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Things of Beauty Are a Joy Forever In this Teacher's Bulletin Board item, two early childhood educators talk about the aesthetics of a classroom in relationship to learning. The same principles may be applied by parents in creating a beautiful, learning-conducive environment for their child's room at home. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
Help Kids Talk to Teachers Here is some good advice to pass on to your child about talking to his or her teacher. Tips include: make an appointment, be diplomatic and respectful, be prepared to make positive suggestions, maintain a sense of humor, determine what you need before the conference, what to do if the conference is not successful, and many more. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
Cutting and Pasting Blaze New Trails Preschoolers can learn the basics of language through a variety of "cut and paste" activities that make learning fun. These activities are valuable in the classroom or at home. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
Stalking the Wilderness in Comfort and Safety In this Idea Place entry, learn how to organize and prepare for a family outing in the great outdoors. Safety tips are provided to help make a family outdoor adventure a memorable experience. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
Stalk the Wilderness in Comfort and Safety Looking for a fun and challenging family adventure? Try hiking the great outdoors. In this Idea Place entry, you'll learn how to prepare your family for a safe and enjoyable learning experience with Mother Nature. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
12 Study-Skill Tips for Your Child Here's some good advice to give your child about studying -- some tricks of the trade to enhance productivity and enjoyment. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
We're OK, You're OK This article summarizes research investigating the impact of the "gifted" label on gifted students and their families. The researchers conclude that family members adjust to the label, sometimes better than the gifted child him- or herself does. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
What Makes a Good Game? In this article, perfect for the gift-giving season, game reviewer Ruth Roufberg offers you several criteria for selecting a "good" game. These pertain to "classic" or non-computer games -- a refreshing idea! Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
How to Advocate for Gifted Programs in the Regular Classroom In this Ask the Experts column, Dr. Beverly Parke discusses how to advocate for gifted programs in your child's regular classroom. The author gives five tips for parents to assess what the school provides for gifted children and to begin a school-wide advocacy effort. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
_______Ask Dr. James Alvino Thinking about Eminence What is the difference between eminence, reknown, and fame? Which does our society value most? What implications does this have for gifted programs? These questions are addressed in this insightful editorial. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
_______Ask Arthur Lipper III™ The Return on Investment from Special Education for Gifted Children. A controversial article that may spark some small effect in changing the attitudes of those who influence the allocation and investment of special education funds. Thinking of people in investment terms is a dirty job, but someone has to do it as there is not, and cannot in the future, be enough for oil. Jump to Full NewsWeb Story
During the period when many of the Library articles appearing in Gifted-Children.Com were first published, Gifted Children Monthly was advised by respected members of the community who generously gave of their time, knowledge, experience, and insights. While they are alumni advisors of Gifted-Children.Com, we are proud to acknowledge their commitment and contribution to the development and encouragement of gifted and talented children.
Steve Allen, commedian, author composer
Alexinia Baldwin, professor and chairman, department of curriculum and instruction, University of Connecticut at Storrs
It is the night before a paper mache model of Mars is due. At one home with a gifted child, Mars has been completed, embellished and ready to go for days. In another, Mars is being hastily put together and dried in the oven to ready it for painting the next morning.
Conversation over breakfast here at this second household is heavily sprinkled with the need to plan ahead and intimations that this will be the last, last-minute bail out.
Familiar scenes? According to Dr. Diane Farris, who provided these examples from her experience teaching gifted children at the University of Florida's Laboratory School in Gainesville, the way kids interact with others and the world reflects their psychological "type."
Sixteen Possible Types
Contemporary theory of psychological type is based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung, Freud's most famous disciple who explained human personality in terms of extroversion, introversion and modes of perception and judgment.
Extroversion (E) is commonly defined as a preference for the outer world of people and things; Introversion (I) as a preference for the inner world of concepts and ideas.
Perception (P) refers to how we go about "finding out" what we know about a situation or a problem; there are two opposite ways of finding out: Sensing (S) and Intuition (N, because I stands for introversion).
It's one of those things you know when you see it, but it's not so easy to define. What is leadership exactly, and how do you recognize and nurture it in your child? For one thing there are several definitions of leadership. For example:
"Leadership is the process of influencing the ac- of individuals, groups and organizations" (Joe Olmstead, Office of Naval Research); " . . . in efforts toward goal attainment." (Management of Organizational Behavior, Hersey & Planchart, 1969)
"Leadership is the ability to see a course of action that others miss and then follow it with persistence." (Senator Bill Bradley, D-NJ)
But whether the definition derives from business, politics, or the military -- there are some common threads. Leadership involves influencing others in individual or group efforts and requires persistence, forecasting, problem solving and action.
The right kinds of leaders are important for the survival of our civilization. History teaches us that democracies fail when they don't recognize and value their intelligent, imaginative citizens. And without a doubt, gifted children who excel in their chosen fields -- whether the sciences, arts, or social services -- will be called upon to assume and perform leadership roles.
So it's a good idea to develop the qualities of leadership early . . . for personal fulfillment as well as soci Jump to Full Gifted-Children Story