Reader Q&A

african american students at desk

Why School Retention is a Terrible Idea

Here’s a question I would never have thought you’d hear me say: Is school retention a good idea for gifted kids? Recently, I’ve received emails from multiple teachers pleading for help in persuading parents not to redshirt or retain their gifted children. When I read the first one, I literally

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boy doing book report

Book Report Badness: Reader Q & A

Book Report Badness: The Trouble with Summarizing There is always some tension between teaching a subject and making sure that we don’t turn the subject into a source of pain and drudgery. It’s the art of teaching (and parenting, really). I’ve written about it before when I talked about the

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advanced learner gifted student

What To Do With An Advanced Language Arts Student

I received an email from a parent who had asked the high school to allow her 9th grade daughter to enroll in AP English, rather than in Honors 9th Grade English. The school declined, and the parent wanted my suggestion on what to do. Note: Frequently I get questions from parents

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the twice-exceptional school struggle

The 2e School Struggle: Reader Q & A

When a student is struggling in school, a family is struggling in school. I once heard Dr. Phil say, “When you’re a parent, you’re only as happy as your saddest child.” #truth I frequently hear stories of school struggle from readers. Sometimes the stories just break my heart. Sometimes they

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helping a highschool underachiever

Can We Get a High School Underachiever on Track? Reader Q & A

I’ve written about the homework battle before, and I don’t mean to discourage anyone, but it doesn’t usually get better as the student gets older. Gifted kids frequently resist homework and have other executive function issues that lead to stress and mismatched expectations. Will someone please tell me again why

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student studying in math

Accelerating Gifted Kids in Math: A Case Study

Sometimes gifted kids can move much more quickly than the system is ready for. Sometimes gifted kids can move much more quickly than they are ready for. What do you do when you have a child whose cognitive abilities exceed the opportunities available? How do you handle it when it’s

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parents with boxes - When Gifted Kids Move

When Gifted Kids Move: Tips for Parents and Districts

What happens when a gifted student moves from one school district to another? How do parents obtain continuity of service for gifted students? How can you make the transition as smooth as possible? When gifted kids move, it can be trickier than it is for typical learners. The same is,

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two kids talking: how to teach gifted children humility

How to Teach Gifted Children Humility

Reader Request I love responding to reader requests, and I recently solicited some questions on my Facebook page. This question came in from a mom of a gifted child, and I think it’s a common concern. Mom writes: What is the best way to teach a gifted child humility in youth?

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advice blocks - Differentiation Teacher-to-Teacher

Differentiation Advice: Teacher to Teacher

Need Some Differentiation Advice? Have you ever wanted some differentiation advice from real, live teachers in real, live classrooms? How can teachers who are comfortable with a differentiated classroom support and encourage teachers who are new to differentiation or struggling with differentiation? I’ve got answers! I recently had the wonderful

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child asking why students need to show their work - role and importance of process

The Role and Importance of Process

Reader Request I love responding to reader requests, and I recently solicited some questions on my Facebook page. This question came in from a parent in Pennsylvania, and I think it’s a common issue for gifted kids (and adults, really). In the interest of full disclosure, I actually have met

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