CGCC Treasurer Pam Shaw is also President and Policy and Advocacy Committee Co-Chair for the Illinois Association for Gifted Children (IAGC). IAGC advocates for the needs of advanced learners in the Illinois General Assembly.

How can you help at this time? SB1983 has passed the Senate and is scheduled to be heard this week by the Illinois House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 8:00 AM. You can help by submitting a witness slip as a proponent of the bill prior to the committee hearing.

What Does SB 1983 Accomplish?

Language has changed to align with the move away from categorical grant funding toward the Evidence-Based Funding model, so references have been removed that tie gifted education provisions to state grant funding. Guidance for gifted programming is still present, but programming decisions are left to local schools and districts. The language change also removes the priority emphasis on language arts and mathematics, acknowledging that students may demonstrate potential in many ways.

To submit a witness slip, click or copy/paste this link: https://my.ilga.gov/WitnessSlip/Create/161376?committeeHearingId=21930&LegislationId=161376&LegislationDocumentId=201164

• Fill in your name and address in the IDENTIFICATION section
• In the Name field, include your degree(s), if applicable, without punctuation- MS, PhD, EdD, etc.
• For Firm/Business or Agency, put “self” unless your employer has given you permission to represent them
• For title, please list your professional title as applicable. For example: teacher, parent, student, administrator, gifted coordinator, etc.
• In the REPRESENTATION section, again, do not put your employer or any other group, unless you have permission to represent them. You are representing yourself. You can put some details, such as: “self as retiree,” “self as enrichment teacher,” “self as parent”, etc.
• In the POSITION section, please select “proponent” - this means you support the bill.
• Under TESTIMONY, click “Record of Appearance Only.” 
• Click to agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement and click “Create Slip”

April is Autism Acceptance Month, a perfect time to share this new advocacy video, Autistic Culture 101: A 2E Perspective, the doctoral project of Andrea Brucella Finnegan, Ed.D., ABD, from the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity. CGCC Treasurer Pam Shaw's youngest was among seventeen twice-exceptional autistic teens and adults who contributed their perspectives to the video. 

This project is intended to be a neurodiversity-affirming autism advocacy video targeted at neurotypical students who don't yet understand autism well.

Dr. Finnegan shared, "As an artist, I was honored to illustrate what I learned from everyone's narratives and words of advice. It is my hope that someday all autistic people will be better understood and that all schools will strive to adopt a neurodiversity-affirming environment, where all students can feel comfortable being their wonderful, authentic selves."

One benefit of CGCC is the many connections we make with each other and the gifted community. I met Sam Young, Head of School of the Young Scholars Academy, last November at the National Association for Gifted Children's annual conference. I joined his email list where he shares events and resources for his online school. He recently shared a post from the YSA blog, "Creating a Climate of Resilience," and I thought I would pass it along to the CGCC community.

Serving others can be a powerful hook to engage gifted students in learning and help develop critical thinking, leadership, and creative skills. By participating in service learning projects, gifted kids can develop a sense of purpose, connect with their community, and discover the value of their contributions.

Benefits of Service Projects for Gifted Kids

1. Develops Empathy and Compassion: Service projects help gifted kids understand different perspectives, develop empathy, and cultivate compassion.
2. Fosters Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Service projects often involve complex, open-ended problems that require critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
3. Enhances Leadership and Collaboration: Service projects encourage gifted kids to take on leadership roles, work collaboratively with peers, and develop essential communication skills.
4. Cultivates Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility: Service projects help gifted kids develop a sense of civic duty, social responsibility, and a commitment to creating positive change.
5. Supports Academic Excellence: Service projects can be tailored to align with academic standards, reinforcing gifted kids' understanding of complex concepts and promoting deeper learning.

Designing Service Learning Projects for Gifted Kids

Effective service learning projects are student-directed, involve collaboration, and have real-world context. Consider the following:

1. Start with a Spark: Begin with a thought-provoking question, issue, or challenge that resonates with gifted kids' interests and passions.
2. Encourage Inquiry: Support gifted kids in conducting research, gathering data, and exploring different perspectives to deepen their understanding of the issue.
3. Foster Collaboration: Pair gifted kids with peers, mentors, or community partners to promote teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
4. Emphasize Reflection and Evaluation: Regularly schedule reflection sessions, encouraging gifted kids to assess their progress, identify challenges, and refine their approach.
5. Celebrate Impact: Acknowledge and celebrate the positive impact of gifted kids' service learning projects, reinforcing their sense of purpose and motivation.

