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Just Imagine

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Over and again the same question is posed by parents, educators, and researchers: “What is giftedness?” The answer is not always straight-forward.

Students capable of working in a capacity that regularly exceeds the information routinely taught in the classroom or at a level of aptitude in the top 10% of age-peers are often placed in the category of gifted. But alone, this doesn’t reveal the entire picture nor even the most accurate. Aptitude implies performance, and performance relies at least in part on motivation.

IQ tests place all gifted children into the category of 2SD [standard deviation] or more above normal on the bell curve. Depending upon which test is used, an IQ test alone may not always tease apart the wide range of giftedness nor acknowledge testing issues that may cause falsely elevated or deflated scores. Furthermore, states, school districts and intelligence researchers vary significantly in quantifying gifted aptitude and what qualities such as creativity may be components of that aptitude.

Not all states have gifted programs, and only 17 states with such programs require the gifted teachers to be credentialed in giftedness.  Add to this the fact that only 3% of general education teachers have giftedness training, and ask yourself whether educators would be able to consistently recognize every gifted child in every classroom.

Grouping all gifted children together at or above 2SD or more above normal can also water down gifted understanding. The gifted sub-groups most likely to be both most misunderstood and deeply affected by the experience of being gifted are the highly and profoundly gifted children, some of whom may be 3SD or more away from the norm. These children see and experience the world in truly unique ways. But significant factors, including but not limited to learning disabilities, can lower their IQ test results despite the presence of profound intelligence.

Yet even if a gifted child were easy to recognize and define, the school funding it would take to properly educate the student must come primarily from local resources, as only 25 states provided any gifted funding during 2012-2013 (with 6% of those cutting their previous funding). Poor districts continue to suffer the most, and the poorest gifted children are the least likely to receive proper educational support.

Giftedness is not an on-off switch. Giftedness is a patchwork of strengths and weaknesses.

Expressing giftedness in a way which can easily be quantified is dependent upon a large number of factors. Children develop at widely differing rates physically, emotionally, as well as intellectually in what is termed asynchrony. Some additional factors affecting expression may be as ordinary as fatigue from not sleeping the night before or hunger from missing breakfast. Being slighted or bullied by a classmate before school or feeling boredom from the repetition of a topic long mastered could equally distract a gifted student from performing well on their school work. Trying to express one’s giftedness through the lens of a physical, emotional, or learning disability affects a child more than most adults can even imagine.

The inner life of a gifted child directly impacts how a gifted child interacts with their outer world.

It’s in this precise altered change of viewpoint – from the usual outside in view to an inside out view – that a definition of giftedness came about that speaks most clearly to my own experiences with gifted children and adults. This inside out definition was derived via the combined efforts of a small number of psychologists, educators, and parents in what was released in January 1992 as the Columbus Group definition. Formulated in Columbus, Ohio that previous year, the definition states:

“Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm.  This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity.  The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally.” 

What was outstanding and immensely ground-breaking about this definition was its clear attempt to express the inner world of the gifted individual. This was and is a grand departure from the output-associated performance definitions that occupy most of the discussions and approaches of the educational system. Within the Columbus Group definition is one important word that resonates and essentially serves as my own mini-definition of giftedness.

GIFTEDNESS =VULNERABILITY

At the 2014 International Mensa Conference held in Boston, I hoped my audience could relate to such a direct comparison. In retrospect, I had no need to doubt. So many of the participants spoke up during and after the session on how these two words, words most people would be reluctant to ever place side-by-side, resonated with their own lives and the lives of their children. Alluded to were stories of anxiety, co-existing learning disabilities, being misunderstood, intense emotions and loneliness.

Giftedness implies something extra and vulnerability implies something lacking. How can someone who is gifted be perceived as lacking something? How can a gifted person possibly be vulnerable? These are the questions asked by people and groups who believe those who are gifted have unfair advantages. They may say “the gifted have it easy,” or “they will grow up just fine,” regardless of their circumstances. Others say “all children are gifted”. If a child is said to be gifted then that child is assumed to be ahead of peers in all areas. If it is noted that this is not the case, doubters will say alas the child was not gifted after all. So many misconceptions. Vulnerability in the gifted is indeed real and there are reasons why it persists.

