This was originally published with the title Giving up on Public Education: Private school provides a haven for gifted kids—and their parents in Chicago Parent circa 2005. I did not choose the headline, which I found to be cringeworthy. I believe in public education. It's the backbone of our democracy. But it doesn't always work out as parents might hope. And, in fact, on a nationwide basis, public schools generally do a poor job of educating our ... [ Read More ]
Advice for Parents of a Gifted Kindergartener
Here's what happens when someone asks me to share advice about her gifted kindergartner, a child who is not quite fitting in with his classmates. I can't just share five great tips, even though that would be a lot more friendly to search traffic. I carry so much educational baggage that I have a long, rambling response. Here goes. Advice for parents of a gifted kindergartener With my oldest in his senior year of high school, I’ve been doing a ... [ Read More ]
What if Special Education Students got Gifted Education Treatment?
When I first saw this post, What if Special Education Students got Gifted Education Treatment, in my Facebook feed I thought, "They're asking the wrong question." After reading it, I see what they did. It's a must-read for parents of gifted kids. Bonus if you can convince teachers or school administrators to read it. I'm so very glad to have the K-8 years behind us. I will assure you as I was once assured, it gets better in high school. This ... [ Read More ]
Digital Kids to College Kids
I don't know if I shared this, but I'm continuing to write for the Sylvan Mom-Minded Blog. Last month I shared tips for raising digital kids, which goes beyond mere tips to provide useful resources via the links in the article. Check it out! about tip Looking to mix up a batch of slime or have science fun with dry ice? Check out my archived Sylvan posts here.I'm getting a little bit better at this Google+ Hangout On Air Thing. Give a ... [ Read More ]
Gifted Girls Go Underground
I've decided to throw my own little Throwback Thursday on The Maker Mom dusting off a few of my classic posts on gifted education. This piece about gifted girls has proved to be very popular over the years. It was originally published on my personal blog in March 2009. I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to my high-ability G/T boys. I'm muddling through like the rest of you. When it comes to gifted girls, I'm especially clueless, so I ... [ Read More ]
Gifted Kids and Skinny Dipping in the School Pool
Did you see this article on gifted education in a recent issue of the Boston Globe? Though oddly titled, it did a good job of making a case for why the needs of gifted students should be a national priority. Here are a couple of the money quotes: Even among Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth participants, the Vanderbilt researchers have previously found that those who weren't challenged in school were less likely to live up to the ... [ Read More ]
Gifted Kids and College Admissions Part I: Follow Your Passion
I mentioned that my friend Jen and I started talking freaking out about college admissions stuff and then decided to host a Google HangoutOnAir to discuss the matter with an expert on the topic and make our conversation public. Susan Goodkin, executive director of the California Learning Strategies Center kindly joined us and shared tips on low cost(!!) ways to help your child stand out during the admissions process. Given this was the first ... [ Read More ]