Ideas for Service Learning Projects

1. Environmental Conservation: Partner with local parks or wildlife organizations to develop projects focused on conservation, sustainability, and environmental education.
2. Tutoring and Mentoring: Establish a peer tutoring program, where gifted kids mentor younger students, promoting academic excellence and social responsibility.
3. Community Art Initiatives: Collaborate with local artists, schools, or community centers to develop public art projects that promote social awareness, inclusivity, and community engagement.
4. Social Entrepreneurship: Support gifted kids in designing and implementing social entrepreneurship projects, addressing real-world problems and promoting positive change.

Homeschooling with Impact

For homeschooling families, incorporating service learning projects into the curriculum can be a powerful way to provide gifted kids with a rich, meaningful educational experience. By combining academic rigor with real-world relevance and social responsibility, homeschooling families can help gifted kids develop into compassionate, creative, and critically thinking individuals.

By embracing service learning, we can empower gifted kids to become active citizens, leaders, and change-makers, equipped to make a positive impact in their communities and beyond.

References

"Serving Others Hooks Gifted Students on Learning" by ASCD. (retrieved from https://ascd.org/el/articles/serving-others-hooks-gifted-students-on-learning)

"Project-Based Learning for Gifted Students" video. (retrieved from https://youtu.be/J-Cdv4WEnKA)

"Homeschool for Impact" by Kindness Clubhouse. (retrieved from https://kindnessclubhouse.com/homeschool-with-impact/)

As we welcome a new year, let's nurture our children's dreams and aspirations! Involving kids in goal-setting teaches valuable skills, boosts confidence, and fosters a growth mindset. Let's explore age-specific strategies for collaboratively setting New Year’s goals.

Age Group 1: 5-8 Years Old - "Dream Big, Little Ones!"

For our youngest stars:

• Imagine possibilities: Ask open-ended questions, sparking creativity.
• Break goals into smaller steps: Make achievements feel within reach.
• Visualize success: Create vision boards or draw goal-inspired art. See here for ideas on creating vision boards together.

Example:

Goal: "I want to ride my bike without training wheels!"

Breakdown: Practice balancing, remove training wheels, ride with support.

Age Group 2: 9-11 Years Old - "Explore Passions"

For curious pre-teens:

• Discover interests: Encourage exploration of hobbies.
• Set specific goals: Focus on measurable objectives.
• Create an action plan: Identify steps to achieve goals.

Example:

Goal: "I want to improve reading skills!"

Action Plan:

Read 20 minutes daily.

Finish 2 books/month.

Discuss books with a parent/book club.

Age Group 3: 12-14 Years Old - "Building Habits"

For growing teens:

• Develop consistent habits: Emphasize routine and effort.
• Set challenging goals: Encourage stretching beyond comfort zones and help your (pre-)teen foster big-picture thinking skills
• Track progress: Use journals, spreadsheets, or apps.

Example:

Goal: "Practice piano 30 minutes daily."

Habit Tracker: Log daily practice, reward milestones (30-day streak).

Age Group 4: 15-18 Years Old - "Empowering Independence"

For emerging adults:

• Self-reflection: Encourage self-assessment and goal-setting.
• Long-term goals: Focus on future aspirations (college, career).
• Accountability partnerships: Pair with mentors/peers.

Example:

Goal: "Attend a top-tier university."

Action Plan:

• Research colleges.
• Maintain 3.5 GPA.
• Prepare standardized tests.

Collaborative Goal-Setting Tips

By involving children in goal-setting, you'll nurture self-awareness, problem-solving abilities, resilience, confidence, and growth mindset. As you help your youngster set goals, remember:

• Listen with love: Understand aspirations/concerns.
• Guide gently: Support without dictating goals.
• Celebrate milestones: Acknowledge progress/achievements.
• Foster accountability: Regularly review progress.
• Emphasize self-compassion: Learn from setbacks.

Here’s to a fun, successful, and fulfilling 2025!

Think your child is not gifted? Think again. Giftedness is an often-misunderstood concept, and most people equate giftedness with academic achievement. But, according to the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC), gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. In other words, giftedness is “a complex and multifaceted concept that can manifest in various ways” ([1]).  

In this post, we'll explore the different intelligence domains, helping you better understand and support your child's unique strengths. Authoritative academic sources (see, e.g., Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences [2]) recognize as many as nine types of intelligence. More generally, the intelligence domains can include intellectual intelligence, creative intelligence, emotional/social intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence, and spatial intelligence. In this blog post, Gardner’s nine intelligence types are consolidated for clarity and cohesion.

A rough probability analysis makes it clear that, assuming the intelligence domains are independent, if a probability of not being gifted in a particular domain is 0.9, then the probability of not being gifted in any of the five domains is 0.9*5, or 59%. That means (at least in the perfect world where all children have equal access to skill development resources) that four in ten (or two in five) children can be top performers in at least one of the five intelligence domains. That’s a high number!

