Over the past eight years, the author has had the pleasure of facilitating discussion groups with gifted middle and high school students. These groups focus on affective concerns, giving students the opportunity to talk about issues they have in common and how life looks and feels through the lens of giftedness. The best school situation for…

Gifted students use their advanced language abilities and communication skills to participate in intellectual banter. How might educators encourage them to have more thought provoking discussions? Since gifted kids generally learn rapidly, retain information easily, see unusual relationships, and have strong needs to know, they should be provided…

Gifted students thirst for knowing and understanding. They are quick to learn new information, have great recall, are capable of investigating topics in depth, and pose meaningful questions. These youngsters go beyond the basic facts to seek answers, draw conclusions, and evaluate information. Young gifted students, however, may lack the skills…

A major reason why dyslexia is likely to be missed or mislabeled in an intellectually gifted child is the lack of a specific, clearly recognized definition to enable diagnosis of dyslexia. It's crucial that adults working with gifted students understand that average or even above reading comprehension does not by itself guarantee that a gifted…

Teachers and parents who read about the brain on the Internet should do so critically to determine fact from opinion. Are the assertions real about certain methods/strategies that claim to be based on brain research? Will they make a difference in their teaching and in achievement levels? Turning theory into fact take time and replication of solid…

Losses come in all shapes and sizes. However, because of their intensity, sensitivity, and depth of thinking and feeling, gifted kids often have far more difficulty coping with losses. Dealing with loss can be a powerful means of personal transformation, and it helps one clarify which aspects of life are important. Regardless of the type of loss,…

The author is an enthusiastic supporter of using young adult literature in the classroom with gifted learners--so much, that he has been accused of being "against" the classics. Not so, but he does ask about and challenges teachers to tell him if their classroom use of the classics is appropriate. Do the classics provide the kind of interaction…

Conversations with Josh, a mentee of the author, and other gifted students caused the author to realize that in many cases, what is presented as appropriately differentiated language arts curriculum for gifted/talented students is nothing more than general education curriculum with additional work at the same level as the regular curriculum. If…

The teacher's of America's one-room schoolhouses long ago mastered the concept of differentiation. Small class sizes were the norm, including children of all ages. Older, or more advanced students, helped others understand their lessons. Students move on to more difficult work as they were ready. Skipping grades was not uncommon. As the population…

Adam, an 11th grader, was identified as gifted and accepted into a two week summer enrichment program. He signed up for "Geometry with Flash Programming." He had no prior programming experience but had a strong and healthy self-image as mathematics student. Although Adam had a positive attitude toward mathematics and saw himself as a successful…

Raising any child is challenging for parents, but raising a gifted child can be especially demanding. Parents benefit from quality information about giftedness as well as effective parenting strategies for working with very bright youngsters. Parents may wish to better motivate their gifted children, helping them to take personal responsibility…

In "Bird by Bird", Anne Lamott compares writing to a tea ceremony: "That thing you had to force yourself to do--the actual act of writing, turns out to be the best part. It's like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own…

Technology is an essential part of young people's lives. Students today are digital natives who cannot remember a time without electronic media and technologies. Children who use the Internet spend 37 percent less time watching television and 16 percent more time with friends and family. The Internet is an excellent resource for differentiating…

Gifted middle school mathematics students often exhibit boundless energy, a desire to exert some degree of control over their learning, and an ability to think logically and abstractly in ways that astound their parents and teachers. Middle school math curriculum that combines guided investigations of real-life problems with product-based…

Maria, Sergio, and Steven, whose stories are described in this article, are gifted students whose needs were served through technology. Tapping into the Internet, these students, as well as other learners with varying needs, can be provided with appropriately challenging work that allows them to develop and make unique contributions to the class.…