Parenting for High Potential a Note from the Editor
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
» Changing Minds: Giftedness Around the Globe . 2 By M. René Islas » Self-Select Bridges the Gap for Australian Adolescents . 4 By Christine Ireland » The Power of Parent Advocacy in New Zealand . 7 By Rosemary Cathcart » Parents Make a Difference: Creating a Parental Intervention Program in Brazil . 8 By Renata Muniz Prado, Denise de Souza Fleith, and Daniela Vilarinho-Rezende » Gifted Dropouts: How This Dutch Program Helps Struggling Students December 2018 December 2018 Get Back on Track . .12 Volume 7 | Issue 4 Volume By Tijl Koenderink and Femke Hovinga » In Perspective: Viewpoints from Greece, Peru, Czech Republic, and Ireland . 14 By Danae Deligeorge, Sheyla Blumen, Stanislav Zelenda, and Colm O’Reilly » The International Torrance Legacy Creativity Awards . .16 By Joan Franklin Smutny » How Kenyan Parents Maximize Their Children’s Full Potential . .21 r By Margaretta Swigert-Gacheru % » Parenting Gifted Children: Voices from India . 24 By Jyoti Sharma, Shobha Bagai, Pankaj Tyagi, and Bibhu Biswal 0 » The Importance of Finding Your People . .27 By Deborah Reber parenting for high potential a note from the editor n this issue, we reach beyond national borders to address the ongoing challenges of parenting gifted and talented youth Iaround the globe. Authors in the issue address the problems familiar to all of us: scarcity of resources in schools and neighborhoods; limited views about what giftedness is and why it should be addressed; parental struggles to support their children’s talents in their homes and commu- nities; and the special challenges of the “invisible gifted”—those who, because of ethnicity, socioeconomic background, geography, underachievement, or behavior issues, do not often show their abilities. Despite these hurdles, parents worldwide are encouraging their children’s natural curiosity and hunger to learn, whether in daily life or through more structured programs. One thing parents around the world agree upon is that raising a gifted child is a delicate art. Children with few resources and little encouragement may wilt on the vine. Those 6 Inside with many resources but excessive pressure to succeed may also struggle due to fear of A Global Look at Giftedness failure, rebelliousness, or lack of interest. My hope is that readers find inspiration in these reports. They reveal not only our common struggles, but the parenting qualities that most sustain and assist gifted youth whatever their language, culture, or nationality. Joan Franklin Smutny Guest Editor a world vision Changing Minds: Giftedness Around the Globe By M. René Islas he National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) embraces a vision to bring forth a world where giftedness is fully recognized, universally valued, and actively nurtured. The NAGC Board of TDirectors, our national office, and its members embarked on a plan—Minds. Policies. Practices.— to make this vision a reality. I am happy report to you that together we are having an impact here in the United States and abroad. In our strategic framework, we define its impact is the amount of coverage on Over the last few years, NAGC the goal of changing minds as increasing the needs of gifted children in traditional has focused on outreach to organize the public’s urgency to support the needs and new media outlets. Since 2015, supporters to call for increased support of gifted and talented children. NAGC the reporting on giftedness and NAGC for gifted children. We are primarily leverages the sound research and expertise has grown exponentially. The public’s focused on developing and cultivating of its member leaders and the broader awareness and appetite for supporting external relationships with thought research community to communicate gifted children as they reach for their leaders within states, districts, schools, that message. One way NAGC measures personal best continues to increase. and communities. Organizations ranging 2018–2019 Parent Editorial and Content Advisory Board Published by Michele Kane, Chair Austina De Bonte Michele Joerg Editor-in-Chief: Kathleen Nilles Long Grove, IL Woodinville, WA Brooklyn, NY Editorial Assistant: Denise Notz Edward R. Amend Christine Deitz Jessa Luckey Goudelock Layout & Design: Julie Wilson Lexington, KY Little Rock, AR Fairfield, CA Kate Boonstra Deb Douglas Kristy Mall Parenting for High Potential is published quarterly, and Urbandale, IA Fitchburg, WI Murfreesboro, TN is distributed as a membership benefit by the National Jean Chandler Kelly Lynne Harris Megan Parker Peters Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not Charleston, SC Egg Harbor Township, NJ Nashville, TN necessarily reflect the views of NAGC or its Board of Directors. NAGC Board-Parent Representative Parent & Community Network Chair NAGC Staff Liaison Copyright © 2018. National Association for Gifted Children, Tracy Inman Janette Boazman Kathleen Nilles 1331 H Street NW, Suite 1001, Washington, DC 20005. Bowling Green, KY Dallas, TX 202-785-4268. www.nagc.org. 2To accessPHP issues| Parenting digitally, for High go to Potential www.nagc.org/resources-publications/nagc-publications from the American Federation of Teachers partnering with NAGC to spread the word ask NAGC for advice and best (AFT)—to the San Francisco 49ers— about the needs of gifted children. practices on how to identify, assess, to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation are NAGC’s presence is also felt beyond nurture, and advocate for their high-ability Changing Minds Through Media this country’s borders in a variety of children. 