Children with special talents need different way to learn
Dominic Valencia<strong/><strong/> (left) jokes with friend Logan Slater<strong/> as Logan plays the guitar at home.
Every child has talents. But some children have such extraordinary capabilities they’re considered gifted.
Logan Slater’s gift is writing.
“When I was 3 or 4, I was obsessed with the word ‘technology’. Every other word was technology,” said the 12-year-old, a seventh-grader at St. Gregory College Preparatory School.
“He was a little different,” said his mother, Christina Slater.
Aside from possessing a huge vocabulary even as a baby, he would “obsess about different things at different times,” she said. “And he has the ability to look at something for a short period of time and remember it.”
Logan’s buddy and classmate, 13-year-old Dominic Valencia, computes math problems faster than most adults do. He can’t quite explain how he does it, but Dominic, who is colorblind, says it has to do with a system of assigning colors to numbers in groups of 10.
Both boys scored high enough on the ACTs, a college entrance exam, to qualify for a six-week program offered by The Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University this summer.
But in many cases, it’s not easy to tell whether a child is truly gifted or just really bright.
“There’s no exact definition of giftedness,” said Robert Young, who tried to organize a support group for families of gifted children last year. The group fizzled out after three or four meetings.
“It’s very political, so definitions vary according to the purpose of the questioner,” said Young, acting director of Sixth Avenue Tutorials and head of school at the International School of Tucson. “A lot is tied up with people trying to get a better education for their kids.”
In general, he said, gifted children are significantly ahead of the above average, and ordinary provisions don’t cater to them.
“Bright children laugh at my jokes; gifted children tell jokes that I laugh at,” a teacher once told Deborah Anders, co-director of the Gifted And Talented Education program in the Tucson Unified School District.
Of the 60,000 students in TUSD, no more than 25 are profoundly gifted, said Anders, who is also principal at Jefferson Park Elementary School. Programs such as GATE cater to the above average.
“One of the things we know is that gifted kids show passion for different activities and ideas and stay with them either until the end of time or until they learn it and move onto the next thing,” she said.
Gifted kids learn fast. They can think about highly abstract and high-level concepts and apply them to the world around them. They can multitask.
But being gifted can come with challenges. Gifted learners can be compulsive. They can be perfectionists. And they may not fit comfortably with their peer group.
“Their age peers are not necessarily their social peers,” Anders said. “If I’m a fourth-grader and I’m gifted, I generally get along with sixth-graders or eighth-graders or high school kids.”
Gifted children learn better when with other gifted kids, she said. “It’s a challenge for parents and teachers because we tended to use the gifted in class to help kids who don’t get it, and instead they should be moving at an accelerated pace.”
A high percentage of people in prison are considered gifted, she pointed out. “My belief is they were bored in school.”
Logan said he didn’t like the public school he attended from third to fifth grade. “I felt like I wasn’t learning enough.”
His mother said Logan never exhibited behavior problems, but took some time to learn that “life is full of things you don’t want to do.” Turning in homework assignments on time was one of those things, until recently.
“He was the most headstrong of all our children. We struggled with having him accept ‘no,’ ” Slater said. “He needed more enforcement than the others.”
At St. Gregory, she said, her son gets the individualized attention he needs.
Dominic’s family has moved in the past to accommodate the educational needs of the children, all three of whom have fared well on tests for giftedness.
“So that they would be challenged,” explained his mother, Kristina Valencia. “I’m a strong believer in not just doing sit-down worksheets.”
Parents must advocate for children who are gifted, Young said. “The system isn’t going to provide for them unless somebody is there banging on tables.”
Summer school, after-school programs, museums and networking with parents are valuable resources for parents with gifted children, Anders said.
Pima Community College, which offers courses in hundreds of subjects, is a practical and affordable option for older children, Young added.
Slater found out about the Johns Hopkins program from staff at St. Gregory. “I was totally unaware anything like this existed,” she said. “Had I known when he was in second grade, I would have been interested in looking into it.”
But the parenting challenges are as great as the educational ones. Although Logan shyly admits he likes being called gifted, his mother says the moniker has become a joke in the family.
“Our challenge is not to make this a standout, not bigger than the other kids’ accomplishments,” she said. “And there’s a fine line between pushing him and not stressing him out.”
Logan said he doesn’t feel different than other kids. “Everyone has their own thing – mine’s writing,” he said.
Other than that, he’s a normal kid doing normal things – swimming, hiking, reading. He may spend more time pondering the view of the foothills from his backyard trampoline than the typical teen, but he needs inspiration for writing in his favorite genre, nature.
And to him, the future is clear: “My goal is to go to some abandoned island with paper and pen and have the monkeys bring me fruit,” he said.
Logan works on his writing at home.
