Gifted and Talented Education

How to Recognize When a Child is Gifted?

Sections of Amanda Marrone Interviewing Andi Stix on Sept. 1, 2017, NY Metro ParentsGifted kids show amazing talent that needs to be nurtured--but they can also display unique social and behavioral issues.Andi Stix, director of G-tec Kids, a program for gifted and talented students in New Rochelle, NY, was teaching a math class about finding a pattern to discover the square root of any given number. The class eventually came up with a pattern, until one child proclaimed, “The...

Measures of Success: A Debate of Social Intelligence vs Cognitive Skills

“Charlie’s a what? A multi-millionaire?” I blurted out during our 25th high school reunion. A fun, sweet kid… who would have “thunk”? Nice and charming to be with, but surely not someone with outstanding brainpower.On my drive home, I realized that the brilliant kids didn’t necessarily outshine the ordinary ones after being in the trenches for 20 years. The successful “Stevens” and the “Charlies” of my youth had something else: “soft skills” which are measures of success rather than...

Inspiring Creativity: Think Outside the Bowl

With the resurgence of testing nationwide, many teachers report that they have to “cover the curriculum” rather than “uncover the curriculum.” With the Common Core Curriculum, parents express feeling exhausted from helping their children with increased homework to meet test expectations. Teachers are pushing to cover as much of the content necessary for their students to pass the state-level exams, sometimes given only 70% into the school year.So, it is not surprising that teachers see a change in their...

House of Representatives Water Down Senate Bill for Serving Gifted Children

ESEA Bill Recognition of Need for Teacher Training to Support High-Ability Students; Lack of Focus on Accountability Remains a ConcernAccording to the NAGC:The House of Representatives passed its overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in the past decade. The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) encouraged that the legislation recognize our nation’s teachers be well-trained to meet the needs of high-ability students. The House of Representatives approved H.R. 5, The Student Success Act.NAGC applauded lawmakers for including...

Can Our Gifted Children Remain Gifted?

Oftentimes parents think their children are above average because they read at an early age. In many instances, parents confuse a child’s ability to remember things accurately with the notion that the youngster is above the norm. By 3rd grade, children who read at the average maturational period catch up, and the playing field becomes more level. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a large number of students who are considered gifted in 4th grade are no longer identified as...