VAGTC Vision A4 Book 2021 vol 32 no2 EMAG

The Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children

Volume 32, No.2 2021

Parenting Gifted Children: Joys and Challenges • Building Metacognition in Your Gifted Child • Finding What Works + Top Tips • Myths and Misinformation • Meeting Gifted Children’s Special Needs

Volume 32, No.2 2021 VISION, VOLUME 31 NO.2 2021 © 2021 Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children 2/3 Wellington Street, Kew, Victoria, 3101

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MANY THANKS TO THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS The most amazing people volunteered to make this issue what it is.

Much gratitude to: Sophie, Kira, Jia, Daniel, Glancy, Rachel, Olivia, Simone, Ryan, Matthew, Rachel, Kathy Harrison, Dr Geraldine Townend, Jennifer L. Jolly PhD, Michael S. Matthews PhD, Dr Michael Postma, Dr Kate Niederer, Lilina Tham, Victoria Poulos, Jeff Segal, Geraldine Nicholas, Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, Linda Collis, Bron Martin, and Amy Horneman.

For advertising inquiries and submission guidelines please visit www.VAGTC.org.au/Vision.

VISION Magazine welcomes contributions from members and students and invite student submissions of artwork, photographs, poetry, or short stories.

Best-practices, reflections and educator-submitted reviews and articles are also welcome.

Copyright. The Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children (VAGTC) 2021 All rights reserved.

VISION is published by the Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children (VAGTC) in two volumes each year and distributed to all VAGTC membership subscribers.

All material in VISION is wholly copyright (unless otherwise stated via CC license) and reproduction without the written permission of VAGTC is strictly forbidden. Neither this publication nor its contents constitute an explicit endorsement by the VAGTC of the products or services mentioned in advertising or editorial content. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, VAGTC shall not have any liability for errors or omissions.

We’ve done our best to acknowledge all images used in this publication. In some instances images have been provided to us by those who appear editorially and we have their permission in each case to use the images.

This publication contains links to websites at domains other than www.VAGTC.org.au.

Such sites are controlled or produced by third parties. Except as indicated, we do not control, endorse, sponsor or approve any such websites or any content on them, nor do we provide any warranty or take any responsibility for any aspect of the content of this publication.

We apologize if anything appears incorrectly. Please let us know and we will be sure to acknowledge it in the next issue.

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VISION, Volume 32 No. 1 2021

Lifesize 2 - by Sophie, Year 12, Loreto Mandeville Hall, Toorak.

Botanical Diversity - by Kira, Year 11, Siena College, Camberwell.

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Contents Title Page Contributor

Student Voice Lifesize 2 Botanical Diversity

2

Sophie Kira

Feathered Bird’s Nest

4

Jia

Black Palm Cockatoo

6

Daniel

Orangutan Free

11

Glancy

(Five Artworks)

15

Rachel

Shaking Dog

17

Olivia

Magpie in Leaves 18

Simone

Being Oneself: being the one that others want to see 21 Ryan Gumnut Babies Matthew Vong Nguyêt . . (Fish Watching the Moon)

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Rachel

5

Kathy Harrison

The Myth that Gifted Students will Make it on their Own

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Dr Geraldine Townend

Myths and Misinformation

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Jennifer L. Jolly PhD & Michael S. Matthews PhD

Welcome From the President

Resource

Building Metacognition in Gifted Students for Future Success 16

Dr Michael Postma

Your Gifted Child: The Social and Emotional Effects of Giftedness 20 Dr Kate Niederer

Perspective & Reflection Gifted Students and Special Needs

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Lilina Tham

Raising Gifted Children: Joys, Challenges and Top Tips

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Victoria Poulos

The Joys and Challenges of parenting three Twice-Exceptional (2E) Children (aka Finding what works) 14

Jeff Segal

‘Sometimes when you’re different… you just need a different song’ 22 Anonymous Book Reviews 23 Geraldine Nicholas

News Resilience in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic 10

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

Happy Birthday, VHAP English! 18

Linda Collis & Bron Martin

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Parent Reflection

Gifted Students and Special Needs Lilina Tham WE KNOW THAT EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT, JUST AS EVERY GIFTED OR TALENTED CHILD IS DIFFERENT. Therefore, every parent’s journey with

perfectionistic daughter with ‘Just do your best’. I now encourage her to accept where she’s at instead.

their child differs. What I have come to realise in the last few years is that these children all share one thing: they all have special needs, particularly in the school setting.

It’s not all challenges, however; I love how my daughter comes alive after she’s had a chat with a like-minded peer, mentor or teacher. From a young age, it’s been a joy to have full adult conversations with her, although at times I wish I had more energy to engage with her passionate discussions.

Having an older child on the Autism spectrum, I am very familiar with the concept of special needs, as well as with tears and meltdowns. So when my middle-school-aged high ability daughter displayed meltdowns, trivial in comparison to her brother’s, I didn’t lose any sleep over it.

Those meltdowns got bigger during the 2020 COVID remote learning phases and by that stage, I was a little concerned. It was hard to witness my child battering herself with words such as ‘I am stupid’ and being in a state of devastation. I realise now after consulting with her wonderfully gifted mentor, and fellow perfectionist, that many of her meltdowns were due to her perfectionism. It seems perfectionism and giftedness can often go hand in hand. I have since learnt to NOT console my

Overall, we are very grateful to have the mentoring and enrichment programs offered by my daughter’s school. Her mentor has been invaluable in helping both of us understand her perfectionism, as well as providing strategies to deal with her unhealthy perfectionistic behaviours. My daughter has said that she would just ‘survive’ school with the regular programs; with the enrichment programs, such as the leadership and debating opportunities, she has been able to excel. I highly recommend that all schools adopt similar programs to assist gifted and talented students with their special needs.

Feathered Bird’s Nest - by Jia, Year 3, St James’ School, Vermont.

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Welcome

From the President Kathy Harrison DEAR VAGTC MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, In this edition of VISION, Parenting Gifted Children: Joys and Challenges, it is a joy to hear a variety of perspectives and at times raw reflections on the journeys of parenting gifted offspring. While it is tempting to focus on the challenges, I am encouraged to hear tales of delight, laughter, shared learning and an ability to be gentle with ourselves when the challenges appear. My hat goes off to parents everywhere as they seek to positively advocate for their children in a system that (as Geraldine points out) does not require educators to be knowledgeable about the unique needs of gifted learners. Kindness, collaboration, developing positive partnerships with schools, flexibility and dogged perseverance are common themes.

As I reflect on my own experience, I know my now-adult children valued the unique opportunities that we accessed when they were growing up, and appreciated our occasional advocacy; but above all, they loved that there was always a sense of fun and play. They were allowed to be kids first: albeit kids who discussed metacognition in Prep, but then launched into a ridiculous story accompanied by fits of giggles. While life was not always fun and giggles, it was important to us to remember that when the challenges emerged, we had some really important influences and relationships to rely on, namely: external advice, good partnerships with our children’s schools, and a pathway to ensure that the external advice we were given was acted upon both at school and at home.

This year has thrown yet another set of challenges at us all. Congratulations to all the parents and teachers who have pivoted at a moment’s notice and worked tirelessly to support the children in their care. VAGTC again

offered support online through our parent seminars, teacher professional development and consult group for advice to parents. The free parent seminars, offered with the support of DET (Department of Education and Training), were expanded this year to include emerging themes of importance and interest to parents. At the same time, our team developed an extensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) resource for parents, also in partnership with DET. This will be launched and available in electronic format in 2022. The free parent seminars will also continue in the coming year (See flyer in this edition).

As I step into the role of President, I am conscious of all the work that has gone before and the collaboration of members of VAGTC committees and members. I applaud the passion of parents and educators who freely offer their time and expertise to help others. In particular, I would like to thank each contributor to this edition of VISION. A special thanks to Amy Horneman for putting together yet another excellent publication.

When we share our stories, we share our journeys and learn so much from each other. As you read this publication, I hope that you too are filled with a sense of admiration and hope, celebrating the joys of parenting gifted children and learning how to tackle the challenges, not alone, but as part of a community.

– Kathy Harrison VAGTC President

Call for Submissions - VISION Magazine Volume 33, No 1 Submissions are invited for our next edition on the theme of Facilitating Gifted Students’ Thriving in Mixed Ability Classrooms. Due date 30th April, 2022.

VISION welcomes contributions on gifted education matters, including academic papers, reports on research, book reviews, perspectives from best practice and reflections. Some issues produced by VAGTC for VISION are thematic in nature. All written material should include a brief biographical note (approximately 30 words).

Photographs and images should be original, copyrighted to the author, of suitable quality for print reproduction (no smaller than 300dpi) and emailed in jpeg format. Articles should be between 800-1500 words and be original work. All material submitted will be evaluated by the editors and outside referees where appropriate.

The editors reserve the right to edit accepted works in order to fit the publication formatting and language.

Email to: vision@vagtc.org.au 5

VISION, Volume 32 No. 1 2021

Parent Reflection

Raising Gifted Children: Joys, Challenges and Top Tips Victoria Poulos OUR CHILDREN COME AS PRECIOUS, DELIGHTFUL, (ALBEIT NEEDY) GIFTS, FOREVER CHANGING THE FAMILY DYNAMIC. Enjoying the wonder, while unwrapping their parcel as their personalities start to shine, is a truly amazing experience to be savoured.

Our first-born daughter, Isabelle, was truly a joy, but clearly different to the other babies in the hospital. She was eyeballing everyone who held her and followed the line of whoever was talking. In the hundreds of photos we took, there is rarely one of her asleep. She was just happy exploring the world around her. Isabelle walked by 10 months and communicated very clearly, long before she had words and spoke in full sentences by 18 months. We loved the interaction and communication and we assumed it was commonplace to reason with a 2-year-old. In her mind, she was born to bring about positive change to the world, and our role as her parents, was to facilitate this.

