Now That's Funny

Sense of Humor in Gifted Children

One of the lesser-known identifiers for Giftedness is humor. While it may not be one of the biggest indicators like executive dysfunction, hyperfocus, or a large vocabulary, it is something to watch for. Typically, the jokes of children tend to mimic the jokes told by their parents. They may give nonsensical knock-knock jokes or repeat movie phrases to make you laugh. The gifted sense of humor; however, is quite different. 

The keen analytical and observational skills of the average gifted child create a plethora of opportunities for children to expand their thinking. A study published in The Journal for the Education of the Gifted Child states, “The results indicated that the gifted subjects performed significantly higher in spontaneous mirth response and comprehension than the general population group.” (Shade) Overall, gifted children could respond faster and with a more succinct answer than their peers. Because of their ability to react quickly and synthesize situations, gifted children are often seen as witty and as if they have a quip for everything. 

Along the same lines, sarcasm can be seen as a gifted indicator. When I was in one of my orientation meetings for teaching, the leader of the workshop stated emphatically that teachers cannot use sarcasm at all with their students. They worry that it will be interpreted incorrectly by our students. Teaching at a school for gifted and talented students, I’ve found that sarcasm is my personal greatest resource in my classroom. While my classroom is an anomaly, it seems as if it may be indicative of a larger trend in gifted education. 

Another trend in gifted education is disruptive behavior in the classroom. The “class clown” is a common role that students may take on simply because they are bored. In Sandra Manning’s article she explains, “Especially if left unidentified for an extended period, gifted students resort to class clown status out of boredom. This is not the fault of the child who is simply trying to cope with a sometimes torturous situation.” This so-called “tortuous situation” is often cited as the reason that students find themselves unable to focus on the task at hand. Many students with a hard time focusing are just labeled as “problem children” and are treated as such. 

With a focus on the sense of humor, quick wit, and sarcasm of the individual student, educators can more effectively identify gifted and talented students. When students are identified, they are more likely to be challenged in school and enjoy the process of learning, so keep on laughing it up! 

Our January Blog was written by Samantha Darpel, Director of ExploreMore! and teacher at Covington Latin School in Covington, Kentucky.

 

What is Gifted?

If you’re like most parents pondering this question, you’ve likely noticed a few things about your child that seem to be different from what you had expected. Maybe a teacher mentioned some things to you about your child’s classroom behavior. School may be different for your child from what you remember. It may appear that your child has a different perspective on things from you. The other kids in their age group may have a harder time relating to your child. Do any of these things sound familiar? Maybe they are “gifted.” 

There is a misconception that all gifted children are at the top of their class and are the smartest people in the world. The traits of gifted students go well beyond test scores. While that may be true, it’s not the best indicator of whether your child is gifted. There are a few things that may help to identify a gifted child. 

1. They have extreme interests or have an interest in everything. 

Lots of kids love to play with their toys or watch Star Wars movies. The piece of the puzzle that is indicative of giftedness is that these kids are often very focused on their interests. We call this hyperfocus. They will learn absolutely anything and everything they can about a topic. Just as it seems that they have learned everything that exists on their focus, it switches. 

Some topics that research has found that gifted kids often connect with include: dinosaurs, mythology, space, presidents, or a particular sport.

2. They have no idea how to keep organized.

The kids with the messiest rooms are often the kids with so much on their minds that cleaning feels like the last thing that they want to do. It can be like pulling teeth. At the same time, their lockers at school, toys on a shelf, or even their dinner plates are completely spotless. Executive functioning skills run low in a lot of these students because of the rate at which their minds move. The creative mind may find solutions to a lot of problems, but this is one of the most frustrating aspects of their (and their parents’) lives. 

3. They have a keen sense of self-awareness. 

At some point or another in everyone’s lives, they may feel as if they don’t fit in. That feeling normally sets in during middle school. For the gifted child, that feeling happens much, much earlier. While they may not understand why, they just know that the niche they fit into is not with most of their peers. Some kids take this and run with it: creating an air of self-assurance. They know that they are the smartest kid in the room. Other kids end up feeling withdrawn or quiet themselves around peers. 