53 ways. Membership includes individuals NAGC is proud to be a leader on and organizations across the globe. Using the global scene in providing highly resources such as research, position state- sought-after research, policies, education, ments, and draft policy recommendations, resources, community building, and 40 international members are advocates for advocacy support. The more we can all gifted children in their own countries. join hands to support gifted children, the Also, NAGC regularly responds to greater our reach and ultimate impact. inquiries from international educational Together we will model to our children and policy leaders. Recently, NAGC how to collaborate and be productive consulted with leaders from China, India, citizens of the world. 0 14 and Mexico, among others, about leading Number of media placements per year movements to increase support for gifted Author’s Note education in their respective countries. M. René Islas is the executive director And, at the grassroots level, parents and of the National Association for Gifted 2016 2017 2018 educators from North America, South Children. Placements tracked 1/1/16-10/31/18. America, Europe, and Asia frequently National Association for Gifted Children | December 2018 3 rural and remote Self-Select Bridges the Gap for Australian Adolescents By Christine Ireland group of very clever students in my Australia’s Underserved Gifted further focused on providing information Year 8 science class complained bitterly Students on pathways beyond school for regional, when I announced yet another unit Unfortunately, Australian curricula rural, and remote students. A on the solar system. These students falls short for gifted students across the loved science, but they were bored by the nation—and many teachers aren’t able Advice for Gifted Education repetition of the curriculum we had to to confidently improvise solutions. Our in Rural, Remote, and Low follow. Instead of studying, they began to international test scores, the Program Socioeconomic Areas do what many bored gifted children do: for International Assessment (PISA) and When I began to examine this issue in act out. Trends in International Math and Science my own professional circle, many parents With no funding for a gifted Study (TIMSS), have been declining over and educators told me that they did not science program in the rural the past two decades, especially among have enough time, resources, or training region I taught in, I had to top-end students. Furthermore, analysis to confidently address the needs of these improvise. I asked them to from the Organization for Economic and gifted students. Furthermore, many research the Hubble Space Co-operation Development (OECD) teachers do not have the type of historical Telescope and present has painted a poor picture of education and cultural knowledge that enables them their work to the class for Australian students from lower socio- to understand where their students and in a manner that they economic backgrounds, as well as from their families are coming from. had never used before. In provincial and remote regions. Australian Best-practice advice for teachers in these other words, no posters data shows that, in 2015, 78% of students schools includes avoiding the too-common or PowerPoints allowed— in major cities completed their Year 12 assumption that something is wrong, just lots of creativity instead. Certificate, while only 43% completed it broken, or missing from these children. In The results were remarkable. in very remote areas. Similarly, a very low Australia, indigenous students have been One musically talented student percentage of students in these remote tagged as having poor incoming skills, produced original music and lyrics areas continue on to university. different attitudes, poor health, and issues crammed full of high-level analysis. In 2017, the Australian government with criminal contact, substance abuse, Another presented a detailed and accurate commissioned an Independent Review and generational underemployment. It is account of Hubble’s life, aspirations, into Regional, Rural, and Remote and achievements in science through a Education (IRRRRE) to try to improve dramatization that included time travel to the education of students in rural areas.1 the present day. All of the students were The initial focus was to fund studies incredibly proud of their work and told me on the needs of these students, that this was the most challenging thing who often are of an indigenous they had done all year. Other members of background, a historically the school and parent community were underserved population.