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BRIGHT CHILD VS. GIFTED LEARNER
By author Janice Szabos
A bright child: A gifted child:
Knows the answers Asks the questions
Is interested Is highly curious
Is attentive Is mentally and physically involved
Has good ideas Has wild, silly ideas
Works hard Plays around, yet tests well
Answers the questions Discusses in detail, elaborates
Top group Beyond the group
Listens with interest Shows strong feelings, opinions
Learns with ease Already knows
Masters in six-eight repetitions Masters in one-two repetitions
Understands ideas Constructs abstractions
Enjoys peers Prefers adults
Grasps the meaning Draws inferences
Completes assignments Initiates projects
Is receptive Is intense
Copies accurately Creates a new design
Enjoys school Enjoys learning
Absorbs information Manipulates information
Technician Inventor
Enjoys straightforward, Thrives on complexity sequential presentation
Is alert Is keenly observant
Is pleased with own learning Is highly self-critical
http://arizonagifted.org/Giftedness/index.html
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LOCAL RESOURCES:
Academic Achievement – Gifted Education (Arizona Department of Education), www.ade.az.gov/asd/gifted/
Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented – http://arizonagifted.org
Davidson Institute for Talent Development – www.ditd.org
Tucson Mensa – http://tucson.us.mensa.org/index.php
AZgifted.org – Discussion forums on gifted education
Arizona Odyssey of the Mind – www.azodyssey.org
NATIONAL RESOURCES
National Association for Gifted Children – www.nagc.org
Twice Exceptional Newsletter – www.enewsletter.com
Help 4 Teachers – www.help4teachers.com
Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted – www.sengifted.org
NEAG – Center for Gifted Education & Talent Development – www.gifted.uconn.edu
Stanford University Education Program for Gifted Youth – http://epgy.stanford.edu/schools
The College Board Advanced Placement – http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpf
The Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent (BESTS) – www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/talent-search/
Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth – www.cty.jhu.edu
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LOGAN’S WRITING
One of Logan Slater’s favorite essays is one he wrote about visits to the family cabin in Montana. For the complete essay, go to www.tucsoncitizen.com and select this story.
Dream Spot
by Logan Slater
The greatest scent worth smelling is the aroma of crisp, sweet pine trees showing their magic off to the world in the cool, quick breezes of summer. The greatest sight possible to see is the silver glittering of infinite stars shining into the navy hue of a still lake, blurry from the grey smoke of the campfire. The sweetest taste in the world is the tart tingle on your lips from a lick of violet huckleberry ice cream. The most extreme feeling to feel is the tight grip of small sweaty palms, desperately holding on to avoid plunging into the water of ice. The clearest sound available to hear is the crunch under sneakers, chanting a rhythm along with the bloodthirsty branches, whacking themselves into their companions. The only place to feel alive is the humble cabin by the lake, under the trees, and away from stress in Montana.
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Dream Spot, by Logan Slater
The greatest scent worth smelling is the aroma of crisp, sweet pine trees showing their magic off to the world in the cool, quick breezes of summer. The greatest sight possible to see is the silver glittering of infinite stars shining into the navy hue of a still lake, blurry from the grey smoke of the campfire. The sweetest taste in the world is the tart tingle on your lips from a lick of violet huckleberry ice cream. The most extreme feeling to feel is the tight grip of small sweaty palms, desperately holding on to avoid plunging into the water of ice. The clearest sound available to hear is the crunch under sneakers, chanting a rhythm along with the bloodthirsty branches, whacking themselves into their companions. The only place to feel alive is the humble cabin by the lake, under the trees, and away from stress in Montana.
As soon as the windows drop, there is a greeting of slight breezes and fresh scents. The second the bold yellow letters, “Sherwood Lodge” come into sight, you have reached the true heaven on earth. Bright sunlight bouncing of the quick waves, unique and strange colored faces on the wooden pole, and a log cabin more amazing than the fairy tales are the keys to our destination. Sighs of relief and smiles of excitement are abundant through the Slater family. Finally, we have entered the spot where the world stores its beauty.
When the birds have started their symphony, I open my eyes to the sunlight, hiding behind tired old branches. The sounds of bacon simmering tells that it’s morning. Huckleberry hotcakes refuel my mind, filling my head with ideas of excitement. What first? A hike in the mountains, a day by the lake, or chucking fat balls of ice at my brother’s pimple-filled face? Every morning, there is a new newspaper for me filled with more options. I have memorized every twig, every branch around our cabin. But there are things still waiting for me to discover. I still need to beat my brother on the skis. With so many things I must accomplish, it will take me all summer to finish my task. Still, the feeling of cool mist whizzing against my face will never get old. Every part of tubing feels great, even gliding through the air, waiting to be pulverized by the water. Afterwards, a thick glass of creamy huckleberry shake is all I need, and, maybe a steaming burger, fresh from the grill on the balcony. What’s next? A trip to (without doubt) the greatest named place of all – Logan Pass! Every time I climb these fluff-covered peaks I walk a step further. I wonder when I’ll get to the top, but I’m not always so eager to find out what is hiding up there. Besides, I still need to be able to throw white cream at Ryan. Not exhausted from our fight, I’m up for a long hike in the mountains! But as I see panting and sighs, a cruise through town and a rest at the cabin might have to do. We arrive home with the girls’ arms overencumbered with all sorts of colorful fancies. I finally accept a quick nap, then off to the park and a steak at the diner. The playground is covered in teeter-totters and obstacle courses, and a court for me to beat my brother in hoops. The diner walls are crammed with newspaper articles and paintings and pictures. The bathroom doors of wooden flaps, just like in the cowboy movies. Just as soon as we came, we are off to the boathouse, filled with kayaks and rafts. The rather chilly whips of air on the boat, slamming into my ice-cream covered face, sends shivers racing down my spine. We lay next to the fireplace, wearing long smiles of happiness. After countless yawns, it’s already time for bed. Tomorrow will bring new adventures.
Every car ride is worse than torture, yet we return to this beautiful land every other year. Although Arizona is my home, this is my hideaway from other life. Next time the cabin will be waiting for me, counting every second.
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