezas de piano que se supone que siguen en su repertorio. El trabaja en sus juegos de lego con un enfoque intenso; cada página es un desafío único y diferente y la motivación por terminar rápido el juego más grande lo mantiene interesado. Los desafíos motivan a nuestro hijo y muchos otros niños con talentos excepcionales. Sin desafíos, el riesgo de comportamientos no deseados aumenta. Por lo tanto, como padres y educadores, es nuestro trabajo encontrar la manera de mantener nuestro plan de estudios atractivo y estimulante así no “perdemos” a los niños con talentos excepcionales en un ambiente mundano, repetitivo y lento, que son los salones de clase tradicionales. Darles desafíos constantemente a los niños con talentos excepcionales es una lucha constante. Como padres, nos esforzamos por encontrar actividades de enriquecimiento para después de clases o durante los meses de verano. Les rogamos a las escuelas que les den a nuestros hijos material más profundo, para que se muevan a un paso más rápido que sus compañeros o para que puedan adelantarse a un lugar más apropiado para su nivel académico actual. Constantemente invertimos en libros, juguetes y plataformas de aprendizaje en-línea, para llenar el constante deseo de información y retos. Los llevamos a viajes alrededor del mundo, nos unimos a diferentes grupos de FB, estamos desesperados por inspiración e incluso nos cambiamos de estados para encontrar un ambiente que ofrezca constantemente a nuestros hijos, desafíos que los motiven a mantenerse apasionados sobre el aprendizaje y que se mantengan interesados. A menudo escuchamos la frase “estar a la altura”. En el mundo de las personas con talentos excepcionales, no se pudieron haber dicho palabras mas ciertas. Los niños con talentos excepcionales necesitan ser desafiados. Se les debe la oportunidad de que puedan alcanzar su máximo potencial. Ellos no están “bien” porque son inteligentes. Ellos merecen, como valores atípicos a la norma, tener una educación y oportunidades que les permitan flexionar su curiosidad. ¡Tenemos un reto frente a nosotros – mantener a estos niños motivados, y aunque o sea sencillo, les prometo que al final valdrá la pena! Mary Pape Miembro de la Junta de Gobierno de WATG (WATG extiende su agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de la Escuela Bilingüe de Appleton por la traducción de este articulo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispano-hablantes. La traducción la puede encontrar también en los bloques de nuestra página web.)
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Over the past year, many WATG Board members, parents, and educators have spoken at public legislative hearings in support of increased funding for GT programming. Thanks to those efforts, the first increase in many years was approved. There is much further to go to meet the needs in Wisconsin, but this is an all-important start.
I assume I am not the only parent who simply cannot imagine speaking in such a public situation. Good news: advocacy is needed at many levels. What can advocacy at the level of your own child look like? A couple sat down to meet with their child’s math teacher at Fall Parent/Teacher conferences. They were determined to not be intimidated to talk with someone with a Ph.D. when their highest level of formal education was a GED. They introduced themselves, and the teacher abruptly said, “Why is it that the parents I don’t need to talk to are always the ones who show up for conferences?” They smiled, and undeterred, asked the questions they had prepared, including any suggestions for finding summer and weekend programs that would build on their child’s strengths and interests. They took notes on his answers. To the teacher’s credit, it turned out to be a very productive 10 minutes. Who was that couple? My parents. They never missed a conference with a single teacher as far as my siblings and I can recall, although it was more years ago than we care to count (pre-Internet … imagine that!). They talked to us before each conference, about each class, writing down questions/concerns so that they didn’t forget anything. We had to come up with something for each one. Then, they reviewed each of the discussions with us after they came home. We hated the process at the time, but it was well worth it. Because of that Fall conference conversation, I attended a Marquette University Engineering program on Saturday mornings for much of the next year. What a wonderful example they gave us of advocating quietly for your own child. Don’t ever forget that you are the premier expert on your child. You may not be able to help them with Calculus, but you know the subtle signs of when they’re stressed and pressured, what builds their confidence and what introduces self-doubt, how they learn best and what frustrates them. Prepare for parent/teacher conferences as best you can. Talk to your child about what’s working and what