Parents of Gifted Children
Many parents of gifted children seek information and support when they realize the exceptional nature of their children's emotional and intellectual lives. As parents grow in their understanding and acceptance of these exceptionalities, gifted children might grow in their understanding and acceptance of themselves. Parents often must assume primary responsibility for expansive educational planning and collaborative roles in school settings. As part of our consultation with parents of gifted students, we offer the following services:
Workshops or Presentations (one or a combination of topics may be adapted for your audience's needs)
Understanding Emotional Needs
Most gifted children have feelings and thoughts about others and the world around them that are different than those held by many age-mates and siblings. In what ways are these thoughts and feelings the essence of giftedness? What are some ways we might respond to these feelings and thoughts at home? This workshop covers the issues that arise in nurturing the social-emotional well-being of gifted students.
Parenting for Learning
Often gifted children do not respond to expectations for student classroom behavior. This may result in poor achievement and low motivation at school. What are some ways we might invite our children to value and practice learning at home? How might we respond when achievement issues arise at school?
Partnering with the Schools
Gifted children must know parents and teachers are a team committed to their learning and well-being at school. What are some ways parents might sustain a partnership in their children's education?
Book Study
Book study groups are comprised of 8-12 parents who participate in four sessions of 90 minutes each. The selected book focuses on topics such as the emotional nature of gifted children and how that looks in their lives at home and school. Other topics may include social pressures, gifted student achievement and underachievement, academic expectations, and perfectionism.
Annemarie Roeper Method of Qualitative Assessment
This method of assessment for giftedness is independent of the IQ test or other tools for measuring intellectual abilities. This method was developed by Dr. Annemarie Roeper to describe a child's giftedness qualitatively as emotional reactions and perspectives. QA provides insights for parents and teachers along with suggestions for school environments. QA is appropriate when traditional measures of giftedness are insufficient or when parents and teachers want more information about the child. (Click here for more information)