As a TAG specialist, I will work with your child’s teachers to enrich, extend, and accelerate the curriculum either by providing materials, team teaching, working in the classroom with small groups, or a variety of other methods. I will also be spending time during the school day with the TAG students, though it will be limited to once a month. Fun after school activities will also take place a few times throughout year.
Your child is in the TAG program, now what?
LOOK WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING!
9 Things the World Must Understand about Gifted Children
1. There is more to gifted children than their intelligence.
Gifted children are affectionate, fun-loving, innocent, and yes, sometimes they do misbehave. Their IQ’s do not make them circus freaks, Doogie Howsers or anomalies.
2. They are emotionally very sensitive.
Gifted children may take a small, negative comment and internalize it to the point that they may start to hate themselves or believe everyone hates them. Comments or situations others may not think twice about can wreak emotional havoc on a gifted child.
3. They may think like an adult, but can also act like a much younger child.
Two words: asynchronous development. Gifted children’s reasoning and critical thinking may rival most adults, but that doesn’t mean they should be expected to be able to socially and emotionally handle adult situations. And they definitely should not be disciplined when they don’t act like the adult they seem to be–discipline should be realistic. They are still children, and they should be treated with respect.
4. They have a strong sense of right and wrong.
With many gifted children, justice and fairness must always prevail and are worth fighting for. Little white lies, pretense, double-standards, exaggeration or faulty reasoning just don’t fly with a gifted child. So, don’t go there.
5. Gifted does not mean perfect.
They are not perfect; they are human beings just like everyone else. Please do not expect them to be perfect little soldiers just because they are gifted.
6. Being gifted does not equal straight A’s in school.
Not all gifted children are high achievers. Many times, gifted children because of their emotional sensitivities may suffer from anxiety, fear of failure or perfectionism and other emotional factors which can prevent them from being successful in school. Also, when their learning environment is not meeting their educational needs, gifted children often become frustrated, disengaged and bored which leads to underachievement in school.
7. They are not gifted in everything.
Gifted children can be grade levels ahead in math and science, and then struggle in English and reading.
8. They have a very keen sense of social dynamics.
Gifted children can often size-up an adult or teacher who may not be acting as an adult should. They can understand the social dynamics of a situation and may zero in on peers or adults who are acting out of envy, competitiveness or resentment. Gifted children can be quite intuitive and may know what you do and understand why you do it.
9. No, not every child is gifted.
“Every child is gifted.” This popular sentiment seems to be a prevalent response and defense for those children who are not intellectually gifted. The gifted label is a medical, educational and psychological term used when identifying children who have advanced intellectual abilities often determined by an IQ above 130. Being gifted should not be confused with having gifts and talents. Saying every child is gifted is like saying every child is tall, every child is athletic, every child has curly hair or every child excels in math.
For as long as gifted children have been misunderstood, there have been parents and educators who have tried to set the record straight by tirelessly advocating for gifted children. Articles have been written, studies have been conducted, groups have been formed, parents have conferenced with teachers, and the facts about gifted children have been publicized, but by and large, the world still does not understand our gifted children, and our gifted children have suffered because of this misunderstanding.
Gifted children are affectionate, fun-loving, innocent, and yes, sometimes they do misbehave. Their IQ’s do not make them circus freaks, Doogie Howsers or anomalies.
2. They are emotionally very sensitive.
Gifted children may take a small, negative comment and internalize it to the point that they may start to hate themselves or believe everyone hates them. Comments or situations others may not think twice about can wreak emotional havoc on a gifted child.
3. They may think like an adult, but can also act like a much younger child.
Two words: asynchronous development. Gifted children’s reasoning and critical thinking may rival most adults, but that doesn’t mean they should be expected to be able to socially and emotionally handle adult situations. And they definitely should not be disciplined when they don’t act like the adult they seem to be–discipline should be realistic. They are still children, and they should be treated with respect.
4. They have a strong sense of right and wrong.
With many gifted children, justice and fairness must always prevail and are worth fighting for. Little white lies, pretense, double-standards, exaggeration or faulty reasoning just don’t fly with a gifted child. So, don’t go there.
5. Gifted does not mean perfect.
They are not perfect; they are human beings just like everyone else. Please do not expect them to be perfect little soldiers just because they are gifted.
6. Being gifted does not equal straight A’s in school.
Not all gifted children are high achievers. Many times, gifted children because of their emotional sensitivities may suffer from anxiety, fear of failure or perfectionism and other emotional factors which can prevent them from being successful in school. Also, when their learning environment is not meeting their educational needs, gifted children often become frustrated, disengaged and bored which leads to underachievement in school.
7. They are not gifted in everything.
Gifted children can be grade levels ahead in math and science, and then struggle in English and reading.
8. They have a very keen sense of social dynamics.
Gifted children can often size-up an adult or teacher who may not be acting as an adult should. They can understand the social dynamics of a situation and may zero in on peers or adults who are acting out of envy, competitiveness or resentment. Gifted children can be quite intuitive and may know what you do and understand why you do it.
9. No, not every child is gifted.
“Every child is gifted.” This popular sentiment seems to be a prevalent response and defense for those children who are not intellectually gifted. The gifted label is a medical, educational and psychological term used when identifying children who have advanced intellectual abilities often determined by an IQ above 130. Being gifted should not be confused with having gifts and talents. Saying every child is gifted is like saying every child is tall, every child is athletic, every child has curly hair or every child excels in math.
For as long as gifted children have been misunderstood, there have been parents and educators who have tried to set the record straight by tirelessly advocating for gifted children. Articles have been written, studies have been conducted, groups have been formed, parents have conferenced with teachers, and the facts about gifted children have been publicized, but by and large, the world still does not understand our gifted children, and our gifted children have suffered because of this misunderstanding.