isn’t. Organize your thoughts. Write them down using words, pictures, etc. that will help you remember the important points. Bring along or ask for a translator if it would make you more confident; some schools work with local colleges to provide language students as translators. Make sure you understand what the teachers say, but also make sure they understand your perspective, questions, and concerns. Follow up if you get home and realize you missed something or have more questions after you thought about it. Your parental Ph.D. will help your child achieve great things, and no public speaking is required. Mary Budde WATG Treasurer (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found on our website blog.) La lucha por una causa no es Uni-talla para todos Durante el pasado año, muchos padres, educadores y miembros del Consejo Administrativo de WATG han hablado en legislaciones públicas, en apoyo al incremento de fondos para programas de Talentos Excepcionales. Gracias a estos esfuerzos, el primer incremento en muchos años ha sido aprobado. Hay mucho más que hacer para cubrir las necesidades en Wisconsin, pero este es un comienzo muy importante. Yo asumo que no soy el único padre que no se puede imaginar simplemente hablando en ese tipo de situación pública. Buenas noticias: la lucha es necesaria en muchos niveles. ¿Cómo es la lucha en el nivel de su hijo? Una pareja se sentó para reunirse con el maestro de matemáticas de su hija durante las conferencias de otoño de Padres y Maestros. Estaban determinados a no ser intimidados al hablar con alguien con un Doctorado, cuándo su máximo nivel de formación de estudios era un GED. Ellos se presentaron y el maestro les dijo abruptamente: ¿Por qué pasa que los padres con los que no necesito hablar, son los que siempre vienen a las conferencias? Ellos sonrieron, y no le dieron importancia, hicieron preguntas que habían preparado, incluyendo sugerencias para encontrar programas de fin de semana y de verano que ayudaran a reforzar las cualidades e intereses de su hija. Tomaron notas en sus respuestas. Para crédito del maestro, resultaron ser 10 minutos muy productivos. ¿Quién era esa pareja? Mis padres. Ellos nunca se perdieron una conferencia con ningún maestro, al menos que mis hermanos y yo recordemos, aunque fueron más años atrás de los que nosotros podamos contar (antes de internet… ¡imagínese!). Ellos hablaban con nosotros sobre nuestra clase antes de cada conferencia, escribían preguntas/dudas así ellos no olvidarían nada. Teníamos que decirles algo cada uno de nosotros. Después, cuando llegaban a casa revisaban con nosotros cada una de las cosas que se hablaron. Ese proceso lo odiábamos en aquel momento, pero valía la pena. Debido a esa conferencia de Otoño, yo asistí al programa de Ingeniería de la Universidad de Marquette la mayoría de los sábados por la mañana del siguiente año. Que gran ejemplo nos dieron de luchar silenciosamente por tu propio hijo. Nunca olvides que tú eres el experto principal de tu hijo. Probablemente no le puedas ayudar con calculo, pero tú conoces las señales sutiles cuando está estresado o bajo presión, lo que le ayuda a ganar confianza y lo que le genera dudas, cómo aprende mejor y lo que lo frustra. Prepárese para las conferencias de Padres/Maestros lo mejor que pueda. Hable con su hijo sobre lo que esta y no está funcionando. Organice sus pensamientos. Escríbalos utilizando palabras, fotos, etc. que lo ayuden a recordar los puntos importantes. Traiga o pida un traductor, si eso lo ayuda a sentirse más seguro; algunas escuelas trabajan con universidades locales que proporcionan estudiantes de idiomas como traductores. Asegúrese de que entienda lo que el maestro dice, pero también asegúrese que ellos entiendan su perspectiva, preguntas y dudas. Dele seguimiento si al llegar a casa se da cuenta de que olvido algo o que tiene más preguntas después de que pensó las cosas. Su doctorado en ser Padres ayudará a que su hijo logre grandes cosas, y no se requiere hablar en público. Mary Budde Tesorero de WATG (WATG desea extender su profundo agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de Appleton Bilingual School por traducir este artículo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispanohablantes . La traducción puede encontrarse también en el blog de nuestra página web.) Gifted children tend to have more stress and anxiety than other children due to their higher intensities and sensitivities; they also tend to put more pressure on themselves. There are many things that can cause stress and anxiety for gifted children. With the end of the first semester coming up, many students are also preparing for tests and midterms. This can be a stressful time for both students and parents. Additionally, gifted kids may overbook themselves, suffer from perfectionism, or succumb to pressure from others.There are many other things that can also impact a child’s stress and anxiety.