  • Negative societal and media stereotyping of gifted children and adults
  • Severe limitations of schools to accommodate the educational & emotional needs of all gifted children (especially the highly & profoundly gifted)
  • Limited awareness and support of giftedness by educators and medical professionals
  • Limited awareness and support for gifted children having co-existing learning disabilities (twice-exceptional, 2e)
  • An overwhelming gifted inner experience in many gifted of heightened intensities (Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities)
  • Inordinate pressure felt by many gifted to follow the mantra “For those to whom much is given, much is required.” – John F. Kennedy.
  • Objectification of gifted individuals by other people with aims of selfish gain obtained through their advanced abilities
  • The loneliness of being different with a constant pressure to conform
  • The need for appropriate local peer-groups, a rarity for many gifted (and even more so for the highly and profoundly gifted)
  • Self-criticism, existential depression, multi-potentiality issues, asynchronous development, and perfectionism of the gifted

Each of these points can be expanded into essays of their own. Without better understanding by all of society of the complexity of the gifted inner world and the gifted individual’s interactions with a complex and not always embracing outer world, civilization will continue to lose remarkably gifted individuals in all fields of study and professions. Accidental death and suicide has been responsible for a number of these losses.

It is without a doubt that the sensitivity of the gifted that brings upon the world great works of art, music, literature, and science can also be partially and/or wholly implicated in the intense emotions which wage a battle to contain the vulnerability felt from being and thinking and relating so differently to our world.

As much as the gifted are at risk of vulnerability, society too is at risk of vulnerability each time a gifted child loses hope and turns away from his or her own gifts. Imagine a world where every gifted child of every race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status were fully supported in their desire to dream, create, innovate, and fly to places unimaginable.  It’s not impossible….Just imagine.

[Find out more about the complexities of giftedness at SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted).]

“A child miseducated is a child lost. “ –  John F. Kennedy

Not The Last Resort

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When I began homeschooling I looked at homeschooling as the last possible resort for my child to finally get a fulfilling education when all other options were exhausted. But my mindset was backwards. Homeschooling wasn’t simply a last resort. It was and is a rational and valuable first choice for education.

I’m a child of public education. But since the 1960’s-1970’s public education has changed considerably . The loss of freedom for both student and educator are painfully palpable. No Child Left Behind. Common Core. Testing. Overcrowding. Societal and economic challenges. In many schools recess and snack time have vanished. Art and music has likewise been cut from many schools’ funding. The era seems to be vanishing when kids could be kids and the normal variations in child development were understood. Kids are not short adults.

Teachers and students are unhappy with the way things are today.

13% of educators leave their school or the profession every year. 40-50% of teachers leave education in five years (at a larger disproportionate level in high-poverty schools). Continuity is gone. School violence rises. Kids ultimately suffer and pay the consequences. Private schools are not the answer for most people, as the costs for families can reach $30,000+ per year/per student. Nor are private schools necessarily a good fit for all learners.

I’m an advocate for strong curriculum standards. But as much as I desire strong standards, I don’t wish our children to be standardized. Nor do I feel classrooms should be standardized. Teachers each bring with them their own unique strengths that are frequently overshadowed in standardized classrooms.

I’ve homeschooled for over a decade due to my child not fitting the age-grouped core standards. Allowing my child to advance beyond age-level was not an option in my particular district, nor common in my home state. Alternatively, I’ve seen other beautiful children lose their innate love for learning trying their best without success to achieve required standards at an age when they were simply not ready. Oftentimes a change in environment is the better answer.

Children should not be made to feel wrong, to feel broken, in a system that does not suit them.

Homeschool = Not The Last Resort.

Homeschooling can allow the freedom to choose what to learn and when. Homeschooling empowers a student to own his/her educational path even from a early age. In today’s internet-linked society, the access for high level individualized instruction is a keystroke away. Support groups, online classes, field trips, local homeschool coops, and so much more. By choosing to embrace each child’s individual needs and desires, there may be as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers.

Families homeschool for many different reasons. Traditionally those reasons may have been primarily religious, but today religion comprises only one segment of the multi-faceted homeschool population. In fact, the proportion of families homeschooling for primarily religious reasons accounts for only 16% of the total group. Dissatisfaction with traditional academics accounts for a higher percentage. Caring for a child with a learning disability or mental and/or physical disabilities are three not uncommon reasons for homeschooling. Sports, the arts, and balancing a meaningful childhood experience with the increasing demands of today’s competitive environment are other reasons.  Families also homeschool to escape bullying or school violence.

U.S. homeschoolers number almost two million strong (almost four percent of all students and nearly double the number since I began homeschooling), and their rate is said to be growing faster than the rate of students entering public schools. Documentaries on schools like Waiting For Superman, Race to Nowhere, and The Lottery add to the conversation.

