This article discusses the importance of advocacy for gifted education programs, identifies some basic truths in gifted education (such as the reality of giftedness and the demands it makes on children and parents), considers some controversial issues (such as the notion that "all children are gifted"), and examines current threats to funding of…

Excellence in education of gifted children is the focus of this journal theme issue. Two articles are featured: (1) "Making Connections for the At-Risk Gifted Child" by Mary Kay Finholt and Kathy Peckron, describing an exemplary support system developed for at-risk gifted students in the Rockwood School District in Missouri, which…

In this article, a parent of a gifted child muses on the challenges of raising her daughter, coping with her daughter's frustrations, her decision to stay home, and her brief envy of a doppelganger, a professional in a purple suit. (CR)

This theme issue on the role of parents in the education of their gifted children contains two feature articles. "'Pushy and Domineering': A Stigma Placed on Parents of Gifted Children," by Lynn C. Cole and Roxana M. DellaVecchia, examines how parents are perceived as "pushy and domineering" when they strongly advocate for appropriate education…

This article argues that the adoption of schoolwide enrichment options has resulted in the broadening of services to all children and a paucity of services for gifted children and that the theory of multiple intelligences has been used as a legitimate-sounding reason for administrators to dismiss gifted programs as superfluous. (Contains…

This article lists common pitfalls in parents' gifted advocacy attempts: believing exceptionality is synonymous with entitlement; responding to stated boredom without determining the meaning; waiting for a crisis before advocating; pushing for a response before agreeing on the issue; and advocating from their own issues. Strategies for developing…

In this article, parents of gifted children describe the issues that matter most to them. Parents want professional co-advocates to help them be heard; regular, clear, and open communication to promote understanding; and administrative help navigating the school system so that expressed need will be translated into identifiable improvements.…

This article discusses how regular classroom teachers can use high level curriculum as a catalyst for identifying and nurturing gifted students. It describes the characteristics of a differentiated classroom, how differentiation might look for advanced learners, why differentiated instruction is needed for advanced learners, and how parents can…

This article discusses the characteristics of creatively gifted children and the challenges of being creative. Ideas for fostering creativity are provided and include advocating for programs for creatively gifted children, recognizing the giftedness in creative students, differentiating instruction, and encouraging and supporting imaginative…

After reviewing the needs of culturally diverse gifted students, the following recommendations are made: seek gifted programs that meet the dual needs of students who are gifted and diverse; encourage the hiring of culturally diverse teachers; expose children to diverse gifted mentors, and encourage school personnel to use multicultural materials.…

The six issues of this newsletter have the following themes: (1) home schooling, (2) promising practices, (3) parent advocacy, (4) the young gifted child, (5) "being out of sync," and (6) philosophy of giftedness. Major articles include the following: "Homeschooling for Gifted Primary Students" (Patricia Linehan); "Learning to Fly: A Home…

Discussion of trends and the current status of gifted education in the United States describes components of an effective program for gifted students, notes the lack of understanding of the frustrations experienced by gifted students and their parents, the importance of staff development and cluster grouping, and the parent's role in advocating…

This article discusses the obstacles one parent faced in advocating for her gifted children and the positive outcomes of her persistence. A list of strategies for parenting gifted children is provided that include model lifelong learning, nurture strengths and interests, and listen and respond compassionately to your child's emotional needs. (CR)