This article, by Julie Lyons, in DFW Child, has a wonderful quote, “ ‘As everything moves toward standardization and accountability testing and No Child Left Behind,’ Hickerson says, ‘sometimes that means that no child can get ahead either.’ ”
This is the hard reality in many schools, unfortunately, but the article gives good advice on finding schools that will nurture gifted children. It also has some solid advice on how to treat them, including one that I have mentioned previously on this blog, “Never, ever praise them for being smart. Praise effort and hard work instead. “Allow your child to fail,” Swanson says. “There’s humor and humility with failure, and you move on.” A wealth of research shows that over-praised kids look to others for reinforcement and avoid risk-taking.” I really can’t emphasize that advice enough. I have seen the effects of the wrong types of praise first-hand, and do everything I can to undo it in my classroom. But it’s difficult to change that mindset.
You will find other valuable recommendations in this article, and you might even find some statements with which you disagree. But it’s definitely food for thought.
Too often, high achieving students are excluded from the special ed umbrella. Enrichment is just as important as intervention.
I definitely agree!
I love “embrace the intensity”. You know I work with the little ones-so it’s the passion for learning that is mentioned, but also the emotional sensitivity that definitely makes for some intense experiences.
That passion really is key! I love riding the waves with my Kinders, who get so excited about everything we do. I really take my cues from them about the activities we are going to do.