Presentation TONIGHT: Life with the Gifted Child

There's an event coming up TODAY which I only just heard about, but want to get the word out just in case you have time and interest:

Monday, October 13, 2008—PORTAGE, MICHIGAN
EVENT SPONSORED BY PLUS of Southwest Michigan, Region 4 Affiliate of MI Alliance for Gifted Education
TOPIC: “Life with the Gifted Child: Practical Solutions for the Home and Classroom”

WHEN: Monday, October 13; 6:30 – 8:00 pm

LOCATION: Kalamazoo RESA Building; 1819 E. Milham Rd., Portage

Does your accelerated student deal with issues associated with his or her advanced abilities? Do traits common to the gifted create difficulties in their life – and yours?

Characteristics of gifted children that can be difficult to live with, both at home and at school, might include:

· Perfectionism

· Intensity

· Heightened Sensitivity

· Introversion, and

· Questioning of Authority

To aid parents and teachers of advanced and accelerated children who could use coping strategies to make life easier for them - and you - Partners in Learning for Unlimited Success of Southwest Michigan is proud to host Dr. Michele Kane of Northeastern Illinois University.

Dr. Kane will discuss effective strategies and techniques for dealing with these personality traits, as well as ways to help kids to deal with the unique stresses of giftedness.

This FREE presentation is open to the public.

We hope that all of you will be able to attend - and tell a friend!

Thanks!
Nan Janecke, President, PLUS, 269-353-3757

Over coffee the other day, various of our parents and I were discussing common perceptions of giftedness: how the word is interpreted and what it actually means. Why would these children - who are ahead of the curve already, with brains and talents exceeding most others - need special care and attention? Don't they have more going for them than other children already? Why give more to those who are already privileged? We who live and work with these children know that their abilities are matched by needs, and that if their needs are not met the children become miserable, blocked, frustrated, self-doubting, stressed, and often angry. Their 'gifts' don't mean that everything comes easily to them. On the contrary, often issues of perfectionism, uneven development, processing, extreme sensitivity and others can make their journey intensely difficult for them. Our goal - parents and teachers alike - is to give our children the resources, attention, and environment to develop happily, deeply, effectively, responsibly, confidently. We want them to become the amazing adults that they deserve to be, for their own sake and the sake of the world they inhabit. To do that, they must be given a learning environment that supports their unique needs. If you have the chance to attend Dr. Kane's presentation tonight, I'm sure it will be worthwhile. If not, please know that I and the teachers are here to discuss your child's needs with you at any time. Don't hesitate to ask.