4. They have ADHD or another learning ABILITY. 

Yes, we call these ABILITIES here at ExploreMore! Gifted. Over half of the students that are considered gifted and talented will also have ADHD, anxiety, nonverbal language disorder (NVLD), a processing issue, etc. This is called twice-exceptionality.

Many times this is because students are able to think so quickly that their emotions or focus cannot catch up. It’s totally normal and nearly expected, that a gifted student would have one of these other disorders or that their behavior mimics other learning disorders. Twice exceptionality brings with it some of its own challenges such as high functioning minds with little ability to perform in school, a restlessness that they cannot explain, disordered thinking and processing skills, extreme hyperfocus, and more. 

5. You feel exhausted. 

Parenting is hard enough. Add on top of that your child that doesn’t stop moving, asking questions, and monologuing about what is interesting to them, and you are left with very few moments of peace. You’re exhausted. That’s okay. The thing to remember is that you are doing great things; gifted kids need special parents that are able to adapt, think analytically, and, most of all, support their children. Remember not to be too hard on yourself because these kids are a reflection of you and your willingness to learn and encourage such a special kid. 

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, if you can identify your child with any of these things, your child could be gifted. Congratulations! While this list is by no means exhaustive, your child may be gifted and needs to be advocated for. Look for programs that will instill a love of learning and that will encourage them to explore. Thank you for all that you do to make their world just a little brighter.

 

The Superpower of Hyperfocus

As a teacher, the beginning of the new year brings fresh school supplies and organization.  As the Director of ExploreMore!, Covington Latin School’s enrichment program for gifted and talented students, I recently found myself going through our ExploreMore! storage so that we may start our next session off fresh. Upon finishing the summer camp, we end up with boxes of discarded materials like pipe cleaners, cardboard boxes, and household science materials. The chaos of neurodivergent organization can no longer be ignored. I, like many of our explorers, have boxes and boxes of old interests and hobbies. ExploreMore! storage is no exception. Our offerings of diverse classes for the Gifted and Talented community in our area lead to quite the eclectic grouping of materials. 

First, I stumbled upon old sewing patterns, denim, and knitting needles: the official storage of Fashion and Design. Another box contained Indiana Jones-style artifacts and sand: Dino-dig’s remnants. The third box of the day contained beakers, lab coats, and enough borax to do laundry for a year. That could be from any number of classes. 

All of these classes were requested by our students. Most of our classes are. These seemingly bottomless boxes contain the hobbies of ExploreMore! past that have long been forgotten. The stacks of stored interests reminded me of just how quickly trends can change. What is even more striking is how intensely our kids care for their interests, as if they had created Minecraft or Harry Potter themselves. These interests become more. They are all-consuming. Our obsession means we learn EVERYTHING about it. We leave no stone unturned. 

Originally, this behavior may seem endearing. Many parents find that it makes holiday shopping a bit easier. Grandparents know exactly how to talk to their grandchildren. If you want to know anything about the presidents, they have an answer and a ten-minute monologue prepared. But it seems as if as soon as you’ve gotten used to hearing about which of our founding fathers had the most cats (Explorer, John, tells me that it is Washington), the interest shifts. Now the cycle has started all over again. You’re left with $400 in merchandise and a case of whiplash. 

This occurrence is known as hyperfocus and is most common in neurodivergent populations. While many may see this as an intellectual superpower, it can be frustrating to parents, teachers, and even the kids. 

Last year, I had a student say, “Ms. Darpel, I love history, but I don’t love what we are studying in class. Can we learn more about the fashion of Ancient Rome?” As someone who has often felt this way, I knew I needed to allow him to explore that option. Our Gifted superheroes throughout the classroom can now pick one aspect of the unit and become expert on it. They then present these topics to the class. Not only are they gaining confidence through their exploration of their passion, but they are also gaining public speaking skills. 

Not everyone has the ability to adopt this method. So how can you implement and engage with your hyper-focused kid at home? 

