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Twice-Exceptional Newsletter 2July/August 2011 for Parents, Teachers and Professionals

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Twice-Exceptional Newsletter 2July/August 2011 for Parents, Teachers and Professionals TM Twice-Exceptional Newsletter 2July/August 2011 For parents, teachers and professionals. Issuee 47 Helping twice-exceptional children reach their potential. Featured in this Issue Homeschooling the By Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson, MFT Page An option for parents when the local schools 3 Gifted or 2e Child aren’t a good fit for their gifted or 2e child. Quote In the right climate, A Conversation with A specialist in homeschooling children with Page where students know learning challenges shares her experiences 5 Sandy Cook with school and homeschool. and feel they are respected and valued for their uniqueness, From Socialization to By Lisa Rivero Page Ways to think about social skills and a few 8 anything is possible. Social Skills ideas for tapping into homeschooling’s unique social potential. — Richard Weinfeld, Sue Jeweler, Linda Barnes-Robinson, and Betty Shevitz Also Inside From the Publishers ...................................................................................................................... 2 Resources for Homeschooling 2e Children ...............................................................................11 ! Book Review — Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner ..........................................................12 A Profile of Baywood Learning Center .......................................................................................14 News .............................................................................................................................................16 Bob Seney on Books: Mockingbird .............................................................................................18 Conference Coverage: 2e Forum in Sydney, Australia ..............................................................19 Dr. Sylvia Rimm: Daughter Acts LIke 6... Or 2... Or Sometimes 25 ..........................................21 Events ...........................................................................................................................................22 2e From the Publishers Welcome! Welcome to 2e Newsletter for July, 2011. The focus of our issue is homeschooling. As we enjoy (or swelter through) mid-summer (at least here in the northern hemisphere), some families with twice-exceptional children may be regarding the coming school year with dread, wondering how they will get the needs of their 2e children met. Some may choose to give up the struggle with public or private schools that just “don’t get” their children and decide, instead, to homeschool. This issue looks at reasons to homeschool twice-ex- ceptional children and benefits that can result, and it looks at resources to help homeschooling families find success. Also featured in this issue are coverage of a 2e conference that took place in Sidney, Australia, and a profile of Bay- wood Learning Center, which provides a unique learning experience for children who learn in different ways. You’ll also find our regular columns and news from the 2e community. If you haven’t already discovered the 2e Newsletter Network at Ning.com, we invite you to check it out as a re- source. A variety of groups there allow you to converse with others who share your 2e concerns. For example, there are groups on specific “e’s,” and even groups on combinations of “e’s” like AD/HD-Anxiety or Tourette’s-Asperger’s-AD/HD. There are location-specific groups for New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, not to mention northern Virginia! Or, join a group for 2e homeschoolers, 2e advocates, or 2e adults. And if you don’t see a group you think should be there, feel free to create one yourself; that’s allowed and encouraged. The 2e Newsletter Network at Ning is free. Registration is required with a valid email (which is not made public), and a screen name is required, although members may use only their first names or else some kind of fanciful, anony- mous handle. A look at the users on the Network as we write this shows that many people are comfortable enough to use their real and full names, a testament, perhaps, to the bonds of trust created by a common interest in doing good for twice-exceptional kids. Anyway: the invitation link that’s valid through July is http://2enewsletter.ning.com/?xgi=4toIlLBA7KdKiK. To join after July, email us for the current link. (Ning changes it monthly.) The more members the network has, the more valu- able it will be for everyone. See you there! — Linda C. Neumann and J. Mark Bade Glen Ellyn Media July, 2011 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter is a publication about twice-exceptional children, children who are gifted and who have learning difficulties that go by many names, including learning disabilities, learning disorders, and just plain learning differences. Our goal is to promote a holistic view of the 2e child — not just the high IQ, or the quirkiness, or the disabilities, but the child as a whole person. Comments and suggestions are always welcome by phone, fax, or e-mail. 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September, and November. The cost for a one-year electronic subscription is $30. Contact us for group and institutional rates. Send changes of address to [email protected] or by mail to 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter, PO Box 582, Glen Ellyn, IL 60138-0582. Linda C. Neumann, Editor; J. Mark Bade, Business Manager. Phone: 630.293.6798; Fax: 630.344.1332. Web: www.2eNewsletter.com. E-mail: [email protected]. Editorial Advisory Board: Susan Assouline, EdS, PhD; Susan Baum, PhD; Kathi Kearney, MA Ed; Deirdre Lovecky, PhD; Pat Schuler, PhD; Linda Kreger Silverman, PhD; Joan Franklin Smutny, MA; Marlo Rice Thurman, MS; Meredith Warshaw, MSS, MA. The contents of 2e Newsletter are not intended to constitute medical or clinical advice, which should be obtained from a licensed practitioner. The use of information from 2e Newsletter for commercial purposes is prohibited without consent in writing from Glen Ellyn Media. Copyright © 2011 by Glen Ellyn Media, unless otherwise noted. The yellow and red 2e logo on blue is a trademark of Glen Ellyn Media. 2e Newsletter • July/August 2011 2 www.2eNewsletter.com 2e Featured Topic Homeschooling the Gifted or 2e Child By Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson, MFT Other families prefer a less structured approach to education, which allows them to create a better match Many gifted and 2e children do very well in schools for their child’s learning style. Homeschooling provides throughout the U.S. There are all kinds of programs an educational environment that can be tailored to meet designed to meet the special needs of the fortunate the needs of the gifted child without the repetition found children who have access to them. When there’s a good in the mainstream sequential curriculum; without a focus fit for the unique educational needs of one’s child, there’s on standards that do not support individual potential; and no need to look for further options. However, these without artificial social relations, which are often poorly programs are not available to all of the families who need suited to gifted children. Families can allow the interests them, due to location, district funding, or limited personal of the child to take the lead in the educational process, resources. So what are parents to do when a good fit adopting a more eclectic style of homeschooling, is not available? Since an increase in developmental asynchronies correlates with an increase in IQ scores, The Educational Benefits of Homeschooling finding a comfortable place for a gifted or 2e child to grow The flexibility inherent in homeschooling allows and thrive educationally and socially gets commensurately gifted children to work from a wide variety of educational more difficult. materials and to set the pace and manner of learning to Enter homeschooling as an option. suit their needs. For example, kinesthetic learners (those who need to move while thinking) are more likely to retain What is Homeschooling? information when allowed to sit on the floor and build Homeschooling is a multi-dimensional continuum that Lego™ starships or otherwise remain in motion during can take many forms. Variables include: a discussion of whatever subject is at hand. They don’t • The extent of structure or planning have to use up all of their mental energy by trying to sit • Where the learning takes place still and focus on reading an assigned textbook. Other • Who does the teaching (if any) children may find that participatory activities, such as • The degree of independence from educational institu- designing and building catapults, are a successful method tions of combining physics with historical/political context in • Whether or not to grade a way that engages their creative minds. Still others may • Whether learning is child- or parent-led prefer a more subject-specific orientation, albeit in great • Whether or not to pursue a theme or follow a specific detail and depth. curriculum. Another benefit to homeschooling is that these Some parents who are brand new to homeschooling children tend to have more time to pursue interests not may choose to take advantage of support and services normally covered in the classroom or to find experts or offered by a school district or charter program. One mentors willing to share their specialized knowledge. benefit of such a program is the familiarity of the Homeschoolers are not limited to the expertise of a educational paradigm — that is, school still looks like particular
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