Brigitta was born 2 years later and was a master at puzzles – much to my shame and frustration when she surpassed me in skill by the age of 5. She also was reading very early, highly sensitive to music and art, and passionately vocal regarding universal injustice. At 6 years old, Brigitta was in tears because she couldn’t paint as well as Monet and thought that her frustration was valid! Brigitta loves language, including proper grammar use, a rich vocabulary, and speaks Japanese and Greek.

Then we entered the education system and the wheels fell off our idealist child raising experience.

I wish I could turn back the clock and start the parenting journey all over again equipped with the toolbox of experience, strategies and understanding I now have. However, I am grateful to be able to share my story with others in the earlier stages of parenting gifted children. When

the girls were younger, I ran a support group for gifted children and their parents and this was foundational for me in learning and understanding the needs and struggles of parents, as well as identifying strategies to support them.

Here are my personal top tips for parenting a gifted child:

1. You are your child’s greatest advocate When Isabelle started Prep her teacher insisted that while she recognised Isabelle was years ahead in development, she must go through the Prep curriculum. Isabelle was already writing stories at home for enjoyment yet was tracing letters one by one at school! To address gifted misconceptions at her school, we had her IQ tested to evidence her need for accelerated instruction, yet this was in vain. By the middle of Grade 2, she had become withdrawn and depressed; she rarely talked and articulated daily in tears that she felt school was humiliating; she began displaying school refusal tendencies; and resigned herself to the understanding that ‘it’s not fun being smart’. At this point, we listened to sound advice from a gifted educational expert and began our homeschooling journey. Regardless of your situation, you need to advocate for your child’s best interests, even when it is difficult.

2. Facilitate fun Isabelle came into the world ready to take on global issues and achieve world peace, and Brigitta wanted to end all injustice. The strive for justice and equality conflicted with frivolous, happy, carefree toddler play. I admit I struggled with why my child couldn’t chase butterflies or daydream aimlessly like other toddlers and remember a crazy parenting failure moment when Isabelle was 3 years old. I reprimanded

Black Palm Cockatoo - by Daniel, Year 2, Mary Immaculate School, Ivanhoe.

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her, insisting she ‘learn to play like a 3-year-old!’ The reason this is so memorable was that as the words came out of my mouth, my ears heard the most ludicrous parenting instruction – and I was humbled yet again at my failings! What does ‘learn to play like a 3-year-old’ even mean?

What realized was that the girls’ world was deep and reflective– and without a place or maturity to activate these convictions, they needed parent intervention to demonstrate and walk them through a balanced lifestyle – including how to have fun and experience joy.

3. Promote lifelong love of learning outside the school environment Sometimes I think we can get stuck in the mindset that school is the main place our children learn – but in my experience, this is not the case. If we rely on the school environment to educate our children, then we reinforce the idea that growth is evidenced by assessment. However, there is a magnificent world of people, places, sights, and stories that are available to our children. In our family, academic subjects were diligently attended to, but no less important were the studies on composers, artists, notable characters in history, elderly family members, topography, cultures, and countries. These came about by purposefully igniting some curiosity in an area and then looking deeper into it. For example, I asked the girls why they thought a small picture of a random lady is one of the most well-known paintings today (Mona Lisa). How did some of the composers have the capacity to hear such complicated orchestral music in their head before writing it down? Why do you think the earth needs to rotate on an axis? How did the early peoples of different countries settle disputes? Why can the ant carry so many times its weight, but we can’t?

4. Provide enrichment opportunities as a family Over the years, I took the girls on as many excursions as I could.

These included zoo visits, plays, musicals, trips to Scienceworks, city exploration trips, camping, museums, and national gallery trips. As they got older, I took them to the Children’s Court, County Court and Supreme Court so they could not only understand our legal system, but also have exposure to complicated societal structures and realities. These alone may not sound exciting for a child, but I would allow the girls to plan the outing collaboratively, so these memories have remained positive learning experiences for them. On a more light-hearted scale, we felt it important to develop some family rituals, for example family cook ups (everyone pairs up with a parent and makes a mystery MasterChef box for the other pair), Sunday night was pancake night, and we scheduled board games afternoons.

5. Celebrate your child’s wins with family/friends In the school setting, there are many misconceptions about gifted students such as, ‘they are so lucky, they have it so easy, they think they are better than others, they don’t deserve academic accolades’ and so on, and we have heard them all. As a parent, you need to combat this assault against your child by being their number one cheer leader.

It is important that you make opportunities to celebrate their wins with whoever is a genuine supporter of your child. When I facilitated the gifted support group, we had showcase nights where students brought projects that held most significance to them and as parents, we would

celebrate the achievements corporately. At times, we also did this as a family demonstrating to the girls that their efforts were valued.

6. Proactively develop and prioritize your child’s character over achievement As a gifted education teacher and parent, I am passionate about our children’s character development. Being gifted does not shield our children from unemployment, depression, or loneliness as adults.

However, a robust and resilient character will be the strongest buffer against these. Our girls learnt piano and violin through to Grade 8, not because of any intrinsic value, but to develop perseverance when faced with challenges. They were intentionally enrolled in a sport we knew they would be weak at, to develop their understanding that everyone is unique, has different strengths and develops at different rates. I also took the girls to play their music, dance, sing, bake or serve afternoon tea at a local nursing home to illustrate honouring our elders and serving others as a way of life. Character development is a far greater asset in their ‘life toolbox’ than high test results.

7. Enjoy the richness of their quirks and personality traits Both our girls have little quirks (as I am sure we have too) and we embraced and celebrated them. Instead of perceiving themselves as ‘weird, odd’ or any other derogatory form of identification, we turned their endearing traits into a point of joy. Brigitta loved using advanced language for her age, so we would join her in talking about ‘incommodious’ situations and Isabelle loves number patterns and would get excited when it was 11:11am on the clock.

Enjoy, and don’t fear, the intense dialogues you may have as you engage with your gifted child. They wrestle with big issues in their world, but land at such profound places – so embrace their quirks and passions.

8. Intentionally connect and engage with your child at every stage Gifted children need to feel heard and understood particularly at home because it is often their safest place to be authentic. Some periods of development are more complicated, and other periods are smoother, but in all seasons, we need to protect this haven so that at every stage and in each moment, your child feels you ‘have their back’. Connect in everyday tasks, in any conversation and enjoy being a lifelong learner with them.

As a parent, I have made numerous mistakes, but our girls are now young adults and have survived! Isabelle at 22 has finished a BioMed degree and Masters in Public Health, and Brigitta now 20, is heading into her last year of Law. They have a mixed toolbox to take into adulthood and now it is their responsibility to make the most of the opportunities afforded to them.

Victoria Poulos is mum to two gifted adults and is the Gifted and Talented Coordinator at Hillcrest Christian College, Melbourne. She is also currently engaged in postgraduate study in gifted education at GERRIC, NSW.

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Resource Keynote

The Myth that Gifted Students will Make it on their Own Dr Geraldine Townend The myth that gifted students will be all right no matter what The term ‘gifted’ isn’t one that is openly embraced in mainstream Australian culture. It can render both the user and listener uncomfortable.

Openly discussing high ability, unless around sport or music, rarely fits well alongside Australians’ egalitarian and non-elitist values. The view is generally held that gifted students have the ability to succeed without support. Indeed, some consider it unfair to provide support for these supposedly already advantaged children.

In Australia, where the tall poppy syndrome thrives, there is a general feeling of anti-intellectualism and a discouragement of elitism (Frydenberg & O’Mullane, 2000; Kronborg, 2018; Matheis, Keller, Kronborg, Schmitt, & Preckel, 2019; Plunkett & Kronborg, 2007, Rimm, Siegle & Davis, 2018a). These attitudes appear to link to a reluctance to provide gifted students with special provisions or adjustments for learning (Geake & Gross, 2008; Gross, 1999).

The misconception that bright students will always succeed on their own is not unique to Australia. There is a popular myth that gifted students sail through their school lives with no problems. Moon (2009) noted that gifted students are characterised as having a perfect life, being high achieving, attaining accolades and awards, and enjoying popularity. This view fails to acknowledge the complexities in the human experience for all of us, including gifted students with their individual characters and experiences.

Are gifted students always okay? Evaluating the myth Lewis Terman is well known for his longitudinal study of gifted students.

Even 100 years ago, Terman suggested that gifted children should be identified early, offered tailored and appropriate instruction, and have access to specially trained teachers and programs (Rimm, Siegle, and Davis, 2018a, p5). However, Terman’s research has likely promulgated a myth that gifted students are, across many areas, close to perfection despite the commonly understood selection bias in the identification of the gifted students in his study. Subsequent research has further confirmed that teachers tend to select gifted students for programs based on positive traits relating to behaviour, social standing and physical attractiveness (Rimm, Siegle, and Davis, 2018a).

The heterogenous nature of the ‘Termites’, the students so named who participated in Terman’s study, might provide a relatively accurate portrayal of the gifted individual: not all had the formerly accepted traits of gifted children such as precocious language, advanced reasoning, early demonstration of ability, keen curiosity, and high motivation (Rimm, Siegle, and Davis, 2018b). Indeed, research has highlighted that opportunities and environmental catalysts can influence when and how potentially hidden abilities manifest, and gifted individuals’ areas of strength may change and alter over the course of a lifetime (Gagné, 2013; Callahan, 2017).