Below are some strategies children can use to help themselves when they are stressed/anxious, as well as ways parents/caregivers can help their children. You will also find links to various websites that provide examples of activities that can be done (ie., deep breathing, guided imagery, meditation, etc.). Ways to Help When Stressed:
Ways Parents/caregivers Can Help:
Resources:
Above all, take good care of yourself. Remember that you are constantly modeling how to manage stress. If you model healthy strategies, your child will learn from you. Good luck on your journey! Stacy Novak, WATG Board Member & President-Elect (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found below.) Lidiando con el Estrés y Ansiedad Los niños con talentos excepcionales tienden a tener mayor estrés y ansiedad que otros niños debido a su alta intensidad y sensibilidad; también tienden a ponerse más presión a sí mismos. Hay muchas cosas que pueden causar estrés y ansiedad en niños con talentos excepcionales. Con el fin de semestre que se aproxima, muchos estudiantes también se están preparando para los exámenes de mitad de año. Este, puede ser un tiempo de estrés para estudiantes y padres. Adicionalmente, los niños con talentos excepcionales pueden sobre agendarse ellos mismos, sufrir por el perfeccionismo o sucumbir ante la presión de los demás. También hay muchas cosas más que pueden impactar el estrés y ansiedad de los niños. A continuación se encuentran algunas estrategias que los niños pueden usar para ayudarse a sí mismos cuando están estresados/ansiosos, así como la manera en que los padres/personas a cargo pueden ayudar a sus hijos. También puede encontrar enlaces a diferentes páginas web que proporcionan ejemplos de actividades que pueden hacer (ej. respiración profunda, imaginación guiada, meditación, etc.). Maneras de ayudar cuándo estén estresados:
Maneras en que Padres/personas a cargo pueden ayudar:
Recursos:
Sobre todo, cuidese mucho usted mismo. Recuerde que usted está dando el ejemplo constantemente de cómo manejar el estrés. Si usted da el ejemplo de estrategias saludables, su hijo aprenderá de usted. ¡Mucha suerte en su trayecto! Stacy Nowak, Mimbro del Consejo y Presidente-electo de WATG (WATG desea extender su profundo agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de Appleton Bilingual School por traducir este artículo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispanohablantes . La traducción puede encontrarse también en el blog de nuestra página web.) December is upon us! The arrival of the new month brings festive music, laughter...and a lot of questions about what to get the gifted children in our lives for holidays. A quick internet search of “gift ideas for gifted children” will return a ridiculous amount of sites dedicated to this very topic. So, I’ve scoured the lists and am eager to share five ideas that would appeal to a wide range of ages and interests...enjoy!
Amazon Book Box Subscription: $19.99 per box “Amazon Book Box is a subscription that delivers hand-picked children's books every 1, 2, or 3 months. Discover books that inspire a love of reading—new adventures await in every box!” Book boxes are customizable based on the child’s age (baby - age 12) and interest. Baby boxes contain 4 board books. Boxes for ages 3-12 contain 2 hardcover books. Kanoodle Extreme: $14.99 Kanoodle Extreme features over 300 2D and 3D puzzles that are designed to develop problem solving, reasoning skills, and spatial-reasoning skills. This is a great choice for helping kids to stay engaged, entertained, and learning outside of the classroom. The kit is small enough to take along when traveling. It is perfect for ages 8 and up. Storytime Chess: $50.00 It is no secret that many gifted kids love the strategy and challenge that comes from playing chess. Storytime Chess uses “characters, stories, activities, and imagery to help kids as young as 3 learn the moves, strategies, and language of chess. This fun, creative approach to the game of kings has been used in schools and endorsed by chess masters and homeschooling parents alike. Grown-ups need no prior chess experience to help kids learn with these materials.” Mega Cyborg Hand: $39.95 For the STEM-minded individual, the Mega Cyborg Hard is a great find! The kit allows the creator to build a wearable, mechanical hand that is operated by the wearer’s own two fingers...no batteries, no motors! Creators will learn how pneumatic and hydraulic systems are used in industrial robots. This is the 2021 Toy Association's STEAM Toy Of The Year Winner. Create A Castle Kits: $19.99 and up The ultimate outdoor building kit, the Create A Castle kits allow kids of all ages to let their imaginations run wild as they create amazing structures from snow or sand. The molds allow for frustration-free building of elaborate, sturdy structures. Your family will be the talk of the block when your neighbors get a look at your castle creations this winter! Nicole Meier, WATG Board Member Are you familiar with the children’s book “Caps For Sale?” The opening image in the book is of the cap selling man who has many multi-colored caps hoisted upon the top of his head. One morning he tries to sell his caps, but to no avail. This image perfectly captures how I have been feeling as of late as the Gifted and Talented Coordinator in my small school district in a suburb outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I’m sure I’m not the only gifted and talented educator in Wisconsin who has been feeling this way recently. It seems to be the accepted norm in gifted education. For those of you who remain curious, I will share with you the plight of the gifted educator in Wisconsin.