One way to make your child feel special while also connected with the family is to have theme nights. Give your child a budget for supplies, a list of ingredients, or other parameters so that they can create a night for the whole family. Not only will they get to share their passion with the family, but they will learn valuable money, social, and practical skills. 

Another option to control hyperfocus is to set a timer. I do this in many of my own relationships. Often I will say, “Give me ten minutes to talk to you about the craft I made. Then I will turn it off.” Not only does this make me more cognizant of my own focus, but it is a good cue for others around me. The same can work for your child. Give them ten minutes on their activity then twenty minutes of homework or chores. When this method is first implemented, it can seem daunting, but eventually, it will become a lifelong habit that they are sure to thank you for. 

Finally, and possibly the simplest implementation is setting a timer or alarm. The minute that blaring noise is heard, the synapses in the brain snap to attention. Your child will be pulled out of the trance they’ve been in. Within those few minutes, your child could have traveled to the Jurassic period and learned about thirteen new plant species while the world around her completely faded away. That buzzer is her signal that it is time to get back to algebra. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best solutions. 

Creating consistent and meaningful plans for the control and management of hyperfocus will allow your Gifted and Talented children to flourish. If, and when, we look at hyperfocus as yet another superpower of our children, they will find that they are capable of much more because they are able to remain on task. Look not at what they are missing through hyper-focusing, but look at what they are able to achieve and overcome because of it. 

About the Author: 

Samantha Darpel is the Executive Director of ExploreMore! Gifted. She has been with the program for six years as a teacher, Assistant Director, and Executive Director. Samantha is working toward a Gifted and Talented endorsement to add to her Masters of Middle School and Secondary Education from the University of the Cumberlands. She has also been teaching the gifted and talented community for six years. 

Executive Functioning- the Struggle Is Real

Confucius said that a journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.  That is all well and good, but for someone who struggles with Executive Functioning, even that first step can seem like a thousand miles. The technical definition of Executive Functioning (EF) is, "the cognitive processes that help us regulate, control and manage our thoughts and actions." It includes planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, verbal reasoning, cognitive flexibility, initiation of actions and monitoring of actions. A person with excellent EF skills will not have problems creating a plan, organizing, sticking to it and shifting gears, if necessary. Those who lack EF skills will certainly have trouble when they enter school especially when they get older and need to become more independent. Projects can seem overwhelming. There is so much work to be done, and yet, they don't seem to know where to begin. Once they do begin, they can struggle to keep on task, stay organized and be able to adjust and change directions. The struggle for them is real.

Even the brightest of kids can struggle with this because it is no way connected to ability or intellect. It is not an innate ability. It must be taught and developed. Even at a very young age (as early as toddler years), children can be taught the necessary skills to have excellent EF skills later in life.  Games as simple as peek-a-boo and hide and go seek use working memory, attention span, and concentration. These are your building blocks. They teach focus and problem solving.  As the child grows older, they will benefit from participating in sports, doing chores, playing strategy games and playing a musical instrument.

Because it is a learned and acquired skill, students who struggle with EF skills can get on track with strategies that make sense to them.  The caveat is that it is not a one size fits all approach. From my years in education, I know that kids learn differently, and what works for one won't work for all. My advice is to first figure out what kind of learning style the student has.  Is he or she a visual learner? Auditory learner? Kinesthetic learner?  All of these influences can affect which strategy you employ.  

For visual learners, I am a huge proponent of project boards, sticky notes, and paper or electronic calendars.  The more color coding the better.   For visual students, I recommend color coordinating their books, notebooks, and folders. Visually, they will be able to grab what they need based on subject. I, personally, am a visual learner.  I have a huge whiteboard with sticky notes and different colored markers for different projects I am working on.  This is how I operate and organize.  It makes sense in my brain.