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If environment is an important catalyst for supporting the development of potential for gifted students, it appears counter-intuitive to leave them to their own devices without supporting their ability to succeed (Gagné, 2017). It is widely acknowledged that gifted individuals need exposure to more expansive learning opportunities to pique their interest and support their development (Gagné, 2017). Further, research reinforces findings “that giftedness requires external support structures to flourish” (Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius, & Worrell, 2011, p. 9).

Where are the gifted people?

According to Rimm’s research, cited in Rimm, Siegle, and Davis (2018a), 10- 20% of high school dropouts in the United States test in the gifted range. Whilst there are a range of publications that estimate lower percentages, researchers in Australia have expressed concern about the dropout rate within Australia. A Bipartisan Senate Committee stated that “many academically talented students not only fail to achieve their potential but actually drop out of school in large numbers” (Gross, 1999, p 88). The Senate Committee concluded, among other things, that gifted students cannot always succeed on their own and that underachievement also affects students who remain in school (Gross, 1999).

Gifted students may continue to achieve at the top of their class due to their superior ability, but this may still be at below their capacity (McCall, 1994). Put simply, they may not be achieving their potential. Siegle and McCoach (2018) point out that many students naturally underachieve because their learning environment is not sufficiently challenging or stimulating to encourage development of their potential. The American School Counselor Association’s 2007 position statement identified several causes of underachievement in gifted students including perfectionism, challenging peer relationships, career direction concerns, poor goal planning, concern about meeting others’ expectations, and depression (Wood, 2010).

Socio-emotional ‘problems’ For years, there have been conflicting stereotypes of the emotional disposition of the gifted population. First, there is disharmony hypothesis, which suggests gifted people are highly intelligent but lack warmth and/ or social skills or, by contrast, the notion that they are emotionally fragile.

Current research suggests that gifted people are generally well adjusted, and there is no conclusive evidence that gifted people experience more mental health concerns than their average ability peers (Ferguson, 2021; Neihart, Reis, Robinson, & Moon, 2002; Reis & Renzulli, 2004).

However, we should still provide support for the social and emotional needs of these, and all, students where there is a need.

Research indicates that some gifted students are reluctant to reveal their personal worries. They present an emotional mask in order to safeguard the image that they are always capable (Ferguson, 2021). The expectations associated with high achievement and attainment may be accompanied by many negative feelings, including a fear of failure and,

VISION, Volume 32 No. 1 2021

with that, a fear of lost social standing (Mofield, Peters, & ChakrabortiGhosh, 2016). Alarmingly, further research in Australia suggests that positive high academic achievement may play a role in the development of future eating disorders (Krafchek & Kronborg, 2018). In light of this, it is clear that gifted students may require social and emotional support to thrive in school.

The convenience of maintaining the myth In Australia, the education of the gifted has traditionally been seen as an added extra (Gross, 1999) due to teacher workload and limited resources (Rowan & Townend, 2016). The early Australian Senate Committees investigating gifted education and highlighting under-achievement due to an unsupportive school system, were responded to by the federal government with “everything that was necessary for the education of gifted students was already being done” (Gross, 1999, p 89). Those gifted learners with disabilities, or twice-exceptional students, may have their disability supported under legislation, but a school is not required to support their giftedness (Rowan & Townend, 2016). Schools are already very time- and resource-constrained and often require legislation to support additional programs. However, gifted support can be provided without legislation, as shown by the New South Wales Department of Education when they launched the High Potential and Gifted Education Policy that became policy in departmental schools in January 2021.

Teachers and teacher training Australian states and universities have few or no provisions for training teachers in gifted education (Taylor & Milton, 2006; Fraser-Seeto, Howard, & Woodcock, 2013; Rowan & Townend, 2016). It would seem that the myth of the self-sufficient gifted student supports the notion that teachers, too, can cater for all students without specialist training.

Pre-service training, differentiated instruction and programming for gifted students are endorsed by the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2011), yet pre-service teacher education currently has no requirements for learning how to support gifted students, nor is professional learning a requirement for a practising teacher who is designated to work with gifted students (Plunket & Kronborg, 2007; Peters & Jolly, 2018) except for at a couple of Australian universities.

Where provisions for the gifted are not advocated for, parents, educators, and policy makers may be comforted by the fact that they are not failing the students; rather, it is the system that is failing them. Government policy, teacher education and school counsellor support would hardly be necessary if “students do not need special services because they do not face any special problems or challenges…[their] high ability is so protective that… they will be successful in life no matter what they experience in school” (Moon, 2009, p 274). This belief has enabled a level of complacency in education that would not be accepted for any other needs-based group.

Addressing the myth to genuinely support gifted students There has been a paradigm of thinking, introduced by Gagné in 1985, that gifted education needs to focus on the idea of talent development - the development of potential in students. Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (Gagné, 2004; Gagné, 2018) provides both a theoretical and practical approach to supporting gifted students through this process. Many stakeholders, especially policy makers and educators, play an important role in supporting gifted students to develop

their talent/s (Gagné, 2018). Suggestions include an appropriate K-12 curriculum, early identification, full-time ability grouping, accelerated or customised pacing, systematic daily enrichment, selective access, and personal goal setting for excellence (Gagné, 2018).

Rogers (2007) recommended, amongst other things, that gifted students be exposed to daily challenge and be given opportunities to work on their areas of passion. The talent development approach emphasises daily challenge which in turn helps to combat the longer-term issues that can affect gifted students who have been able to succeed in school with little effort. They can be taught critical thinking processes to allow them to work through problems and challenges which in turn will support achievement in tertiary education (Badulf, 2009). Ability grouping and acceleration have been shown to enhance the academic achievement of gifted students (Steenbergen-Hu, Makel, & Olszewski-Kubilis, 2016).

Terman’s research found that students achieved better outcomes when they were supported with acceleration, and those in his study who were denied adjustments developed poor work habits and experienced difficulties throughout their college years (Rimm, Siegle, and Davis, 2018a). To ensure the success of talent development, it is critical to address the support of the gifted child in a holistic way and, as such, there are compelling grounds for proactively addressing the issues and all concerns of gifted students.

Educators require a supportive and systematic approach to training around gifted education (Rowan & Townend, 2016). Van Tassel Baska and colleagues (2008) suggest that a two-to three-year professional development course is required as ad hoc interventions may not be enough to change the practices of teachers (Peters & Jolly, 2015).

Governments and policy makers need to offer professional learning and to support evidence-based practices and models, including talent development, acceleration, ability grouping, rigorous curriculum and proactive affective education for all gifted students.

All our students deserve to be supported throughout their schooling.

This is both an issue of human rights and an educational necessity.

The future of our planet requires our students to have the opportunity to develop their potential, not only for the global progress these students can advance in many so areas, but also for students’ own self-actualisation.

Dr Geraldine Townend is an academic at the University of New South Wales (GERRIC*) in the areas of gifted education, and gifted learners with disability (also known as twiceexceptional students). Her research interests focus on supporting these students to develop their potential in education, including the development of positive academic self-concept. Geraldine conducts professional development for schools including those gifted students who are underachieving. She also provides advice for educators and families, and National and State Associations. Geraldine provides policy advice for governments and works to highlight to the public the challenges that these students face. https://www.ada.unsw.edu.au/our-people/geraldine-townend *GERRIC - Gifted Education Research and Resource Information Centre

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News

Resilience in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young THE SPREAD OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC THROUGH 2020 AND 2021 HAS CALLED FOR ENORMOUS RESILIENCE AMONG STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND FAMILIES IN THE FACE OF LOCKDOWNS, REMOTE LEARNING, AND SHIFTING EXAM SCHEDULES. Resilience, self identity, and self esteem

in students’ lives, and can assist wellbeing through experiences that enhance connectivity, build a sense of self-efficacy and encourage optimism, among other things.

influence confidence and a sense of hope. Through their research into growth mindset, Carol Dweck (2014) and David Yaeger (2012) suggest that resilience can be strengthened through teaching students that intellectual abilities and social attributes are not fixed but can be developed. This applies equally to those labelled ‘gifted’ and to those who might be struggling; and to academic performance as well as victimisation and exclusion.

Katrina Reynen OAM (Board Chair), Elizabeth Hartnell-Young and Annie Harper of the Skyline Education Foundation recently participated in the Virtual World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children. Their on-demand video presentation, entitled On belief, determination and peer support: Gifted, disadvantaged students maintaining education aspirations through lockdown, reported on the experience of providing a rich program online. (The video is available at https://vimeo.com/583345652).

Skyline Education Foundation Australia provides intensive support to gifted, talented and high-ability students for the final two years of their secondary education in government schools. Those selected for the Skyline program experience significant life challenges due to socioeconomic factors, family trauma or academic and social isolation. At the outset of the pandemic, the loss of casual jobs, especially in hospitality and retail, affected students directly, especially as many support their families. Casual workers were not able to access Jobseeker payments and a reduction in hours affected parents in some cases. Success at school was in doubt for many.

For fifteen years, Skyline has provided a face-face-program including residentials, masterclasses and career advice. A series of lockdowns made it urgent to step into the world of online learning. Pandemic or not, senior students need access to a computer, preferably not shared, to receive school information, research for resources and create assignments. But Australians have unequal access to infrastructure such as broadband, or to devices such as laptop computers. In 2019-20, Skyline organised computers for more than 30 students and distributed emergency support, including funding for technology connection, rent, utilities and reading glasses.

Resilience is often linked to an internal locus of control (Kronborg, Plunkett, Gamble, & Kaman, 2017). Ng, Sorenson and Eby (2006) describe locus of control as a personality trait which refers to the extent to which people believe they have control over their own life. This underpins the Skyline program of ‘Who am I’ (Year 11) and ‘Who do I want to be’ (Year 12). Activities are designed to encourage connections and increase a sense of agency and optimism as outlined in Skyline’s Theory of Change (https//skylinefoundation.org.au/theory-of-change).