In reality, because intelligence domains are not fully independent and because no measure of aptitude or competence is perfect, the math is a bit more complex: for instance, one study analyzed several definitions and numerical cutoffs for giftedness and found that differing definitions and identification methods significantly impact the percentage of students identified as gifted, ranging from 1.4% to 37.4% [3].

The bottom line: giftedness has many faces. Let’s explore some of them.

Intellectual Giftedness (e.g., Gardner’s logical/mathematical, naturalist, spiritual/existential intelligence)

Intellectual giftedness is perhaps the most recognized form of giftedness. Children with intellectual giftedness typically excel in academic settings, demonstrating advanced reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. Intellectually gifted children often grasp complex concepts quickly and may exhibit a strong desire to learn.

Creative Giftedness (e.g., Gardner’s linguistic, musical intelligence)

Creative giftedness is characterized by innovative thinking, imagination, and/or artistic expression. The term can also refer to exceptional abilities in generating ideas, products, or solutions through various forms of expression, including art, music, writing, or problem-solving. Characteristics of creative thinkers can include openness, inventiveness, distractibility, intuition, and individualism [4].

Social-Emotional Giftedness (e.g., Gardner’s intra-, inter-personal intelligence)

Some gifted children possess exceptional emotional intelligence and/or social skills. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict [5]. Gifted children with high emotional intelligence may demonstrate empathy, leadership abilities, and a deep understanding of human relationships.

Kinesthetic Giftedness

Kinesthetic giftedness is characterized by exceptional physical coordination, balance, and movement [6].

Spatial Giftedness

Spatial giftedness involves the ability to visualize and manipulate objects in space.  Recognizing spatial intelligence can improve outcomes in STEM education, enhance problem-solving skills, foster creativity, and support diverse learning styles [7].

Helping your Child Discover Unique Strengths

Understanding the various intelligence domains is crucial in providing effective support for your child. Parents should consider providing ample opportunities for children to practice skills in different intelligence domains and closely observe outcomes to identify areas where their children are passionate explorers and/or strong performers. Examples of steps parents can take include:

• Providing opportunities for exploration and discovery
• Encouraging creative outlets and artistic expression
• Fostering emotional intelligence through socialization and empathy-building activities
• Collaborating with educators to develop tailored learning plans
• Celebrating your child's unique strengths and accomplishments

Conclusion

Giftedness is a multifaceted concept that encompasses a wide range of abilities and talents. By recognizing and embracing the various modalities of giftedness, you can better support your child’s unique needs and help them thrive.

References

[1] National Association for Gifted Children. (n.d.). What is Giftedness? Retrieved from https://nagc.org/page/what-is-giftedness.

[2] Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books.

[3] McBee, M. T. (2019). The Quantitative Implications of Definitions of Giftedness. Gifted Child Quarterly, 63(2), 93-109. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2332858419831007. 

[4] Shenfield, T. What is Creative Giftedness, and How Can Creativity Be Nurtured in Gifted Children? (2021). Retrieved from https://www.psy-ed.com/wpblog/what-is-creative-giftedness-and-how-can-creativity-be-nurtured-in-gifted-children/.

[5] Segal, J. What is emotional intelligence (EQ)? (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/wellbeing/emotional-intelligence-eq.

[6] Gardner, ibid.

[7] Scientific American. (2010). Recognizing spatial intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/recognizing-spatial-intel/.

From the Adler Planetarium website:

Our Wednesday hours, from 4:00 pm–10:00 pm (last admission 9:00 pm), are the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and let curiosity be your guide! Join us after work, after school, or for date night at the Adler Planetarium. You’ll find hands-on, minds-on activities, experiences, and shows about the universe that will blow your mind!

Our award-winning sky shows are not to be missed. Imagine the Moon with us, search for a new ninth planet, take a fast-paced tour of the solar system, get to know the sky above Chicago, and fly through the stars at impossible speeds in our state-of-the-art theaters. Check out trailers for all of our sky shows!

Best of all? Every Wednesday is free Museum Entry for Illinois residents with proof of residency! To show proof of residency, you can use a valid Illinois driver’s license or photo ID, Illinois student ID with photo, or a photo ID plus a document (utility bill, lease, etc.) that shows your name and Illinois address.

All tickets must be bought online, in advance of your visit. All sales are final. Book your tickets for Adler at Night if you’re an Illinois resident or non-Illinois resident.

The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at the University of Chicago offers free docent-led tours for the public every Saturday at 1:30 pm. Many of the tours highlight general parts of their collection, but sometimes they have themed tours that feature specific galleries and topics.

No registration is required. Click here for complete details.

The Illinois Association for Gifted Children is offering two Conference Scholarships open to parents or educators who may otherwise be unable to attend. The 2024 IAGC Conference will be held Nov. 1-2, 2024 at NIU Naperville. The application deadline is September 10, 2024.