Is your child gifted? What to know so your child isn't overlooked

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Hi,
My friend's son, Harry, is a kid with voluminous energy and tremendous enthusiasm! His mere presence can make you relaxed and joyous. He also has the uncanny knack of making your laugh and smile! Ask him to bring you a thing or two from kitchen and he sprints like a cheetah, and dashes off to the kitchen by imitating the sounds of a car!

These are the classical examples of how a kid can bring a moment of fun and joy to a parent's life. Parenting can be funny and light humored! It could be light hearted and relaxing as well! The chaos of raising a busy and active family could be an exasperating task and a strenuous exercise. At times, parenting your kids may extract too much energy and demand plenty of patience from you. Parenting is rarely easy and simple! Are your kids driving you crazy? Parenting could land you in unexpected and unforeseen traps! Take it easy and stay relaxed. Your kids could be a rich source of good times and light moments.

They can make you laugh and shout with joy, with their antics and sense of humor. Finding humorous time with your kids is a great pastime and a relaxing event. Developing a sense of humor is perhaps the best thing a parent can do. Parenthood can change everything in your life. Let us be ready to accept the challenge of parenting our kids with a cool and lighter head. Variety is the spice of life and nothing could be more exciting than infusing a light dose of fun and thrill into our parenthood. All the best!

Thought for today:
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination. " - Tommy Lasorda

Best Regards,
Andrew Loh
Andrew Loh
Publisher & Editor, BrainyZine
andrew @ brainy-child.com

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Hidden Gifts: What To Know So Your Child Isn't Overlooked
By David Palmer, Ph.D

School's is in session - and although most of the parents don't realize it, millions of early elementary age kids are being screened, tested and sorted in an attempted to find those who need gifted education support services to flourish. While it may seem that gifted kids should be able to do well in any setting, parents, researchers and specialists who advocate for this sometimes overlooked group point out that many of our brightest child minds become bored, frustrated and tuned out both socially and academically.

Gifted Children-Getting the Balance Right
By Michael Grose

One of the challenges for the parents with a gifted child is to encourage them to develop a range of interest outside the academic sphere that not only rounds them out but stops them from being isolated from their peers. Gifted children are a diverse group of kids who are talented in specific areas such as math, language, sports or music. Some gifted kids are multi-talented excelling in a number of areas.

Q1: My wife and I have a 22 month old daughter (our first). We think she is maybe a little brighter than normal but everyone we meet states that they are amazed at the things she does and says. Is she considered gifted? Should we have her tested....

A: Your girl does show distinct characteristics of early giftedness and has definitely reached milestones far ahead of her peers. For now it really is not important to determine if she were gifted or not; what is important is that she shows very high potential and would need to be further guided to determine and gradually develop her gifts to the maximum... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Nurturing a Potentially Gifted Toddler here.

A: Processing speed generally refers to the varying speed with which individuals are able to perform cognitive activities such as the recognition of simple stimuli. Higher speed in cognitive processing usually allows more information to be acquired in a shorter time span enabling the individual to absorb and master materials of higher levels. Above average individuals usually have high processing speed, thus enabling them to reach developmental milestones ahead of their age mates. ... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Low Scores in WISC IV Processing Speed here.

Q3: In first grade, on the Terra Nova, my daughter scored 82 percentile in reading, 76 in language arts, and 96 in math. In second grade, her school said they were pleased with the scores and asked her to stay after school 1 hour twice a week to study for the Terra Nova. They told us they hoped to move her from "border line above average" to "clearly above average." My daughter did this for 5 months....

Q4: My 1st grade son, Andrew, was referred for gifted services last year by his Kindergarten teacher. The school decided to place him in 2nd grade math during 1st grade, however, the new principal for this year stopped that right away and had him tested. He scored 99th percentile on the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test ...We have provided the scores to the school but do not anticipate any response from the principal who seems completely reluctant to provide any acceleration or enrichment...

A: It's such a shame that the school principal and teacher are acting is such an unprofessional manner. Your son had obviously shown remarkable abilities and this is proven from the test results. As for the Metropolitan series of tests, he was obviously not ready and unwilling to take the test; hence the score. I can understand if the school decide to use this score as an indicator of ability and therefore based on the scores, may feel that your son did not need ant enrichment. ... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Misleading Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test Scores here.