This reflects the work of Kitano and Lewis (2005) who suggest that a comprehensive program of support is required for gifted students experiencing poverty and other environmental challenges. With families, schools and teachers, Skyline operates as a ‘significant other’

As early as March 2020, Annie Harper and the team created an online event to replace the planned face-to-face Masterclass in conjunction with the National Gallery of Victoria. Over 100 Skyline students participated in a most successful day-long activity –the first of several – with the cooperation of street artists, indigenous artists and NGV staff.

Annie reflected: It was 24/7 non-stop replanning. It was very important that we had variety, that we had short, sharp focus on themes and questions. It was exciting, mind-blowing, really. We used Zoom and the breakout component to bring students together to meet each other. It was a learning experience for everybody.

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VISION, Volume 32 No. 1 2021

Orangutan Free - by Glancy, Year 4, St Augustine’s School, Frankston South.

Skyline also realised quickly that student wellbeing would need to be supported more than usual during COVID 19, and made other strategic additions and changes to its program. These included a Pathways Program to assist students with navigating the move into tertiary study, and additional assistance through a study club, tutorial program, and exam revision sessions. Students and alumni were able to connect with each other through facilitated weekly online sessions, and some took the opportunity to gain mental health support through a partnership with the Cairnmillar Institute.

In recent end of year evaluation, students commented on their personal development, displaying aspects of resilience described above: I cannot say this enough, but Skyline has a huge impact in my personality and on my outlook about the future. The Skyline workshops that were held every three-four months forced me to get out of my comfort zone, which changed my old quiet, shy and hesitant person into a person who has more confidence, [is] brave and will participate in anything challenging without a doubt. I think without Skyline I would still be the old me that I am [sic] gladly left (Phillips & Phillips, 2019).

And: Skyline helped me gain a stronger sense of identity. Through masterclasses and guest presentations, I was able to learn more about myself and how I could be the best version of myself. I

gained a broader idea of how to achieve success rather than one fixed pathway to achieve my dreams through an ATAR. Now I see a bigger and brighter picture of how I can fulfil my dreams. A strengthened identity has improved my sense of confidence and optimism. Skyline not only provided financial support to maximise my learning, they sparked a motivation within me to strive to do my best (Phillips & Phillips, 2021).

While financial support was seen by students as the most important factor, the proportion of students who rated Skyline Program components as having a ‘great’ or ‘large’ influence on their VCE experience in 2020 was higher than in any of the past surveys (Phillips & Phillips, 2021).

Anecdotal feedback suggests that this is likely to be due to Skyline providing a point of stability and targeted support in what was otherwise a very challenging year. Having spent much of their school life coming from a point of relative disadvantage in spite of their academic talent, they felt the benefit of a supportive network around them as other students in their schools had some of their usual supports stripped away due to COVID 19.

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young is an Honorary Fellow in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education and was a Board Director of Skyline from 2018-2021. She enjoys learning and teaching online. https://skylinefoundation.org.au 11

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Keynote Resource

Myths and Misinformation Jennifer L. Jolly PhD & Michael S. Matthews PhD AS PARENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND TEACHERS, WE EXPERIENCE THE GAMUT OF WORKING WITH OUR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS, THEIR EDUCATORS, AND THEIR PARENTS. Wearing different personal and professional hats we seek out experts, consult the research and resources, and join groups such as the Victorian Association for the Gifted and Talented to network and advocate for gifted children.

Because we encounter an overabundance of information, identifying sources that are valid and reliable and based upon scientific evidence is important. The internet and social media have led to a proliferation of pseudoscience, misinformation, and well-intentioned but unhelpful information being provided to parents and teachers. In this article we describe several ideas, practices, and/or concepts that are popular but would be better left alone. After explaining why this is the case, we also offer some other suggestions and resources that are supported by the research to assist you in your parenting journey, particularly as you engage in working with teachers and schools to support the learning needs of your unique child.

Unsupported Idea #1: Learning Styles In the late 1980s, New Zealander Neil Flemming created the concept of learning styles—auditory, visual, and kinesthetic—in an attempt to explain what modes of instruction might be most effective with students.

Following his initial idea were a variety of assessments which purported to reveal an individual’s learning style. Despite a host of subsequent scientific evidence that does not support the validity or factual soundness of learning styles, they remain prominent in the educational ecosystem. For example, we frequently hear teachers describe how they use students’ learning styles to differentiate content, despite a lack of any evidence showing a relationship between a student’s learning preference/style and their academic performance.

It is true that not all people learn in the same way. The problem, rather, is that all people learn in multiple ways. Students’ attachment to a single learning style (e.g., auditory learner) can hinder a student’s performance as they lean into this one approach, rather than using the multi-modal approach that best supports learning. In the complex process of real learning, as more parts of the brain are activated in the learning experience, the likelihood of understanding and remembering increases.

Students do have clear preferences for the way(s) they like information presented but this is better explained by variations in individual abilities, aptitudes, and prior knowledge. Every child can and will learn in every style, even in those that may not be their favorite. These preferences, and their related preferences for the learning environments (e.g., a quiet room versus one with some background noise, or a brightly lit environment versus a more dimly lit one) are the types of information that can be valuable in guiding instruction, and not any prescribed learning style.

heightened intensity and sensitivity in five main areas: imaginational, sensual, emotional, psychomotor, and intellectual. Some parents have observed that OEs provide a very intuitively appealing explanation for their child’s behavior or reactions. However, OEs are not generally acknowledged as a valid psychological concept in mainstream psychology. Rather, researchers suggest that Openness to Experience from the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality better explains these same types of behaviors. The Five-Factor Model is based on 50 years of psychological studies and is widely accepted, whereas research on OEs has been equivocal.

OEs have been primarily descriptive, with few if any implications for addressing any of the potentially negative consequences they may imply.

For example, rather than just concluding that a child has a psychomotor OE, instead it may be more helpful to use the diagnostic framework provided by Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In this view, the child would benefit from an assessment for ADHD which (if confirmed) would offer a corresponding treatment plan. It may also be concluded that there is no disability; the child might be acting out simply as a result of boredom due to inappropriate curriculum and instruction that is paced too slowly for the child’s abilities.

Unsupported Idea #3 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (MIs) When he proposed the idea in 1983, Gardner wanted to offer a more expansive view than that offered by traditional views of intelligence. While it is true that tests of aptitude do not capture all human capabilities, there is no scientific evidence to support the existence of large numbers of discrete intelligences. Gardner’s original intelligences—musical, visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic—may remain relevant in some instructional settings, where they are better used as a way to add interest to lessons by approaching content from different perspectives rather than as a way to prescribe how specific students learn. Teachers should not use these unsupported ideas about separate intelligences to plan and differentiate work for students, as we often observe; rather, students’ abilities should be extended by using achievement data (e.g., via pretesting) to offer flexible grouping into appropriately paced differentiated learning experiences.

So, What Can We Trust?

Unsupported Idea #2: Overexcitabilities (OEs)

These three unsupported practices are all examples of how ideas migrated into the educational ether because they sounded plausible, but well before any research to confirm or deny their effectiveness had been conducted. They also offer examples of how well-intentioned teachers and schools have been hijacked by appealing anecdotes rather than scientific evidence. The hazard in using concepts and ideas not well grounded in psychological science is that students are then not receiving appropriate services or supports.

Based on Kazimierz Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration, overexcitabilities (OEs) suggest that gifted children are more prone to

The two figures below offer a roadmap for how to evaluate evidence and determine its trustworthiness. Blogs and anecdotal evidence present the

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least reliable and valid evidence but are often also the most relatable and reader-friendly. These provide a picture of other families’ experiences of the same issues, but the details in these scenarios are often not generalizable and they are not always based on scientific evidence.

Moving toward the peak of the pyramid, the evidence becomes more rigorous. However, most parents lack direct access to these types of Fig. 1

studies, which are also typically written for other researchers rather than for parents or the general public. There are resources that bridge this research-to-practice gap, such as VAGTC and general-interest mainstream outlets like The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/ au).

How do we know what to “trust”?

Meta Analysis

Sources of Evidence

rm

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Systematic Review Randomized Controlled Trials

it y

of

In

fo

Cohort Studies

Qu

al

Case Control Studies

These sources give us generalizable information that should inform decisions made for programs, policies, and formation of theories about the gifted population

Case Series / Case Reports Background Information / Expert Opinion

Blogs of Practitioners Blogs of Parents (One Case) Anecdotal Evidence

These sources give us the stories that help us advocate for the gifted population, help us consider students who deviate from the “typical gifted child” and develop new lines of research

How do we know what to “trust”?

Fig. 2 Meta Analysis

Sources of Evidence

Randomized Controlled Trials Cohort Studies Case Control Studies

Qu

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Systematic Review

These sources are often inaccessible to parents and general public.

Look for places that are helpful in bringing this to you!

Case Series / Case Reports Background Information / Expert Opinion

Blogs of Practitioners Blogs of Parents (One Case) Anecdotal Evidence

Beware of these sources, they may be trying to promote one specific idea, case, or agenda.

Listen to experiences of others, but do not generalize one experience to all.

*Figures are used with permission of Dr. Scott Peters

Michael S. Matthews is Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he directs the M.Ed. concentration in gifted education. He is Co-Editor of Gifted Child Quarterly and previously co-edited the Journal of Advanced Academics. Dr. Matthews’ research interests include assessment, identification, and diversity in gifted programming; homeschooling and parenting of high-ability children; STEM programming; and gifted education policy. He is the author or editor of six books and over 50 journal articles.

