Professional Portfolio
Parent Resources
The following links are resources that will keep you up to date on what your child is learning and what they will learn as they continue through their school career. I have also included a few links that I will be using in my classroom.
This page from NC’s Department of Public Instruction offers free, ready-to-use learning resources for advanced and gifted students in grades K–12. Each activity, available in English and Spanish, is standards-based and designed to stretch thinking and creativity. It’s a great way to keep your child challenged and engaged at home or school.
The NAGC TIP Sheets linked below are quick, helpful guides made just for parents of gifted kids. They offer practical tips on topics like classroom advocacy, acceleration, and emotional support. Easy to read and share, they’re a great way to stay informed and support your child’s unique learning journey.
The Beaufort County Schools AIG Services website helps parents understand how gifted students are identified and supported in the district. It offers key resources—like referral forms (in English and Spanish), program details, and staff contacts—all in one place. It’s a great tool to stay informed and involved in your child’s gifted education.
The Mensa Foundation scholarship site offers valuable opportunities for gifted students to earn college scholarships based on their goals and achievements. It’s easy to navigate, with clear deadlines and simple essay requirements. For parents of AIG students, it’s a practical way to support your child’s future and connect them with recognition they deserve.
The 2022–2023 State of the States in Gifted Education report reveals significant variation in how U.S. states define, fund, and support gifted education due to the lack of federal mandates. Many states have policies requiring services but offer little or no dedicated funding. The report highlights persistent inequities in identification and access, especially for underserved populations, and inconsistent professional development. It calls for more equitable and consistent systems to better support gifted learners nationwide.
A study found that gifted identification boosts high school graduation and college entry for disadvantaged boys by 25–30 points, mainly through improved non-academic skills like advanced coursework. It had little effect on disadvantaged girls. This shows gifted programs help close education gaps for boys by supporting skills beyond test scores.
Hoagies’ Gifted Education page explains that identifying gifted students involves more than just test scores—it also includes teacher observations, parent input, and student work. It stresses the importance of fair and inclusive practices to ensure all children, especially those from diverse backgrounds, get the support they need. The page also highlights ongoing assessments and personalized learning plans to help gifted students thrive.
Gagné’s Differentiated Model explains that giftedness is about natural abilities, like thinking or creativity, while talent is what happens when those abilities are developed through learning and support. It highlights that motivation, family, school, and other factors all play a role in helping kids turn their gifts into real skills. This model shows why recognizing and nurturing each child’s unique strengths is key to helping them succeed.
This study shows that placing gifted students together in the same classroom (cluster grouping) helps them do better in math, especially when teachers are trained in gifted education. The approach works well for students of different backgrounds, including English learners. For parents, it suggests that supporting cluster grouping can boost gifted kids’ learning.
This study shows that acceleration—like grade skipping or moving ahead in subjects—helps gifted students perform ahead of their peers without harming their learning. For parents, it means accelerating your child can provide the right level of challenge and help them learn with peers who match their abilities.
The Davidson Institute explains that gifted testing uses standardized tests to identify giftedness, but gifted assessment is a deeper evaluation including cognitive and emotional factors. Parents should choose based on what they want to learn about their child. The Institute offers resources to help families find the right professionals and navigate the process.
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) explains why gifted education matters and how different strategies like acceleration, ability grouping, and differentiated instruction support children’s learning. It shows what effective programs can look like and helps parents understand how gifted students are identified and assessed. Overall, it gives parents information to advocate for the right challenges and support for their child.
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) works to make sure students with disabilities and gifted learners get the support they need. They set high standards for teachers, share practical resources, and advocate for strong policies. For families, CEC helps ensure your child receives effective, research-based instruction and the services they deserve.
The Center for Talent Development (CTD) offers families clear information and support for gifted learners. They provide advanced assessments, enrichment and accelerated programs, and guidance to help parents understand their child’s strengths and choose the right learning opportunities. It’s a helpful resource for navigating options for high-ability students.
The North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT) supports families of gifted children in North Carolina. They offer parent groups, monthly meetings, and resources to help you understand giftedness, plan enrichment, and advocate for your child. Members also get access to tools like Renzulli Learning to explore your child’s strengths and interests. It’s a practical way to connect with other parents and support your child’s learning and growth.
This North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) and the North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT) resource list gives parents trusted information and tools to support gifted children. It includes articles about giftedness, home-based enrichment ideas, and resources for social‑emotional growth. It helps families understand their child’s strengths, provide learning opportunities at home, and connect with experts and other parents for guidance and support.
The NCAGT Advocacy page explains how parents, teachers, and communities can speak up for the needs of gifted students in North Carolina. Advocacy means understanding how gifted education works and making sure students get the support, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed.
The site shows that advocacy happens at three levels: federal, state, and local. It also explains that there is no national law requiring gifted education, so services depend on your state and even your local school district, which is why parent involvement is so important.
The article from The Fredyn School explains that creativity is a big part of giftedness, not just something extra. Gifted children often think in unique ways and come up with new ideas, so they need learning experiences that let them explore, create, and solve real problems, not just memorize information.
It shares simple ways to support this, like giving kids hands-on projects, letting them try new ideas, encouraging curiosity, and allowing them to make mistakes while learning. The article also explains that both thinking of many ideas (creative thinking) and choosing the best solution (critical thinking) are important for helping gifted students grow.
This website is a discussion forum, which means it is a place where parents and educators post questions, share ideas, and respond to each other about gifted children. Instead of one author giving information, many people join the conversation by adding their own experiences, advice, and opinions.
People reply directly to each other’s posts, building a conversation over time. You can see different viewpoints and real-life examples from parents who are going through similar situations.
The Fairfax County Public Schools explains that critical and creative thinking are key skills students use to understand the world and solve problems. These skills include things like coming up with many ideas (fluency), thinking in different ways (flexibility), creating unique ideas (originality), and adding detail to make ideas stronger (elaboration).
In everyday terms, this means schools are helping students learn how to think, not just what to memorize. Students are encouraged to ask questions, explore different solutions, and explain their thinking so they can become confident problem-solvers both in school and in real life.
This resource explains that critical thinking helps students make decisions by analyzing information and thinking carefully about what is true, while creative thinking helps them come up with new ideas and different ways to solve problems.
This means your child isn’t just learning facts, they’re learning how to question, solve problems, and think in flexible ways. Encouraging curiosity, asking questions at home, and letting kids explore different ideas can help strengthen these important life skills.
This research explains that skills like critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration are essential for helping children succeed in today’s world, not just in school, but in future careers. It shows that kids learn these skills best when they are given opportunities to solve problems, think independently, and work with others, rather than just memorize information.
For parents, the takeaway is simple: supporting your child’s curiosity, encouraging questions, and allowing them to explore ideas at home can help build these important skills and prepare them for real-life challenges.