This presentation provides resources hat are available to parents regarding the gifted in Maine.

1. PARENT’S OF THE
GIFTED
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU HELP YOUR CHILD!
BY:
KATHLEEN BISHOP
UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
SPED 507
CALLISTA O’CONNELL

2. TONIGHT’S PRESENTATION
• The purpose of this workshop is for me to help you help your gifted child.
• There is help for you out there we will visit some resources that I have found in SPED 507 Enhancing
Creativity in Gifted and Talented Learners at the University of Phoenix©
• The resources will provide you with guidance and tools to learn more about giftedness
• Support is out there even if it is not located here in town

3. STRATEGIES FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILD
• No typecasting
• Unstructured play time
• Do not force creativity
• Give the child or children courage to be creative
• Embrace failure
• http://www.davidsongifted.org/Search-Database/entry/A10807

4. • GREATER GOOD BERKELEY UNIVERSITY September 2008
• 7 Ways to Foster Creativity in Your Kids
• Make your home a Petri dish for creativity. In addition to creative spaces, you need to foster a creative atmosphere.
• Allow kids the freedom and autonomy to explore their ideas and do what they want. Don't be so bossy. .) Stop living in fear
• Encourage children to read for pleasure and participate in the arts. Limit TV and other screen time
• Give children the opportunity to express "divergent thought." Let them disagree with you. Encourage them to find more than one
route to a solution, and more than one solution to a problem.
• Don't reward children for exhibiting creativity Allow children to develop mastery of creative activities that they are intrinsically
motivated to do, rather than trying to motivate them with rewards and incentives.
• Try to stop caring what your kids achieve. Emphasize process rather than product. One way you can do this is by asking questions
about the process – Did you have fun? Are you finished? What did you like about that activity?
• http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/raising_happiness/post/7_ways_to_foster_creativity_in_your_kids

5. 9 WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S CREATIVITY
• Designate a space for creating
• Keep it simple
• Allow for “free time”
• Help your kids activate their senses
• Discuss creativity
• Cultivate creative critical thinking
• Avoid managing
• Help kids pursue their passions
• Take the time for your own creativity
• http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/03/13/9-ways-to-support-your-childs-creativity/

6. MORE STRATEGIES
• Answer questions with questions
• Find answers together
• Reward failure
• Teach them to cook
• Feed your children a balanced diet
• “Fix things Yourself”
• http://www.creativitypost.com/create/ten_suggestions_for_raising_creative_kids

7. MORE STRATEGIES
• Design
• Imagination
• Comics
• Family Book Club
• Learn a second language
• http://www.parents.com/fun/activities/indoor/activities-to-encourage-
creativity/view-all/

8. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GIFTED CHILDREN
• Who they are
• “NAGC invests its resources to train teachers, encourage parents, and educate
administrators and policy makers on how to develop and support gifted
children. ”
• NAGC offers various services that help our gifted children
• Lets take a tour of their website to showcase what they have available to you
• https://www.nagc.org/

9. HTTP://SENGIFTED.ORG/ARCHIVES/ARTICLES/EXPLORING-SOCIAL-AND-EMOTIONAL-ASPECTS-OF-GIFTEDNESS-IN-CHILDREN
• “If gifted children are to achieve their potential, social and emotional aspects of giftedness must be
recognized and developed, for functioning in one area requires functioning in others. Longitudinal
studies of gifted children indicate that the most life satisfaction has been obtained by those whose
parents were supportive of their needs (Bloom, 1985; Oden, 1968; Subotnik, Karp, & Morgan, 1989).
Today’s parents are no less desirous of knowledge about the special social and emotional needs of
their gifted children. To be effective in helping children deal with issues that will develop due to
their giftedness, parents need to understand how divergent thinking ability, excitability, sensitivity,
perceptiveness and entelechy impact on their lives.” (Conclusion)
• Let’s take a tour of this site
SUPPORTING EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF THE GIFTED SENG

10. HOAGIES GIFTED PARENT RESOURCE PAGE
• About the founder and creator Carolyn Kottmeyer
• “I was a software engineer by training and trade, with bachelors and masters degrees in software
engineering. I didn't develop an interest in gifted education until a few years after the birth of our first child,
when we noticed how different she was, and how the 'normal' path through education didn't seem to fit her.
It took us several years to really understand, and we're figuring it out all over again with our second child... “
• http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/parents.htm

11. PARENT SUPPORT TOOLS PRESENTATION
• The Gifted Parent Online: Totally Free Internet Tools for Parent Support & Advocacy
(PowerPoint) offers a guide to totally free resources parents and teachers of the gifted
can use immediately. Presented at NAGC, Tampa.
• http://www.slideshare.net/hoagies/the-gifted-parent-online-totally-free-internet-tools-
for-parent-support-advocacy

12. (ALMOST) COMMUNITY RESOURCES
• The Maine Department of Education Gifted and talented Page to help parents of
gifted find resources and guidance
• Maine Educators of the Gifted and talented Page
• https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/gifted-state/maine
• http://www.nsgt.org/giftedness-defined/#5
• Regional Gifted and talented Professional for Piscataquis County
• Gifted and Talented Professional at RSU22

13. EXPLANATIONS OF THE (ALMOST) COMMUNITY
RESOURCES
• Explanations:
1. Show them the links to the Maine Department of Education Gifted and talented Page. Navigate
around the site so they can see the links and resources. Point out the gifted and talented laws!
2. Click on the MEGAT page. Show them around the site and explain that there are programs in place
around our state. If they contact someone that they can arrange a visit to see a program in action.
3. Click on this NAGC page to show them the contact information listed on the NAGC site for the state of
Maine. Scroll down and show them the questions and answers that are posted.
4. Navigate through this entire page to show the parents the definition and then focus on the bold
headings and talk about each on in depth.
5. The final links are email addresses of the closest people to our town. Explain that if they email the two
people that they may get more information necessary to help them with their gifted and talented child
or children.
6. Discussion, questions, check of understanding and confusion.

14. GIFTED DEVELOPMENT CENTER
• 26 question online quiz
• http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/quiz/is-your-child-gifted
• Characteristics of Gifted Scale 2014
• http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/about-our-center

15. • Davidson Gifted Parent Quote on 7/18/2014
• “I was labeled gifted at a very young age and sent to a special program, which I remained in for about
5 years. I subsequently began to resent the teasing, the constant name-calling, the negative social
stigma, and later decided to go back to a regular school. I felt relieved, however then dealt with feeling
constantly misunderstood for years to follow...I still have the habit of 'dumbing' down my thoughts
(which I suppose is good in some cases to relate to people on certain topics) and pretending to not be
overly disturbed by news that others may take at a fleeting passing...it is not easy to have a fast/quick
mind! I am horrible at sports & anything involving coordination (ha!) and I am not very good at
holding back my emotions under intense pressure. So, yes, everyone does have their gifts/talents, and
I do firmly believe we all need one another :)”
• http://www.davidsongifted.org/Search-Database/entry/A10250
• http://www.davidsongifted.org/Search-Database/entry/A10387

16. QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
• Thoughts?
• Feelings?
• Overwhelmed?
• Did I forget anything?

17. • Distribute the handouts
• Check to see if any further discussion is need/wanted
• Feedback from Parents
• Thank You and Good Night
CONCLUSION of the PRESENTATION