Dr. Jennifer L. Jolly is director of the Gifted Education and Talent Development Office at the University of Alabama and professor in the College of Education. In addition, she currently holds an honorary appointment at the University of New South Wales in gifted education. Currently, she coedits the Journal for Education of the Gifted and serves on the board of CEC-TAG. Her research interests include parents of gifted children, homeschooling gifted and advanced learners, and the history of gifted education.

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Parent Reflection

The Joys and Challenges of parenting three Twice-Exceptional (2E) Children (aka Finding what works) Jeff Segal AH, PARENTING, SO MANY JOYS, SO MANY CHALLENGES! HERE I AM, NEARLY 13 YEARS INTO MY PARENTING JOURNEY, NO LONGER REALLY A BEGINNER, BUT NEVERTHELESS JUST STARTING MY JOURNEY INTO PARENTING TEENAGERS AND ADULT CHILDREN. What have been the joys and challenges so far? As I prepared to write this piece, I thought about it a lot, and finally came up with ‘Finding what works’ as a frame that I feel will allow me to share some of my experiences as a 2E dad, parenting three 2E kids. In such a short piece, I won’t be able to go into what 2E means in any detail. In our family, it refers to all of us being academically gifted, and all of us having one (or more) disabilities. My own 2E flavour is gifted/autistic.

It feels like from the moment our first child was born, we have been on a journey to find what works. It started in a very physical way. We had to find out what worked to help him sleep, feed, settle etc. It didn’t take very long before we realised that our parenting journey was going to be different from that of most people we knew. Within a couple of years we were diving into the autism and gifted rabbit holes. At each turn there was great joy in finding what worked, just as finding what worked often presented us with great challenges. So, here are some of the joys and challenges I have experienced finding what works for our kids.

The challenge of putting together a team of people who ‘get’ our kids As I write this piece, our team consists of a paediatrician, a psychologist, an art therapist, a life coach, a VCE algorithmics tutor, a viola teacher, various mentors and support workers, and the immense support we receive from our family. Putting this team together has involved a combination of asking around, getting referrals, inspiration (almost invariably on the part of my better half) and luck. The common denominator in everyone on our team is that they are genuinely interested in our kids, and are willing and able to relate with them in a strengthbased, respectful way.

The joy of witnessing our kids in full flight when interacting with people in our team It’s not easy to find people who really ‘get’ our kids, but when we do manage to find these people, our efforts are well rewarded. Seeing our kids able to discuss things freely with their psychologist, and knowing that she has their and our backs, brings a huge amount of joy. Equally joyful is the excitement our daughter experiences when working with her art therapist. Seeing the kids interact with their support workers also brings great joy.

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Making school work for our kids Our kids’ school journey has been quite different from the usual.

What some people call acceleration, we call ‘taking the brakes off’.

I’m talking about things like radical grade skipping and curriculum compacting, combined with partial or full-time enrolment at Virtual School Victoria. It has been challenging getting everyone onboard with our approach. This is where having a trusted team, especially our paediatrician and psychologist, has been essential. We really need to be surrounded by people whose only agenda is making things work for our kids. The joy comes when our kids get to work with teachers who really ‘get’ them and/or recognise that teaching outliers like our kids offers them the opportunity to up-skill. These teachers then become valued members of our team.

What works is constantly changing Since our son was a baby, it has seemed that just when we find something that works, it stops working. I’m pretty sure this isn’t unique to parenting 2E kids. Perhaps one difference is that when something doesn’t work for our kids, it REALLY doesn’t work. This can certainly add a sense of urgency to finding what works. We do tend to be a bit of an ‘all or nothing’ family! Where is the joy in this? Well, now that I know and accept that what works keeps changing, I have learned to be gentle with myself, and to trust that no matter what challenge presents itself, we will somehow find a way to make things work.

If I do have one piece of advice, it is ‘be gentle with yourself’. If you are a parent reading VISION, you clearly care deeply about your child(ren).

Keep looking for what works for your family, put together a trusted team, and buckle up for a challenging and joyful ride.

Jeff Segal has had a varied professional life. In his 20s, he travelled the world, learning foreign languages, and playing and teaching the trumpet. Then, he followed his passionate interest in Chinese martial arts and culture to become a Tai Chi teacher and Chinese medicine practitioner.

Finding himself surrounded by twice exceptional children of his own, he became deeply interested in autism, gifted education and advocating for 2E learners. He is currently a leading teacher in Mathematics for the Victorian High Ability Program, and after a 20 year break, has started playing and teaching trumpet again.

VISION, Volume 32 No. 1 2021

Artworks by Rachel Segal, age 11.

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Keynote Resource

Building Metacognition in Gifted Students for Future Success Dr Michael Postma THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO EMPOWER YOUR CHILD WITH A POSITIVE SELF-IDENTITY, AN EXERCISE CRUCIAL TO A HEALTHY AND CENTRED CHILD. INDEED, WITH AND THROUGH THIS FOUNDATION [GIFTED & THRIVING, LLC], THE CHILD CAN DEVELOP SOCIAL SKILLS, LEARN EMOTIONAL REGULATION, DEVELOP AN EXPRESSIVE VOCABULARY TO COMMUNICATE DEEP THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS, AND LEARN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS NECESSARY FOR LIFELONG SUCCESS. In more than two decades working within the field of both gifted education and gifted advocacy, I have worked with hundreds of students and families (and teachers) who are struggling to support the diverse needs of the gifted and/or twice-exceptional child. Given the scads of research, both qualitative and quantitative, available on the developmental needs of the G/2e child and, more recently, the new revelations on atypical neurological growth, asynchrony remains one of the principal issues. The fact is that G/2e children have divergent growth patterns within the areas of social/emotional regulation and intellectual development. In a sense, they embody two very different people— one with extreme intellectual potential, intimately accompanied by another that struggles to cope with negative (and sometimes, positive) external stimuli. In essence, with the gifted or 2e child, we find a puzzling paradox of brilliance and dysfunction. This does not have to be. If, at an early age, we institute a balanced approach to both intellectual and social/emotional instruction or guidance, we can equip our children to accommodate regulatory shortfalls that impede optimal growth patterns.

The first step is to understand the importance of building metacognition (or self-awareness) within your G/2 child. The child’s brain development is atypical. They are born with intense limbic and sensory systems; meaning that the limbic system is susceptible to delayed development due to the impact of powerful sensory prints, which easily disrupt and delay optimal development. The limbic system is responsible for a person’s basic functionality. It supports sleep, appetite, language development, pain, emotion, self-regulation, long term memory, and behavior. It is designed to protect the body—to keep one alive and functional. When overwhelmed by intense sensory prints (knowledge gained by using one’s senses), the limbic system will resort to basic survival techniques characterized by fight, flight, or freeze responses.

As the G/2e child grows, they experience millions of new sensory prints.

Some can be positive or neutral, while others can be negative—e.g., prolonged stressful environments or unwarranted, negative criticism.

There is evidence that children may begin developing sensory prints very early (even in the womb). Unchecked, the accumulation of sensory prints (memories) can overwhelm the child, leading to meltdowns both internally and externally. Given this dual development, it is essential to teach our children coping mechanisms to deal with harsh external stimuli.

This is why coaching our children to develop positive metacognition is so important.

Metacognition is thinking about thinking or knowing about knowing. At the core, it is building an understanding or schema of who a person is within the context of his/her environment. Because G/2e children experience asynchrony, they learn that they are different from their peers.

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They learn that they may struggle to get along with others. They learn, in turn, that the world does not understand them or even accept them.

Imagine a child with a highly developed intellect and low social/emotional functionality attempting to fit into a system that is not designed for them.

It is as if they are living in an alien world. Unhindered, the child may experience frustration, annoyance, anxiety, social isolation, anger, and even existential depression. In my own work, I have seen an increase in cases of existential depression and occurrences of depressive states in children as young as four or five. It is for this reason that, as caring adults, we must intervene. We must teach them coping mechanisms to better understand themselves, why they may appear different, and how to use strategies to overcome the effects of an intense limbic system.

The first and most important step is to tackle metacognition.

From an early age, our G/2e children need to understand who they are within the context of their environment. They need to understand that from a physiological standpoint, they are different than their peers.

You need to teach them about atypical neurological growth and, more importantly, that it is okay to be different. You need to train the child to understand asynchrony and give them the vocabulary to express or explain it to others. So many G/2e children, teens, and even young adults continue to struggle with the basic concept of being atypical. They struggle to formulate a positive identity and fail to build a positive selfimage that, in turn, affects how they interact with others. In this state of dissonance, their thoughts spiral as they continually examine the deep and probing questions of existence. We need to instruct them that being different is okay. In fact, it is more than okay. It is a gift to be cherished and shared. We need to address those intense feelings through dialogue or some other method of expression. We need to assure them that these thoughts and emotions are not pathological but common within the gifted community. We need to use every tool at our disposal to build positive metacognition. Using concept maps is a nice way to start: write down a key word or phrase, e.g., neurodiversity, and brainstorm what it means, what it looks like, impacts, facts versus myths, vocabulary, or other concepts related to the main term to help the child formulate a better understanding of self.

Other strategies that one may employ to teach metacognition include bibliotherapy (a study of famous persons who experienced asynchrony and succeeded), finding older mentors who have experienced similar paths, teaching resiliency, reframing normality, and cultivating interests and strengths. The ultimate goal is to empower your child with a positive self-identity, an exercise crucial to a healthy and centred child. Indeed, with and through this foundation [Gifted and Thriving, LLC], the child can develop social skills, learn emotional regulation, develop an expressive

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vocabulary to communicate deep thoughts and emotions, and learn executive functioning skills necessary for lifelong success.

