Are You A Gifted Adult?

As you may know, I have a highly gifted daughter who has the challenge of being quite different than most of her peers. She is highly creative and speaks well beyond her years, with insight and wisdom that go over the heads of her classmates. I was researching emotional issues related to giftedness at SENG, when I stumbled upon the forums for Gifted Adults housed there.

I too, was (am) a gifted child. I know only too well the hardships and challenges that most gifted people face socially and in the work place, but I hadn't considered how much this had continued to impact my adult life.

If you want a great place to discuss such issues and talk with others in the same situation, head over to the SENG Gifted Adults Forum. You'll find a sympathetic ear and lots of creative ideas for moving ahead and life and with your career.

It can all sound so bleak!

I just got finished reading two books on parenting gifted kids. I really liked the one authored by James Delisle, titled Parenting Gifted Kids. While both offered excellent ideas and overall strategies for dealing with the different issues of parenting and educating gifted children, they left me with an overwhelming sense of dread for the years of education to come. Over and over, they talk of fighting the system to get their kids an appropriate education for their highly-abled children. The current education system is clearly focused on the "average or below average" kid. Just look at standardized testing, especially with the FCAT here in Florida. There was even an article this week in Time Magazine that stated most curriculums have let other subjects slide or even dissappear so that they can teach to the test, i.e. math and reading to the exclusion of all other things. Don't get me wrong, math and reading are good, but once again, we are teaching to achieve "average" not greatness in those two subjects. What happened to preparing a person to be a well-rounded and well educated contributor to the world?

What is happening to the smarter children who can achieve more? Not very much I can tell you. Our child tested last year at an over 150 IQ. Everything I read says she will have a hard time getting much out of the current educational system. We have already run into the basic argument that they can meet her needs by just delving deeper into the existing curriculum, instead of accelerating her education to allow her to learn beyond what she has already mastered. We will taking a long journey here to try though. She is 8 now. So watch here and feel free to contribute your stories and saga regarding gifted kids. I'd like to hear them.

Review: The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide

My 8 year old daughter's review of The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide by Judy Galbraith



1) What did you like about the book the best? 4 great ways to turn on your brain. What did you find helpful? How to be the best you can be.



2) Would you recommend it? Yes. Why? It is helpful with tips you can use to handle problems in school.



Mom's comments: I bought this because she had been somewhat depressed lately with all she had to deal with as being marked "special" as a gifted kid in elementary school. She read it and told me that it was very helpful and that she found a lot to relate to in the comments from kids in the book. I would also recommend it as a parent of a gifted child

Summer Babies Poor Test Scores???

A recent article says that depending on when your baby is conceived affects how smart they are. Something about summer time creating more exposure to pesticides/chemicals in the mom-to-be's food/water. All I can tell you is that my oldest child was conceived in June and she is off the charts gifted with a tested IQ above 150. Does this mean she would be higher if conceived in lets say January? I don't know - but I think they tested people in Indiana ;)

How Exercise Makes Your Children Smarter

Newsweek has a new article out written by Mary Carmichael regarding the effect exercise can have on brainpower and the potential in the battle against Alzheimer's, a subject I care a lot about due to a strong family history. It also touches on the effect exercise has on the cognitive abilities of children:

Most studies of exercise and cognition have focused on older people—the folks who are just starting to worry that their minds aren't what they used to be—but the effects of physical exertion on the brain aren't limited to that group at all. In fact, in young children, they're even more potent. Exercise probably has "a more long-lasting effect on brains that are still developing," says Phil Tomporowski, a professor of exercise science at the University of Georgia. In kids, as in adults, the hippocampus reaps many benefits from exercise. This won't surprise parents of kids with ADHD, many of whom already use physical activity as a substitute or supplement for drugs. In children with the disorder, the hippocampus is enlarged, and it may be wired to the rest of the brain in abnormal ways that affect its function.

More details, including the specific biological process that are being studied, are available by clicking the link above to read the entire article. I also have a more extensive excerpt on my diet and exercise blog.