Parent Resources

Keep up with the latest news for Parents of Gifted Scholars in our newsletter, The Open Gate.

Questions and Resources

Does my child exhibit the characteristics and traits of giftedness?

Because gifted children are so diverse, not all exhibit all characteristics all of the time. However, there are common characteristics that many gifted individuals share:

Unusual alertness, even in infancy
Rapid learner; puts thoughts together quickly
Excellent memory
Unusually large vocabulary and complex sentence structure for age
Advanced comprehension of word nuances, metaphors and abstract ideas
Enjoys solving problems, especially with numbers and puzzles
Often self-taught reading and writing skills as preschooler
Deep, intense feelings and reactions
Highly sensitive
Thinking is abstract, complex, logical, and insightful
Idealism and sense of justice at early age
Concern with social and political issues and injustices
Longer attention span and intense concentration
Preoccupied with own thoughts—daydreamer
Learns basic skills quickly and with little practice
Asks probing questions
Wide range of interests (or extreme focus in one area)
Highly developed curiosity
Interest in experimenting and doing things differently
Puts idea or things together that are not typical
Keen and/or unusual sense of humor
Desire to organize people/things through games or complex schemas
Vivid imaginations (and imaginary playmates when in preschool)

Is my child gifted?

A bright child knows the answer; the gifted learner asks the questions.
A bright child works hard to achieve; the gifted learner knows without working hard.
A bright child enjoys school; the gifted learner enjoys self-directed learning.
A bright child has a fine imagination; the gifted learner uses that imagination to experiment with ideas and hunches.

Resources for Understanding Gifted Students

Online Resources for Students

Parent Meeting Presentations:

Gifted 101

Spanish- Gifted 101

Growing Gifted Minds

Spanish- Growing Gifted Minds

TPSP

Spanish- TPSP

Postsecondary

Spanish- Postsecondary

Online Resources for Parents

Belin-Blank Center - The Belin-Blank Center creates opportunities for equitable talent development.

National Association for Gifted Children - NAGC is the nation's leading organization focused on the needs of gifted and talented children. Dedicated to uplifting and empowering those who support children with advanced abilities, NAGC provides energizing professional learning, impactful research, and inspiring advocacy to ensure all children have equitable opportunities and support to develop their gifts and talents.

Hoagies' Gifted Education - The all-things-gifted site, full of resources, articles, books and links to help and support parents, teachers, and gifted children alike.

ImmSchools - We are an immigrant-led non-profit partnering with educators and community leaders to ensure safe and inclusive schools for undocumented and mixed-status students and families.

The Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented (TAGT) - Connects and empowers educators and parents to meet the unique needs of gifted and talented students from every cultural background who see the world in unique ways and are developing minds that just might discover innovative answers to the most challenging questions of their generation.

Texas Education Agency - The state's goal for Gifted and Talented students is to ensure that students who participate in G/T services demonstrate self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication skills. G/T students develop innovative products and sophisticated performances that reflect individuality and creativity and are targeted to an audience outside the classroom.

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