Healthy social and emotional development are the key to achievement. It is unfortunate that our school systems do not address nor systematically teach these skills. Thus, it falls upon the parent to shoulder this burden, and the earlier we start, the more effective the methodology. Our G/2e inherently possess incredible potential to make a difference in the world around them. They, however, must get to know themselves first, because they will encounter obstacles and experience environmental dissonance and misunderstanding. Together, as responsible, caring adults, we must stand in the gap for them.

Dr. Michael Postma is an educator, author, speaker, coach and consultant dedicated to the holistic development of the gifted/twice-exceptional (2e) community. Over the last two decades, Dr. Postma has served as a gifted teacher in the classroom, as an administrator and leader of gifted schools – both public and charter schools in multiple states, and was the architect of the Minnetonka Navigator Program, a magnet school in Minnesota specifically designed for highly

gifted and twice-exceptional students. He currently is the President and co-founder of Gifted and Thriving, LLC and the Programming Director for the non-profit SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) organization. Dr. Postma has published a number of articles and two books, the latest titled The Inconvenient Student: Critical Issues in the Identification and Education of Twice-Exceptional Students.

He travels and speaks nationally and internationally on a variety of topics such as: the social/emotional development of the gifted, understanding twice-exceptional learners, gifted/talented programming, neuroscience and the gifted/2e brain and more. Dr. Postma holds a B.A. from McMaster University in Hamilton, ON; a M.A. in Gifted, Talented and Creative Education from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN; and a Ed.D in Educational Leadership (Critical Pedagogy) also from the University of St. Thomas.

He currently serves as a board member of Northwest Gifted Child Association (NWGCA) and Gifted Homeschoolers Forum (GHF) organizations. Dr. Postma resides in Bellingham, WA with his wife Julie, and is the father of four adult children, three of whom are twice-exceptional.

Shaking Dog - by Olivia, Year 2, St Mark’s School, Fawkner.

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News

Happy Birthday, VHAP English!

Linda Collis & Bron Martin THE VICTORIAN HIGH ABILITY PROGRAM (VHAP) CELEBRATED ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY AT THE START OF TERM 4 OF 2021. In acknowledging such a significant milestone, VHAP teachers have also paused to reflect upon our journey into the world of VHAP teaching - and the far-reaching impact the program has had on middle years students across Victoria. From Ouyen to Warburton, or Endeavour Hills to Brunswick, we see the faces of high ability students absolutely beam when they discover that VHAP is an opportunity to connect with like-minded students from different local and regional schools. In delivering the 10 week program virtually, students are invited to develop their twenty-first century communication skills through participating in online discussion groups, forum activities and reflective journaling. Moreover, VHAP English courses aim to foster skills in critical, creative and ethical thinking.

One of our goals is to create opportunities for VHAP students to work with a diverse representation of like-minded peers. The program aims to remove the pressure of attaining and sustaining grades, and to instead focus on experimenting with new concepts and ideas. Each week, students are invited to grapple with open-ended questions and engage in lateral thinking exercises without a definitive correct answer.

We encourage the students to hone their communication skills through public speaking, active listening and peer feedback. VHAP creates a fun and intellectually stimulating interactive space for students to

contemplate and value both their own, and their peers’ contributions. We explore different concepts to establish tangible links between reality and fiction, by observing the world around us and our journeys into fictional worlds. In the secondary English course, students critique notions of utopia and dystopia in fiction and historically – and creatively explore concepts by developing their own unique writing. In the primary English course, students explore narrative tradition and deconstruct how literary heritage is a record of shared human experience – and also playfully explore imaginative ideas through creative writing. In the final weeks of term, students share their writing and collectively celebrate their VHAP journey.

In essence, VHAP English aims to empower participants through cultivating learner confidence, encouraging students’ willingness to take academic risks and ultimately helping learners see themselves as transformational leaders that can make a significant contribution to society.

Linda Collis and Bron Martin, Lead Teachers in English, Victorian High Ability Program https://www.vsv.vic.edu.au/victorian-high-ability-program/ https://www.vsv.vic.edu.au/news/general/2021/10/happybirthday-vhap-vhap-turns-one/

Magpie in the Leaves - by Simone, Year 6, St Thomas Primary School, Drysdale.

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Gumnut Babies - by Matthew, Year 4, St Joseph’s School, Chelsea.

Book Reviews Geraldine Nicholas Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out: A Guide to the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids James Delisle is a rare academic as he willingly spends some of his spare time teaching gifted children in school settings in various parts of the US. Even as a retired professor, he continues to work with gifted kids in schools. A distinguished academic, he was a professor of special education at Kent State University. He is also a wise dad of a gifted adult.

Delisle has written numerous papers on the needs of gifted kids with a special interest in their emotional and social needs and it is with this lens that he has written this highly engaging and easy to read book.

James writes to parents in the voice of someone who has seen much and his advice is littered with stories of the many students he has come into contact with over many years.

The book covers many topics, including: identifying what giftedness is and is not; the difference between peers and age mates; focusing on children as being children first and gifted second; the need for an education that meets their individual needs, including sage advice on negotiating the pitfalls of differentiation; advocating for your child; perfectionism; and helping your child to live their best life. Delisle uses humour and wisdom in his advice to parents and recommends that parents learn all they can about gifted education.

Delisle, J. (2021). Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out: A Guide to the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids. Routledge.

Parenting Gifted Children 101: An Introduction to Gifted Kids and Their Needs Tracy Ford Inman is a past university professor at The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University and has also taught in schools. Jana Kirchner was Assistant Professor in the School of Teacher Education at Western Kentucky University.

The authors have put together what is a highly useful guide for parents who are beginning their journey of understanding gifted children. The book outlines in simple language all the necessary steps that assist parents as they enter this new territory, without confusing educational speak or jargon. Easy to read, it leads parents through some of the major concerns that arise with the realisation

that they have a gifted child. The book commences with defining what ‘gifted’ means, discusses the myths about gifted kids and then travels through the frequently asked questions such as what school may look like, communicating with educators and what to do at home. The social and emotional needs of gifted children as well as twice exceptionality are also discussed. Every chapter ends with a list of references which allows families to undertake further research beyond what the book offers.

Inman, T. F., & Kirchner, J. (2021). Parenting gifted children 101: An introduction to gifted kids and their needs. Routledge.

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Keynote Resource

Your Gifted Child: The Social and Emotional Effects of Giftedness Dr Kate Niederer GIFTED STUDENTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO PERFORM IN ADVANCE OF THEIR YEARS. For most gifted students, this ability can be very much a mixed blessing, which affects them both socially and emotionally. Below are some key social and emotional effects of giftedness and what you, as parents, can do to support your gifted son or daughter.

Emotional effects of giftedness Your gifted child’s ability will affect how they experience and respond to the world. Some common emotional effects are as follows.

Asynchronous development

Most gifted children display what is known as asynchronous development, where they are intellectually, socially and emotionally at different stages and ages. A gifted six year old may have the intellectual capability of a ten year old, be comfortable socially with eight year olds and yet still at times have the emotional outbursts more typical of a four year old. This can be very frustrating both for the child and for those around him or her.

Friendships can be difficult if children are kept to their year group, where others’ interests and concerns do not match their own. When children see that they are different to those around them they will often conclude that there is something wrong with them – with real consequences for their self-esteem. Having opportunities to interact with others of like ability is crucial, as it provides your child with a group where they fit in and can be themselves. When gifted students find ‘their tribe’ the relief can be immense. Finding others who are as passionate about learning as they are, who understand and enjoy their sense of humour, and are as quick as they are to pick up new ideas and delights in discussion and debate, is joyous. Whatever age your child is, helping them to connect with other gifted children/teenagers is so important.

Heightened sensitivity to others

Gifted children may be very sensitive to the needs and experiences of others. This can make discussion of emotive subjects very difficult for them as, from a very early age, they may empathise deeply with the feelings of others. They can be deeply disturbed by reading about or discussing illness, death, war or suffering of any kind as they relate in a very personal way to the experiences and concepts being discussed.

You might notice that your gifted child is quick to notice underlying feelings and messages in the school and home setting. They may note that their friend seems distracted, or that you seem unhappy, and worry about it. This can have both positive and negative repercussions. On the positive side it can make them very caring and empathetic friends and family members. On the negative side it can make them overly focussed on the emotions of others. It is important that you talk to your child about their concerns and encourage them to maintain a healthy balance in their sensitivity towards others, supporting them to hold true to their beliefs and values even when they are in contrast to others. There are also many ways in which they can take action on issues such as global warming, poverty or the humane treatment of animals. The internet is 20

full of suggestions, from writing to their local MP, donating either their time or their pocket money, or joining a group that is working actively to address the issue. Positive action gives your child a sense of agency and helps them to see that they can play a part in bringing about change.

Heightened senses

Gifted children may have a heightened sense of taste, touch, hearing or smell. Tastes, sights and sounds are experienced more acutely. This can make meal times rather tricky! Gifted children can become very picky eaters, with a narrowed range of food they are happy to eat. Often it is the texture, as much as the taste, that they object to. For example, many gifted children are particular about how food is placed on their plate – everything needing to be separate so that the carrots and peas do not touch each other. Food that is mashed may not appeal, but the same food in chunks is perfectly fine. Try to include them in preparing meals from a young age and encourage them to at least try any new foods.

Talking to them about what they dislike and why can lead to new ways of preparing and presenting foods that address these issues.