Auditory learners organize things quite differently.  Those kids benefit from setting alarms on phones or timers to keep them on track. Noise reduction headphones or conversely, music can help tune distractions out that will cause concentration issues. It can also be helpful to leave voice reminders for themselves on their phones.  You will often hear these kiddos talking to themselves to remind them of the steps needed to do a task.  My son did this while learning to drive.  He gave himself directions on how to parallel park. It was funny and slightly disconcerting at the same time.

The kinesthetic learner will benefit from scratching things off their lists.  This gives them a sense of accomplishment and keeps them on track.  They can also benefit from moving around while doing a task. Pacing is a normal thing while working on a project or studying. It keeps them focused. Another thing I have found that helps an active kid stay on task is an organization app.  Habitica is an app that works like a video game awarding kids with gold coins for completing a task.  For every task they complete, they check it off their list and earn rewards. They can also compete against their friends to earn points. Wunderlist is another app that allows kids to compete against their friends to check things off their to do lists.  It is a great way to motivate kids that need some movement.  These apps will also help students who are social learners and like to work with others to accomplish a goal.

These are just some of the strategies that I use while working with students with Executive Functioning deficits.  The good news is that these are skills that can be developed at any time so they do not have to struggle. Look for future posts regarding specific ways to engage students based on learning styles.

Blog post by Amy Darpel, former teacher and educational consultant, Director of ExploreMore Enrichment
Program.

We are proud to be participating in this month's Blog Hop on Hoagie's Gifted Page.

Reading: It's a gift that keeps on giving

I see a love of reading as one of the greatest gifts we can give our children and students. A person who reads for pleasure will never be bored. There can always be a magazine, book, or cereal box around for the moments of downtime. In recent times, parents are more likely to hand a child a screen rather than a book when there is a need for a distraction. But there is a much greater benefit when the printed word serves as the time filler during those unfilled moments.

Research shows that a habit of regular reading – twenty minutes a day – yields significant benefits, particularly for preschool and school age children who are expanding their vocabularies.  The difference between students scoring in the 90^th percentile in reading and the 10^th percentile is literally how many minutes a day that child spends reading. This mastery exceeds by far the vocabulary gain from any direct vocabulary instruction like a vocabulary workbook.

 

Creativity and the world of imagination is also enhanced more through reading than through viewing stories on a screen. When we create our own pictures in our brains, the imagery if far more developed than that of seeing someone else’s imagination on a screen. Every good writer was first an avid reader. The two skills are linked which is supported by a 2005 National Center for Education Statistics study.

Students who read a lot often seek books written at a higher level that might contain more mature content.  Librarians have long explained that in a book, a child will comprehend information based on prior experiences. If the child has not cognitive or experiential basis for a description, he or she will often pass over it unawares to get to the next adventure. Many adult readers have told me tales of rereading a book first encountered in middle or high school.  With more life experiences, they marvel that they missed the intent or additional messages aimed at a more mature reader. The same is not true when these stories and scenes are viewed on a screen.

The gift of reading has never been more timely choice.  Americans are reading less.  The National Endowment for the Arts report To Read or Not to Read (2001) reported the following facts:

• Less than one-third of the thirteen-year-olds are daily readers, a 14% decline from twenty years earlier.
• The percentage of thirteen-year-olds who read for fun on a daily basis declined from 35% to 30%, and for seventeen-year-olds the decline was from 33% to 22%.
• On average, Americans ages fifteen to twenty-four spend almost two hours a day watching television, and only seven minutes of their leisure time on reading (that was in 2007- with the increase in the number of smart phones, the amount of screen time has certainly increased).

And the saddest of these findings:

• Nearly half of all Americans ages fifteen to twenty-four do not read books for pleasure. 

Turning such trends around can have a significant positive impact on the overall language skills of our youth. Students who engage in free voluntary reading on a regular basis improved test scores in reading comprehension, writing style, vocabulary, spelling, and also have a lifelong gift of entertainment, fascination, and discovery that comes with losing ones' self in the printed word.  Let's all give the screen a break for a little while and go enjoy a good book!

Covington Latin - A Look at Catholic Education

Emotional Intelligence..... It Does Exist!

