A recent issue of "Educational Leadership" highlighted the lack of current focus in schools on humanities education (Ferrero, 2011). As the young lives of gifted children become ever busier with extracurricular options, parents are left with the question of how to best complement their child's academic life with his or her social and emotional…

The Curriculum Studies Network focuses on promoting and creating high-quality curriculum to meet the needs of academically advanced learners. Staff at Curriculum Studies Network are proud of the collaboration they promote among educators, but in order for high-quality curriculum to continue to be the standard in the field, they realize the…

Giftedness can generate speculation, misconceptions, expectations, pride, innuendo, apprehension, puzzlement--and the list goes on. What does it mean to be a gifted learner? In this installment of the series "ABCs of Being Smart," the author grapples with the term gifted, giving a glimpse into giftedness, along with some general guidelines for…

Today the author received the umpteenth parental request from a mother wanting help with her child who is reading far above grade level and yet remains in an on-grade-level reading group. The frustration from this and every other parent who has spoken to the author about this subject is palatable. Parents want what is best for their child, but in…

Even very young children can show an interest in the humanities. Although they may not be pursuing degrees in the arts or languages, they often pursue answers to profound questions about human existence in casual conversation. Supporting a young child in his or her quest to discover more about these questions may lead to new insights for parents,…

In this article, the authors emphasize that good sleep health is essential if gifted children are to gain the greatest benefit from opportunities to grow intellectually, socially, and spiritually while maintaining good psychological and physical health. The outstanding abilities that characterize these children and enable high levels of…

Jen and Michael agreed that it felt like a mixed blessing when the kindergarten teacher told them she thought their daughter was "very creative." The teacher had commented on Allison's love of dramatic and imaginative play, her bold and expressive artwork, her knack for solving problems with numbers and shapes, and her delight in finding…

Summer activities have grown old. Going swimming has lost its allure, and boredom has set in. No matter how well parents have planned interesting and educational activities for the summer months or how much they have enjoyed the freedom from stricter schedules and more rigid bedtimes, it is time to transition back to the routines of the school…

This article elaborates on parent advocacy groups, a key component in meeting the needs of gifted children. The case for parent groups couldn't be stronger--or more urgent. According to Nancy Green, Executive Director of the National Association for Gifted Children, "Quality gifted education exists in places where there are strong parent groups."…

For many young gifted English Language Learners (ELLs), going to an American school is like a trip to Mars. Everything and everyone looks strange. Many ELLs feel unsure of their abilities when they discover that their proficiency in English can sometimes hinder achievement. They wonder what the other kids think of their speech, their accents,…

Hakeem, Emily, Jose, and Latisha are all entering preschool in the fall. Their mothers are looking for the highest quality early childhood program they can find. Is there a guide for them to find a five-star program? Are all certified or accredited programs of equal quality? How do these parents and guardians know what defines quality in early…

Children, particularly young children, demonstrate characteristics of giftedness in many different ways. These characteristics manifest themselves based on gender, experiences, cultural identity, personal passions and interests, and family or community. Gifted children develop asynchronously. Morelock (2000) stated that "asynchrony in the gifted…

Whether or not it is conscious, parents, caregivers, and teachers are looking for indicators that a child is not "fitting in" with peers. In most cases, teachers and parents are looking for problems or learning difficulties that need to be addressed because the earlier a problem is discovered and diagnosed, the more likely an intervention or…

It may sound trite but it is nevertheless true that a person needs "health" and "happiness" in order to thrive. In this article, the author looks at what contributes to children's well-being (of body and mind), so as to enable them to flourish. She encourages readers to think about what they can do to encourage kids to be health-conscious and to…

"Developmentally appropriate practice" (DAP) is a term tossed about by practitioners as if everyone understands exactly what it means. DAP seems self-explanatory in that it requires educators to use only those strategies for teaching and discipline that are appropriate for the age of the child. The basic tenet of DAP rests on the assumed knowledge…