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Mindset
Lesson Topics in Our Curriculum
When we nurture the development of growth mindset through appropriate curriculum, feedback, and modeling, we empower students to embrace the idea that their capacity is limitless and to proactively welcome challenges as opportunities for growing and stretching abilities.
Resources for Parents
How labels of “gifted” or “smart” can lead to learning challenges later in life. A film about celebrating the growth journey!
How to Raise a Kid Who Won’t Quit:
8 tips for nurturing perseverance in your child
We all fail, but how do we deal with failure? An article on embracing mistakes and separating them from the child
Gifted Identity
Lesson Topics in Our Curriculum
Your child’s gifted identity is multifaceted and complex and is not only about “being smart” as is widely believed. Though gifted students are as different as they are alike, there are common characteristics encompassing giftedness. When students have a deeper understanding of all facets of their abilities they can more easily extend grace and compassion both inward and outward.
Resources for Parents
The Survival Guide for Gifted Kids: A highly recommended book for gifted children!
Myths about Gifted Students: An article from the National Association of Gifted Children- worth the read!
Feelings, Emotions, Empathy
Lesson Topics in Our Curriculum
Giftedness has an emotional component that manifests through a heightened awareness in the way in which one experiences the world internally and externally. Understanding emotions- accepting them and utilizing strategies to respond to them- is essential for cultivating resilience and empathy.
Resources for Parents
Gifted Children: Emotionally Intense or Emotionally Mature:
Excellent article about overexcitabilities and emotional intensities
We use this language in our classroom, sign up to receive a copy of the emotion umbrellas for home too!
Peer and Social Relationships
Lesson Topics in Our Curriculum
Peer and social relationships of gifted students must be nurtured and guided to help them flourish in their interactions with others. By specifically addressing social skills, communication and acceptance they will establish a foundation for maintaining mutually satisfying relationships and connections.
Resources for Parents
Friendship 101: An excellent article from the Gifted Guru- “Making friends can be difficult for anyone, but gifted youth and adults have unique hurdles. Here’s how to soar over them.”
Living Gifted: This book is great- awesome language for adults and gifted adolescents- offers 52 tips to survive and thrive as a gifted kid.
Common Challenges of Gifted Learners*
Lesson Topics in Our Curriculum
*Responsive to the needs of the learners at our schools.
Though the term suggests an advantage, being gifted can at times feel like a burden. One hallmark of giftedness is asynchrony; a gap between intellectual and emotional development. Gifted individuals can feel out of sync; their maturity at odds with their cognitive abilities. As a result, certain challenges arise for some gifted students sometimes. While these challenges are not unique to gifted individuals, they tend to appear more pronounced in the gifted and require targeted interventions or support.
Resources for Parents
Asynchronous Development: Gifted children vary in their abilities and often their patterns of growth differ from their age peers. Read more in this article from NAGC.
Underachieving Gifted Students: Underachievement can be complex and troubling, learn more about it through this article from Very Well Family.