       Understanding emotions may be similar to trying to find other life forms on Mars, but the reality is they exist! Before I dive into why emotional awareness is important, let me address what emotions are. This may seem like a simple phenomenon, but is it? Think about this for a moment; when a person asks you, “how are you doing today?” and your automatic response is fine, what does that mean? What is ‘fine’ in relation to how you are actually feeling. That answer comes automatically for various reasons, but it isn’t the truth. The Miriam-Webster dictionary defines emotion as “a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body” (An Encyclopædia Britannica Company). This definition is loaded with complex terms. If we break it down emotions are the reactions we have to a certain event. The movie “Inside Out” by Disney Pixar is a fairly accurate picture of emotions. The movie presents the concept of basic emotions which can be dated back to the first-century (Burton, 2016). Paul Ekman, Professor Emeritus in Psychology at UCSF and leader in psychology, identifies six-basic emotions; joy, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, and surprise. My graduate professor went as far as to eliminate surprise and disgust stating that those fell under fear and anger. These four or six emotions are the control center of our mental state and behaviors.

            Now that we understand that there are four or six basic emotions, we can look at why it is importance to have emotional awareness. As a school counselor, I am teaching emotional understanding and awareness to my students. Emotional awareness is the first step in emotional regulation. A high school teenager has a lot of emotions they are dealing with due to their biology and psychology. Neuroscience studies show that the adolescent brain doesn’t look like that of an adult’s until early 20s. Teenagers are constantly reacting to their emotions instead of regulating them. There are many risk factors during this age, because they have not developed the ability to control impulses or plan ahead (National Institute of Mental Health, 2011). You add hormones to the mix and there’s bound to be a lot of emotions! I believe that our thinking (Rational) controls our emotions (Emotive) and our emotions control our (Behaviors). This is the reason I teach emotional awareness and regulation to my student. Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy is the theory that I use in educating students. Once a student can identify their emotion then they can identify the thought associated with that emotion. Then we can use a variety of techniques to help them regulate their emotions. Mindfulness is a great tool to use as well, because it forces the student to stop thinking about the future and focus on the moment. What does this look like in action? For example, when a student is worried about a test or assignment I have them go through the following steps:

Step 1. Identify the emotion

Emotion: worry = fear.

 Step 2. Identify the thought that is causing that emotion.

Thought: “I won’t do well, I’m going to fail, and if I fail I won’t graduate…” these thoughts continue to make the student feel worse and distract them from focusing on studying.

Step 3. Refocus, Mindfulness Technique

I have the student take a moment to refocus by breathing and “clear his head” by mentally wiping away his thoughts. That way we can start with new thoughts to negate the previous ones.

Step 4. Making Irrational Thoughts Rational, Role Play

During the last step, I would have the student write down thoughts that would make his irrational thought, “I’m going to fail”, rational. The student could come up with a variety up thoughts that would lessen his/her anxiety. They don’t have to be positive, but they have to be neutral. For example, “I have studied and prepared for this test. I’m going to do my best! Even if I do not get the grade I want, I will not be a failure”. This would be an example of making an irrational thought rational. This isn’t a Band-Aid technique or approach. It takes time to teach the student to do this on their own.

Our adolescents and pre-teens have a lot of anxiety in this high pressure filled society. They are expected to excel in every area of their life. As social beings, we naturally compare ourselves to one another and idolize people who have achieved greatness. The need to measure up, work harder, and be better puts a strain on our student’s mental health. They need to have the proper tools to be able to endure this mental stress. This article hasn’t taken into consideration student’s who have a mental illness. The mental health of our students is vital! That is why it’s importance to understand, have awareness, and advocate for Emotional Intelligence.

For more articles regarding Emotional Intelligence, check out Hoagies Gifted page!

References

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company. (n.d.). Emotion. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from Marrian-Webster Dictionary: marriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotion

Burton, N. (2016, January 7). What are Basic Emotions? Retrieved October 11, 2016, from Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com

Ekman, P. (n.d.). About. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from Paul Ekman: paulekman.com

National Institute of Mental Health. (2011). The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov