November Gifted Update

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Jaclyn

November 2022 Gifted Update

Dear Gifted Families,

Happy Fall!!!  Here is an update on Gifted Enrichment and parent resources for November!

 This month we have been focusing on Procrastination.   Students were given an inventory which helps them identify what type of procrastinator they might be (yes, there are several types) and strategies were provided on how to overcome procrastination. 

Website Recommendations for Parents on Procrastination

One of the overall themes we continue to address is the workings of the gifted brain. Students continue to work on identifying their strengths, both personal and academic, as well as areas they can further developed. This goal includes strategies students can use to help them accept or overcome challenges.

Book Recommendations for Parents

These resources focus on strategies for helping kids with:

  • perfectionism
  • underperformance, motivation, and engagement
  • over excitabilities and emotional regulation
  • recognizing and managing stress

Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students (Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings) by Christine Fonseca

Living with Intensity:  Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults by Susan Daniels and Michael Piechowski

Critical and Creative Thinking resources are always a good way to help keep our gifted students engaged. I have shared some of our favorites for home use, during the holiday break! 

Logic/Puzzle Websites for Home

“Parenting any child comes with its highs and lows, but when raising a gifted child, the highs might look like Mt. Everest and lows like the Mariana Trench! The joys of parenting gifted children are many, as parents in our Young Scholars program will tell you. You glow with pride when they start an underground newspaper or startle in amazement when they start speaking well ahead of schedule.

However, parents may feel at a loss when dealing with the challenges of raising a gifted child. You may find that your gifted child doesn’t respond well to “conventional wisdom” or that parenting magazines don’t always prepare you to drop your 13-year-old off at a community college class. In this article we review some of the common issues parents of gifted children may encounter with tips and insights to help you along the way!”

(Source: https://www.davidsongifted.org/gifted-blog/parenting-gifted-children-challenges-and-tips/)

Parenting Suggestions for a Nurturing Environment

  • Model lifelong learning.  Show by example that learning is something people can and should do throughout their lives, not just in school.
  • Expect asynchronous development.  This is a fancy way of saying that just because your son talked earlier than other kids doesn’t mean he’ll be able to ride a bicycle any sooner.  Gifted kids aren’t gifted at everything, and some areas of learning and ability may lag behind others.  Don’t be alarmed; it’s perfectly normal.
  • Use praise sparingly.  Calling attention to grades, school status, or participation in special programs puts pressure on the child to always excel and creates anxiety in losing your approval if he doesn’t.
  • Use encouragement generously.  Emphasize the process of learning and growing, not the product.  One of the most valuable lessons your child can learn from you is that mistakes are for learning.  Model this in your own behavior and encourage it in your child.
  • Provide thought provoking toys, puzzles, and games.  Model self-talk and how to endure frustration, persevere, lose gracefully, and solve problems while playing.
  • Children struggle to find a balance between the need to be accepted and the need to be themselves.  Give all of the support, encouragement, love, and understanding you can.
  • Whenever possible, let your child solve his/her own problems. Help build self-discipline, ownership, and responsibility in your child.
  • Ask about school experiences.  Really listen to what they have to say.  Stay in touch with your child’s teacher; attend as many conferences and school events as you possibly can.
  • Join and support efforts of your local and state advocacy groups for gifted.  Don’t be afraid of being a squeaky wheel.  No one knows your child better than you do.

Mark your calendars now for the G.P.A.C. Gifted Parent Meeting!  My district gifted team and I will lead this event; we’ll learn about giftedness and critical and creative thinking resources!  It would be wonderful to meet you all, in person!  It is scheduled for December the 6th, Tuesday night, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We are having this training at Nease High School.

Advocacy/Collaboration with Gifted Parents in St. Johns County

Gifted Resource Wish List: 

The items on this list will be used as a part of my instruction of my gifted students. We work on both social/emotional lessons, as well as problem-solving/logic/reasoning activities. Any games, books, or supplies purchased from this list will be used for these purposes. Thank you for your contributions!! CLICK HERE

Upcoming Dates and Reminders

Daily updates are posted on your Gifted Schoology Page.  (Parents, encourage your child to check this often as it is the main way we communicate with the students about lunch bunches and updates!) Please log into your Schoology account for the November Virtual Check in and to make a consult appointment, if needed!

Thank you for allowing me the privilege to work with your children.  Please do not hesitate to contact me, if I can ever answer any questions or be of any assistance to you! Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday break!

Jaci Racano
Gifted Consultative Teacher
[email protected] | http://teachers.stjohns.k12.fl.us/racano-j/
Office phone: 547-8687

 

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