Talented musicians and artists use their heightened sensitivity to sound or images to produce work that delights and inspires. However this heightened sensitivity can be challenging in our noisy and visually busy world. Being able to have some control over their environment will help, as will allowing your child to retreat to a quiet, calm space when required. At home this can be relatively easy to arrange, but at school it can be harder. If this is a real issue for your child it is worth talking to their teacher to see what accommodations can be made. At one school I worked with the child had a card in her tray that she could show the teacher. If it was suitable, the teacher would nod and the child knew that they were then allowed to go and finish their work in a quiet space. This seemed to work well for everyone, with the gifted child finishing her work faster and returning to the classroom happier.

Perfectionism

Only being satisfied with the very best you can do can be a positive characteristic. High achievers in our society are often perfectionists – good enough is not enough for them. Our highest achieving artists, musicians, athletes and scientists often have a strong element of perfectionism in them that drives them to achieve at the very highest level in their field of endeavour.

However, perfectionism can have a negative side to it. At its worst, perfectionism can make an individual feel that nothing they do will ever be good enough. Working with children who suffer the negative effects of perfectionism requires a level of understanding of what they are feeling. Telling them that they are wrong, or that you think their work is fine, will only make them feel that you do not understand. Empathising with them and trying to help them come to terms with and manage their perfectionism will engender a feeling of mutual understanding and support.

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Being Oneself: being the one that others want to see - by Ryan, Year 12, St Joseph’s College, Ferntree Gully.

Frustration

Sense of humour

Unfortunately many gifted children spend their school years working at a level far below what they are capable of. It is easy to see how very frustrating this can be. Children will cope with the stress and frustration of an education not suited to their ability in a number of ways. Some will ‘dumb down’, some will ‘play up’, some will comply with work requirements but spend much of the day daydreaming. If your child is displaying any of these behaviours it is important that you talk to the school about it and discuss how your child’s needs can be better catered for.

One of the acknowledged attributes of many academically gifted individuals is a strong sense of humour. Gifted children tend to love puns and plays on words. They delight in the unusual and enjoy the cryptic. This can be difficult socially if they do not have the opportunity to mix with their intellectual peers and laugh at the same jokes, relax and be themselves. With their age peers they may need to adapt their jokes for a ‘younger’ audience and laugh at jokes they no longer see as funny, just so that they can fit in. It is wonderful to see a group of gifted children working and socialising together. The humour is obvious and the children delight in being amongst ‘like minds’ where they can relax and be themselves.

Thinking, thinking, thinking

Thinking about things in different and original ways is one of the characteristics of the academically gifted child. They will ask questions that you have never thought of asking, think deeply, and have a burning desire to know and to find out. They often have a passion for particular subjects and will become walking encyclopaedias in their area of interest.

Social effects of giftedness Giftedness affects the ways in which your child experiences the world and the people in it. Many of the known characteristics of gifted children impact on their relationships with others. The more highly gifted the individual is, the greater this effect.

Different interests, different intellectual age

While many gifted children will seem to socialise well at school, for some at least this is an act. In the same way that some children will ‘dumb down’ their responses and their work in order to fit in academically, so some children will adjust their responses and their behaviour in order to fit in socially. From the outside the child seems happy, but they can feel very isolated and alone. Group work in a mixed ability setting can be challenging for many gifted children and they will often choose to work alone. They also often have friends who are older, whom they can interact with on an intellectual level.

As mentioned earlier, having opportunities to work and socialise with others of similar interests and abilities is critical. If this is not possible within the school environment, it is worth considering clubs or groups outside of school hours where interests and ability are more important than age.

In conclusion These are some of the key social and emotional effects of being gifted.

Most are positive attributes, especially when your child is being well catered for educationally. Gifted children’s sensitivity, empathy, high ideals and ever higher standards mean they have the potential to be leaders in their chosen field. Therefore we need to ensure they are provided with the right support and environment to enable them to develop into happy, fulfilled adults.

Kate has been a passionate supporter of gifted children for over 25 years.

She is an experienced gifted education researcher, lecturer and practitioner who has worked at all levels in gifted education, from specialist teaching of gifted children to involvement in policy making and national level research.

Kate was Deputy Director for the George Parkyn National Centre for Gifted Children in New Zealand and in 2005 was appointed Assistant Director at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) at Warwick University. She has lectured in gifted education at Brunel University (London) and the University of Auckland. Her research interests include identifying and providing for mathematically gifted students and the self-concept of gifted students.

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Parent Reflection

‘Sometimes when you’re different… you just need a different song’ ONE OF THE FIRST BOOKS GIFTED TO OUR SON, BY HIS MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS, WAS GILES A NDREAE’S GIRAFFES CAN’T DANCE. For those unfamiliar with this charming children’s book, the story of Gerald the giraffe embraces the concept of difference … and the importance of finding one’s own song to dance to. As I nestled into our sofa to share Gerald’s story with our then 2-month-old son, little could we all know just what a serendipitous gift this was.

Our son came into the world on his due date, perhaps the last time he was to do anything on cue. For our young man, the world simply spun entirely too slowly. He thrived on little to no sleep, eager to engage in every experience and opportunity that was presented to him … and actively seeking out any that weren’t! And, although exhausting, we relished in his insatiable appetite for life and learning. It was positively contagious, and our days were filled with books, music, play, outings, surprising conversations … and more books.

Whilst our son’s entree into the mainstream school system started positively enough, we soon realised that this was going to be a bumpy ride. We welcomed his ELC teacher’s observation that he made ‘connections between knowledge that other children his age don’t’, because it provided us with a real sense of comfort that they understood how this kid ticked. But, we would come to realise that acknowledging a child’s differences, is not the same thing as valuing and nurturing them, especially in those educational spaces where standardisation and conformity are the very raison d’être.

Teasing and bullying became commonplace, as the differences between the breadth and depth of our son’s interests and those of his age-peers became increasingly obvious. He was clearly on the outer and, with our own divergent lived experience, so too were we. Eager to address the widening gaps, I took to reminding him that we knew that he was a star, but that he needed to let others shine too. That I gave voice to the school’s unspoken message – to mask his abilities in order to fit in - fills me with regret to this day. We chose to move schools, to one which promised explicit teaching, academic rigor … and success. We hoped that there he would find his tribe, and perhaps that we would find ours too. In an environment that saw academic success defined by competition – between students and between schools - neither hope was realised. Nor indeed was the academic rigour we were seeking. It was always to be the next year that things would ‘step up’.

And so, as we became increasingly preoccupied with advocating unsuccessfully so - we also pursued out-of-school opportunities to keep our son’s mind ticking over. We sourced printed resources from the UK (catering to independent school students), online world history courses from the US (catering to homeschooling families) and, following the results of his psychometric testing, online courses from the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University (catering to high-IQ children).

Our son positively relished in the rigour each opportunity afforded him, whilst I relished in the tangible evidence of his learning that was shared so freely with me.

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In hindsight, I see that we were already transitioning to homeschooling, albeit incrementally. But, I persevered with the belief that if I could just argue our son’s case better, that his mainstream school would surely come on board. And so, finally we pulled out the big guns … his newly administered WISC-IV assessment, his Mensa membership and his ongoing enrolment in CTY courses. Our delight in securing a meeting with his school’s Learning Support Group (LSG) was short-lived. By the time his Individual Learning Plan (ILP) had found its way into my inbox, the agreed-upon curriculum compacting had disappeared, whilst previously undiscussed behaviour monitoring had been added. It was a terrible outcome, which saw us send back a corrected version of the LSG’s minutes of our meeting … and pull out of the ILP process entirely.

We persevered with what was increasingly looking like a dual curriculum, as we took more and more advantage of CTY’s offerings. As we drew to the end of another year, we realised just how patently unfair the dual curriculum was. But giving up on the rigour of CTY’s content, along with the connection to other like-minded peers that it offered, was not an option. Knowing that other children were being released from a few classes here and there, to attend their out-of-school activities, we requested the same consideration for our son’s CTY courses. His homeroom teacher agreed, but it took mere days for our plan to reach the Executive and for them to advise us that, should our son miss any part of the school curriculum, his enrolment at the school would be reconsidered.

Recognising that our parental perceptions of our son’s school experiences may not match his, I sought his thoughts on what he might miss by leaving his mainstream school. In his eyes, a couple of teachers, his Strings Ensemble and his Field Hockey were the sum total value of his rather pricey private education. There was no mention of subjects, no mention of learning … and no mention of friendship groups. Christmas holidays that year were spent setting up our Plan B (i.e. full time homeschooling) and, by the time he set foot back into the school setting, we had an alternative pathway in place. It took us less than a week to put it to good use.

Just as the mouse in Pamela Allen’s Who Sank the Boat was the tipping point, the singular moment was the new homeroom teacher’s request that our son change his super-hero self-portrait to one ‘which others can identify with’. Situating himself in the stunning George Peabody Library of Johns Hopkins University apparently didn’t cut the mustard. And so, the decision was made to stop advocating and to start educating.

We never were able to get through to the ‘powers that be’ that we weren’t looking for our son to be hot-housed, to be a straight-A student, or to be publicly lauded. Neither was our intent to openly challenge the educational product that they were packaging. We simply wanted our son’s potential to be acknowledged and for him to be challenged appropriately … before he came to realise that the education on offer had, well, little to offer!

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Almost four years into our homeschooling journey, I see the benefits of the decision daily, with my only regret being that we did not make the decision sooner. And whilst it comes with its own challenges, with regards to curriculum planning and ensuring a pathway to tertiary studies, not to mention managing family dynamics, it has been a liberating experience for us all.

And, as our son enters the final years of his high school education, I remain hopeful that parents of other gifted children will have greater success than us in advocating for their gifted child’s needs. It takes schools willing not only to acknowledge the differences inherent in those children who live their lives to the ‘right side of the bell curve’ (and in some cases to the left as well!), but to cater for their needs in a meaningful and collaborative manner. And for those where a system

based upon standardisation and conformity may never be a good fit, I remain hopeful that they will continue to be able to enjoy alternative educational pathways, as our son has.