High IQ Kids: Collected Insights, Information, and Personal Stories from the Experts
By Kiesa Kay, Deborah Robson and Judy Brenneman

This is not a guidebook on how to raise a profoundly gifted child. It is, rather, a collection of deeply moving personal experiences from parents of highly to profoundly gifted children packaged together with professional observations from some of the world's foremost experts on these children. Children who are twice exceptional are given center stage, which is not surprising, as Kisa Kay, the project coordinator, is a well known champion of children who are both profoundly gifted and also learning disabled or challenged.

High IQ Kids is for both parents and for educators who may be searching for answers as to how to address the needs of a child who is "way out there" on the far right of the bell curve. Highly gifted children are both different inside and out, and they tend to learn in a manner that is unusual; not just faster than the norm.

Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children
By James R.Delisle

This book provides a humorous, engaging and encouraging look at raising gifted children today. The author offers practical, down-to-earth advice that will cause parents to re-examine the ways they perceive and relate to their children. The author puts forth 10 tips to parents of gifted children-ideas that reflect attitude and approach and allow for introspection and change, rather than quick, do-it-tonight solutions.

Some topics of interest include understanding a child's giftedness, working with school system, dealing with perfectionism in gifted kids, and being adult role models for children. Along the way stories from gifted children and their parents provide insight into the lives of those individuals. This wonderful book is also an invaluable guide for educators to know the minds of a gifted child and understand methods that can come very handy in training these kids.

Do you have a Gifted Child?
Forbes Jan 23, 2008

On what point can all experts in gifted education agree? A gifted child can be talented across so many different areas that often you need to look hard to find him or her. But one thing is clear- each is a truly extraordinary individual. But, there is a scale that psychologists and schools can use to screen students for entrance into gifted programs. Called the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students, this tool lists dozens of characteristics of gifted children under categories that range from leadership and communication to math to art and music.

Genius in the Making
The Times Jan 31, 2008

Sophia is eight years old. She is obviously a bright little spark-everyone who meets her can't help but notice how clever she is. Whenever a parent volunteers to read with her class at her South London Primary School, he or she remarks on her ability. Sophia is a gifted child-at fourteen months she knew the alphabet, by the age 13, she mastered Hebrew and at 5 added Spanish to her collection of languages. In the past year, as a "hobby", she has taught herself how to use sign language.

Child-rearing tips that work
Nassau Guardian Jan 27, 2008

Raising children requires such vital and varied skills that parents and families need all the help and support they can get Dr. Ruth Peters, a clinical psychologist and an expert on parenting has come up with five parenting tips that work. She is not suggesting that parenting methods used in the past have been either right or wrong, but she is advising parents to think about and assess what has worked well with their child and what has not.

Chess engages as it challenges
Daily Herald Jan 27, 2008

It might be just a game, but many scientific studies on chess suggest it has positive benefits for brain development in children. Peter Dauvergne, an associate dean at the University of British Columbia and a Canadian chess master conducted a study in 2000, about how chess can be used to develop children's minds. The game fosters critical, creative and original thinking. Chess is a fun, interactive and engaging way for children to do those things. Like taking an exam in school, playing chess forces one to make good decisions under pressure.

How to help your child look beyond education's basic
Scripps News Jan 10, 2008

Schools are designed to ensure that each child has the basic skills necessary for life long learning. Think about this in terms of constructing a building. The school lays the foundation, which includes basic learning skills, but students and parents are the architects. They decide what the building looks like and what function it will serve in society. The height and grandeur of the building is determined by the architects, but it is also limited by the quality of the foundation.

A lack of natural play in early childhood could be the cause of ADHD
TES Feb 1, 2008

Scientists there have come to the conclusion that natural, unstructured play is vital to the development of young minds. This will come as no surprise to parents, nursery teachers and, indeed, anyone who has ever been a child.

Mobile phones and young brains
Sydney Morning Herald Jan 27, 2008

AUSTRALIAN scientists are investigating if children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of radiation from mobile phones. Associate Professor Rodney Croft, from the centre, said while studies had been conducted on adults, the effect on children had, until now, remained untested.

"Although there's a tiny effect on healthy young adults, there is a possibility that it could be much stronger in children or the elderly," Professor Rodney Croft said.

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