Family Conversations Engaging AIG Learners at Home in the Summer

Family ConversationsEngaging AIG Learners at

Home in the Summer

Sneha Shah-ColtraneDirector, Gifted Education and Advanced Programs

NC Department of Public Instruction

Sneha.shahcoltrane@dpi.nc.gov 919-807-3849

May 2013

Who are gifted children?Think about your own child or student(s). Describe characteristics.

COGNITIVELY AND EMOTIONALLY INTENSE.

Great way to remember…

Academic Needs

AIG LearnersAIG Learners

CognitiveNeeds

Emotional Needs

Social Needs

How do you engage your gifted child at home? You clearly are already doing a great job!

Top 10 ThoughtsEngaging Gifted Learners at Home

1. Determine your purpose – especially, in the summer.– Foster interest? Develop curiosity? Improve academic?

Attend to physical well-being? Foster friendships? Allow no schedule?

2. Discuss anything and everything. – Note interests.– Note when and where your child is most engaged.

3. Cultivate curiosity. – Ask questions.

– Provide time for thinking and wondering. I wonder…

– Create space and time for searching and learning.

Top 10 Thoughts cont’Engaging Gifted Learners at Home

4. Foster interest development. – Encourage any topics or questions of study.

– Interest is one of the most motivating factors for learning among gifted children.

– Provide opportunities for own research.

5. Develop academics.– Time to further build strengths or build on challenge

areas. – Use digital, print and real experiences. “Bedtime Math”

– Understand NC Standard Course of Study.

Top 10 Thoughts cont’Engaging Gifted Learners at Home

6. Support emotional development.– Use various media to spark conversations.

– Create connections between child and x.

– Reflect on situations from the prior year.

7. Engage with community.– Take a field-study to a local sites, such as parks,

museum, library, art exhibits.

– Volunteer with groups that support child’s passions.

– Experience service-learning opportunities.

8. Provide your gifted with choice and opportunities for input into the summer. – Family planning and activities.– Learning experiences and projects.

9. Be aware of your own tendencies as parents/caregivers during the summer and the family schedule.

10. Be with your child. Sharing time and moments over the summer will lead to a stronger relationship – this will have the biggest impact on her/his later life.

Top 10 Thoughts cont’Engaging Gifted Learners at Home

Books for Review

• Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings by Christine Fonseca

• Parenting Gifted Children by Jennifer Jolly, Donald Treffinger and Tracy Inman and Joan Franklin Smutney

• Raising a Gifted Child by Carol Fertig

• Teacher’s Survival Guide Gifted Education by Julia Link Roberts and Julia Roberts Boggess

Online Resources

Supporting Emotional Needs of the GiftedWebsite: http://www.sengifted.org/

NAGC website, National Association for Gifted Childrenhttp://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=1836&terms=social+and+emotional

Unwrapping the Gifted – Blog by T Fisherhttp://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/unwrapping_the_gifted/2009/03/using_bibliotherapy_with_gifted_children.html

Hoagies Giftedhttp://www.hoagiesgifted.org/parents.htm

In order to optimally develop your child, our goal is:

AIG: All Day, Everyday!