‘Then he raised his head and looked up At the moon and stars above.

‘We all can dance,’ he said, ‘When we find music that we love’ - Giles Andreae, Giraffe’s Can’t Dance The author remains anonymous for privacy reasons. If you would like to discuss your own experiences, VAGTC Consult would welcome your email at consult@vagtc.org.au.

Vọng Nguyệt (Fish Watching the Moon) - by Rachel, Year 11, Ave Maria College, Aberfeldie.

C O N S U L T A N C Y The VAGTC offers expert advice to educators and parents in the areas of gifted and talented education and advocacy.

Consultancy is available on the wellbeing and education of gifted and high ability children.

A free initial consultation service is available to parents and families by emailing consult@vagtc.org.au. Ongoing support in response to specific needs can be arranged for families and schools at an hourly rate. Membership discounts apply.

e: consult@vagtc.org.au

For further information about support offered by the VAGTC Consult Team through parent and educator seminars, visit: https://www.vagtc.org.au/seminars/ https://www.vagtc.org.au/book-an-educator-seminar/

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References: Pg.6: The Myth that Gifted Students will Make it on their Own Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL] (2011). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.aitsl.edu.au/ docs/default-source/apstresources/australian_professional_standard_for_teachers_final.pdf Badulf, M. (2009). Underachievement among college students. Journal of Advanced Academics, 20, 274-294.

Callahan, C. (2017). The characteristics of gifted and talented students. In C. Callahan & H.Hertberg-Davis, Fundamentals of gifted education : Considering multiple perspectives (pp. 153-166). New York, NY.: Routledge.

Ferguson, S. K. (2021). Affective education: Addressing the social and emotional needs of gifted students in the classroom. In Methods and materials for teaching the gifted (pp. 479-512). Routledge.

Fraser-Seeto, K., Howard, S., & Woodcock, S. (2013). Preparation for teaching gifted students: an updated investigation into university offerings in New South Wales. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 22, 45-51.

Fredricks, J., Alfeld, C., & Eccles, J. (2010). Developing and fostering passion in academic and nonacademic domains. Gifted Child Quarterly, 54, 18-30.

Frydenberg, E., & O’Mullane, A. (2000). Nurturing talent in the Australian context: A reflective approach. Roeper Review, 22, 78-85.

Gagné, F. (2004). Transforming gifts into talents: The DMGT as a developmental theory. High Ability Studies, 15, 119-147.

Gagné, F. (2013). The DMGT: Changes within, beneath, and beyond. Talent Development & Excellence, 5(1), 5-19.

Gagné, F. (2017). The integrative model of talent development (IMTD): From theory to educational applications.

Gagné, F. (2018). Academic talent development: Theory and best practice. In S. Pfeiffer (Ed.), Handbook of Giftedness and Talent (pp. 163-183). Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association.

Geake, J., & Gross, M. (2008). Teachers’ negative affect towards academically gifted students: An evolutionary psychological study. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52, 217231.

Grobman, J. (2009). A psychodynamic psychotherapy approach to the emotional problems of exceptionally and profoundly gifted adolescents and adults: A psychiatrist’s experience. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 33, 106-125.

Gross, M. (1999). Inequity in equity: The paradox of gifted education in Australia. Australian Journal of Education, 43, 87-93.

Hogeveen, L., van Hell, J., & Verhoeven, L. (2005). Teacher attitudes toward academic acceleration and accelerated students in the Netherlands. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 29, 30-59.

Jackson, S., & Peterson, J. (2003). Depressive disorder in highly gifted adolescents. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 14, 175-186.

Krafchek, J., & Kronborg, L. (2018). Stressful life events experienced by academically high-achieving females before the onset of disordered eating. Roeper Review, 40, 245-254.

Kronborg, L. (2018). Gifted education in Australia and New Zealand. In S. I. Pfeiffer (Ed.), APA Handbook of Giftedness and Talent (pp. 85-96). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Matheis, S., Keller, L., Kronborg, L., Schmitt, M., & Preckel, F. (2019). Do stereotypes strike twice? Giftedness and gender stereotypes in preservice teachers’ beliefs about student characteristics in Australia. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 1-20.

McCall, R. (1994). Academic underachievers. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 3, 15-19.

Mofield, E., Peters, M., & Chakraborti-Ghosh, S. (2016). Perfectionism, coping, and underachievement in gifted adolescents: Avoidance vs. approach orientations.

Education Sciences, 6, 21-43.

Moon, S. (2009). Myth 15: High-ability students don’t face problems and challenges. Gifted Child Quarterly, 53, 274-276.

Neihart, M., Reis, S., Robinson, N., & Moon, S.(Eds.) (2002). The social and emotional development of gifted students: What do we know? Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Peters, S., & Jolly, J. (2018). The influence of professional development in gifted education on the frequency of instructional practices. The Australian Educational Researcher, 45, 473-491.

Peterson, J. (2000). A follow up study of one group of achievers and underachievers four years after high school graduation. Roeper Review, 22, 217-224.

Plunkett, M., & Kronborg, L. (2007). Gifted education in Australia: A story of striving for balance. Gifted Education International, 23, 72-83.

Reis, S., & Renzulli, J. (2004). Current research on the social and emotional development of gifted and talented students: Good news and future possibilities.

Psychology in the Schools, 41, 119-130.

Rimm, S. B., Siegle, D., & Davis, G. A. (2018a). Gifted education: Matching instruction with needs. In S. B. Rimm, D. Siegle, & G. A. Davis, Education of the Gifted and Talented (pp. 1-22). New York, NY: Pearson Education Limited.

Rimm, S. B., Siegle, D., & Davis, G. A. (2018b). Characteristics of gifted students. In S. B. Rimm, D. Siegle, & G. A. Davis, Education of the Gifted and Talented (pp.

23-39). New York, NY: Pearson Education Limited.

Rogers, K. (2007). Lessons learned about educating the gifted and talented: A synthesis of the research on educational practice. The Gifted Child Quarterly, 51, 382396.

Siegle, D., & McCoach, B. (2018). Underachievement and the gifted child. In S. Pfeiffer, E. Shaunessy-Dedrick, & M.Foley-Nicpon (Eds.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 559-573). Washington D.C: American Psychological Association.

Steenbergen-Hu, S., Makel, M., & Olszewski-Kubilis, P. (2016). What one hundred years of research says about the effects of ability grouping and acceleration on K-12 students’ academic achievement: Findings of two second order meta-analyses. Review of Educational Research, 86, 849-899.

Subotnik, R. F., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Worrell, F. (2011). Rethinking giftedness and gifted education: A proposed direction forward based on psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 12, 3-54.

Taylor, T., & Milton, M. (2006). Preparation for teaching gifted students: an investigation into university courses in Australia. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 15, 25-31.

Rowan, L., & Townend, G. (2016). Early career teachers’ beliefs about their preparedness to teach: Implications for the professional development of teachers working with gifted and twice-exceptional students. Cogent Education, 3(1), 1242458.

Van Tassel - Baska, J., Feng, A. X., Brown, E., Bracken, B., Stambaugh, T., French, H.,…Bai, W. (2008). A Study of Differentiated Instructional Change over 3 Years.

Gifted Child Quarterly, 52, 297-312.

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Vialle, W., Heaven, P., & Ciarrochi, J. (2007). On being gifted, but sad and misunderstood: Social, emotional, and academic outcomes of gifted students in the Wollongong youth study. Educational Research and Evaluation, 13, 569-586.

Wiley, K., & Herbert, T. (2014). A critical analysis of research on social and emotional traits of gifted youth. In J. Plucker, & C. Callahan, Critical issues and practices in gifted education: What the research says (2nd ed.) (pp. 567-607). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Wood, S. (2010). Best practices in counselling the gifted in schools: What’s really happening? Gifted Child Quarterly, 54, 42-58.

Pg.10: Resilience in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic Dweck, C. (2014). Mindsets and malleable minds: Implications for giftedness and talent. In R. Subotnik, A. Robinson, C. Callahan, & E. Gubbins (Eds.), Malleable Minds: Translating insights from psychology and neuroscience to gifted education (pp. 7-18). Storrs, CT: National Research Centre on the GIfted and Talented.

Kitano, M. K., & Lewis, R. B. (2005). Resilience and coping: implications for gifted children and youth at risk. Roeper Review, 27(4), 200-205. doi:10.1080/02783190509554319 Kronborg, L., Plunkett, M., Gamble, N., & Kaman, Y. (2017). Control and resilience: the importance of an internal focus to maintain resilience in academically able students. Gifted and Talented International, 32(1), 59-74.

Phillips, I., & Phillips, J. (2019). Skyline 2019 Evaluation Update.

Phillips, I., & Phillips, J. (2021). Skyline Education Foundation Australia Evaluation Update.

Yaeger, D., & Dweck, C. (2012). Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When Students Believe That Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302-314. doi:10.1080/00461520.2012.722805

Pg.13: Myths and Misinformation How People Learn II (https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24783/how-people-learn-ii-learners-contexts-and-cultures) Comprehensive overview of learning styles research: Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119. https:// doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x Description of different kinds of research relevant to classroom practice: Matthews, M. S. & Hujar, J. (2020). Using gifted education research in the classroom. In J. L. Jolly, J. A. Robins, F. Karnes, & S. Bean (Eds.) Methods and Materials for Teaching the Gifted (5th Ed., pp. 423-437). Prufrock Press.

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To advocate for gifted learners as they explore and develop their talents

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