You see, as the gifted and talented coordinator in my district, I happen to be the only gifted and talented educator in the entire district. So therefore, I must wear many hats. I identify students who may qualify to receive gifted services. I work with classroom teachers to differentiate instruction to meet the learning needs of our students. I give direct services to identified students in small groups, by pushing into classrooms and in pull-out groups. I provide professional learning to the educators in my district about differentiation and gifted/talented students. In my small school district of 1,312 students, there are 68 students that I am directly responsible for in kindergarten through eighth grade. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. I love working with my amazing students. However, due to all the hats that I am wearing, I don’t feel that I am doing my job justice or meeting the needs of my students in an adequate manner. It’s not that I’m not capable of doing what needs to be done. My roadblock is funding. There is not enough funding in our school district’s budget to hire the teachers that are necessary to work beside me to get the work done. It’s not that my district doesn’t want to improve and expand our gifted and talented program. The issue is bigger than that. In Wisconsin, our gifted and talented programs are woefully underfunded. Wisconsin earmarks about $474,400 towards the budget for gifted education. Of our surrounding states, Iowa budgets $40,800,000 towards gifted education, Minnesota $12, 280,000, and Ohio $77,900,000. This was after WATG worked so hard with legislators to double the budget in 2021. Our gifted and talented students deserve better. Our gifted and talented educators deserve better. We all deserve better. So, what can you do? Please buy some hats. Take one of my advocacy hats, put it on and work with WATG to help Wisconsin do better for our gifted and talented students. Take one of my hats and work with your local school district to advocate for the gifted and talented students. If you’re a parent, put on one of my hats and advocate for your gifted child. Ask your gifted and talented coordinator and educators how you can help advocate for them. Let your school district know that you value quality education for gifted and talented students. I have so many hats. But, without your help, I have too many hats and not enough heads to wear them. Caps for sale. Will you please buy one? Christine Wyatt WATG Board Member Parenting gifted children can be an exciting, yet challenging journey, and WATG is committed to providing information, resources, and networking opportunities for parents and caregivers of gifted children.
As a service to gifted children and their families, WATG is offering FREE memberships to all parents/caregivers beginning now and extending through September of 2022. Benefits of WATG membership include:
So far, over 90 parents/caregivers have taken advantage of this outstanding opportunity! We encourage more of you to join us by filling out this Free WATG Parent Membership Form, and look forward to meeting you and growing with you. The start of a new school year can be both exciting, and at the same time worrisome for both gifted kids and their parents. New teachers, new classmates, and new experiences can be energizing and refreshing, but when gifted students find themselves in a situational mismatch between their abilities and the opportunities they are receiving, a parent can be the child’s best advocate for change.
The National Association for Gifted Children offers amazing resources for families of gifted students including advice for advocating for their children. The full article can be found at https://www.nagc.org/get-involved/advocate-high-ability-learners/advocate-your-child but here is a summary of the big ideas for effective advocacy:
On behalf of WATG, I wish you all an AMAZING school year! Nicole Meier, WATG Board Member |
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