Families may confront overwhelming difficulty in deciding what educational system fits best for their own children. Some teachers are even choosing to homeschool their own children.

U.S. children today are showing more frequent signs of stress, anxiety, depression, and self-destructive behaviors. One in five children are reported to have a diagnosable and treatable mental health issue. The use and sharing of stimulants such as Ritalin is at enormous unprecedented levels. Academic cheating is on the rise. School violence is outrageous. If homeschooling can focus on the child and preserve a child’s mental health and safety, then families who break from traditional school may be at the vanguard of a new and healthier age. Such an outcome benefits society. Many homeschool educators comment on how homeschooling has allowed their children to retain a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. And isn’t that the entire goal of education?

If any of you are considering homeschooling but are unable to decide, a few of the books I found useful as starting points include:

  • The Homeschool Option: How To Decide When It’s Right For Your Family [Lisa Rivero]
  • The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling [Rachel Gathercole]
  • Making The Choice: When Typical School Doesn’t Fit Your Atypical Child [Corin Barsily Goodwin/Mika Gustavson]
  • Free To Learn [Peter Gray]
  • Teach Your Own [John Holt/Pat Farenga]
  • Educating Your Gifted Child: How One Public School Teacher Embraced Homeschooling [Celi Trépanier – coming out March 2015]

Whatever your path, remember that the destination alone isn’t the most important point. So be sure to enjoy the journey.

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Journey Begins

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I’ve dabbled in writing since childhood. So many elaborate stories long forgotten spoken to one’s self in moments of daydreaming and quiet contemplation. Later, well-thumbed notebooks and scattered sheets of paper filling folders that gather in boxes. A linear thinker, I am not. Perhaps that may be an advantage when dreaming the impossible and inventing the improbable. But nonlinearity is never a friend of organization.

Organization is one major goal for 2015. I’ve heard all the advice. Prioritizing a regular time for writing. Setting personal goals for word counts, revisions, and submissions. Taking a more proactive role with online writer’s groups, local critique groups, and regional and national writer’s conferences. Plus, reading…reading…reading.

Children’s books are a particular longtime passion. This passion stems in part from the importance of literature to a growing mind and my long-vested interest in the general health and welfare of children through my career as a pediatrician and my role as a parent and advocate. Books are among the first tactile and visual means of making sense of one’s world. Archeologists strive their entire careers to find ancient scrolls and writing from past civilizations as representative evidence of where we came from and where we might be going. By nature, children are archeologists and scientists.  Children can see through artifice and condescending voices. We should not let them down.

We owe children the finest representation of our written worlds.

Books ignite memories. Books inspire. Books embrace. Books challenge. Books inform. Books allow readers to travel around many universes and deep within themselves. But even before great institutions like the ancient Royal Library of Alexandria in Egypt in the 3rd century B.C., memorable tales were told through art, images, and the spoken word.

Sharing stories together provides a link in the continuous human chain of connectedness.

Besides obvious enjoyment, reading aloud to a child enhances children’s language proficiency and processing speed. Research shows that reading aloud has benefits even with teens. This was a common practice for the entire family before the dawn of modern technology. Reading aloud shouldn’t stop when a child has learned to read. Some children have actually feigned an inability to read just so their parents would continue reading to them. Even the Academy of Pediatrics has been vocal in supporting the value of reading aloud.

Non-profit organizations like Reach Out And Read and First Book, along with other organizations like Reading Rainbow and the American Library Association are among some of the staunch advocates for child literacy. The New York Public Library recently published a list of their 100 Great Children’s Books of 100 Years that coincided with the NYC exhibit held recently on children’s literature. Local libraries, schools, and bookstores have long supported child literacy even as more bookstores and libraries close and only 31% of children 3-17 years of age read for fun.

Societal issues add further difficulties. Children in affluent families are exposed to 30 million more words by age three than children in poorer families . The family unit has shifted too with 30% of U.S. children living with only a single parent and an additional 5% of children living with an adult other than a parent. Lives are stressful. How can writers better support families and childhood literacy?

Above my desk hang five brass plaques each with a single embossed letter that together represent everything important to me about my writing journey. This word serves as my daily reminder.

S-T-O-R-Y

The power of story. Story is in the DNA of our past, present, and future. Every time you share a story, whether your own, or a beloved book or tale, it helps sustain the human chain of connectedness. So do it now. It’s likely that each of us can recall a book in our childhood that continues to speak to us. Stories can transform lives.

What books spoke to YOU?

Furthermore…What stories do you have within you waiting to be added to our human chain?

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” – Walt Disney