When the Gifted Identification Committees looks over an application, the first part they look at is what you, the parent writes, not the test scores, not the grades and not the teacher referral. They first want to know what you see in your child. As they say, first impressions are important so let's make it the best impression possible!
- The most important rule is WRITE IT DOWN. Whether your child is in 5th grade or still in preschool, children say and do the most amazing things. Our eyes get big. Our jaws drop. How did my child know that? We are amazed and flabbergasted. . . . Then two weeks later we can't remember the details. If your child does amazing things, WRITE THEM DOWN: Document the brilliance in your child! When my own children were little, my wife and I kept a word document on the computer and jotted down whatever they did. When it was time to write their parent referrals, we had many examples and even had a hard time choosing what to use. This is the time to brag about your amazing child! You have my permission! I have added a downloadable document to assist you in documenting the brilliance.
- What to write down: Look-fors:
- Leadership roles: Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Brownies, Library clubs etc. . . Does your child lead, listen, compromise? Can they recognize when others have problems? Do they show empathy towards other children and adults? Can you give specific examples when they were able to help a group of children solve a problem?
- Sense of humor: Does your child laugh and understand things that other kids do not? Do they have an advanced vocabulary and understand double meanings of words? Do they create their jokes and word play? Can you cite a specific joke they created?
- Sensitivity to other's plight: Do they recognize multiple points of view of an issue. This may particularly come up when watching the news or current events issues. Gifted kids are often more socially aware of the world at large. Did your child ask about something he/she saw in the news? What was said during the conversation? Did your child take a news or current events story to heart? Can you a give specific example AND how it affected your child?
- Problem Solver: Does your child see a problem and devise ways to fix it. Can he or she find multiple solutions to a problem and then pick the best one? My own son once noticed that I was ironing in a dark corner of our den. He used a flashlight and Tinker Toys to create a lamp for me. He tried several different designs before satisfied with his invention. This showed empathy, problem solving and multiple perspectives.
- What are your child's passions? How does he/she demonstrate those passions? A former student adored transportation. He created his own website showing his research on the local highways in Hampton Roads, the predictability of traffic snarls, and even alternate routes during rush hour. Is your child a budding youtuber? What has he or she posted online? Has your child actually raised money in a lemonade stand that he or she completed with little adult help? What did he or she have to do to be successful?
- Creativity: Does your child see things in new and unique ways? Does your child look at the picture and see a bunny when everyone else sees the duck, or better yet, can your child see both without someone pointing it out? Is your house in constant construction site of marble mazes, LEGO models, Tinker Toy contraptions and railway passages? Do they combine toys to create unique inventions and playtime events?
- Math: Can your child solve complex problems such as manipulating fractions when cooking? Can they solve mathematical problems in a different or unusual way? When one of my sons was four years old, we were playing a game called Top It. We each turned over two cards and added them together with the biggest number winning. I turned over a 4 and a 3. My son turned over a 4 and an 8. "I win," he immediately announced. When I explained to him that he had to add his numbers together, he disagreed. "We both have fours. They are the same so we take them out. My 8 is bigger than your 3. I win." This was an example of applying the principles of algebra. We wrote it down!
- Making Connections: Can your child make connections to other ideas? Do they seem to understand concepts at a deeper level. Does your child understand themes or morals at a deeper level than other children of their age? Do they ask questions about deep ideas? Write it down.
- Advanced vocabulary: Does your child possess large amounts of factual knowledge? Be specific. What vocabulary words does your child use? How did they use it: what was the context? My oldest child came home from school complaining that "his playground is cacophonous!" putting his hands over his ears. My younger son was obsessed with the systems of the human body. He spent hours pouring over anatomy books. He had the names of over 40 bones memorized, and could walk you through how most of the body's systems worked. For Christmas, he wanted a Christmas ornament of the digestive tract! TGIA! (Thank goodness for Amazon!)
- Curiosity: Does your child have a natural curiosity? Is he or she always asking questions to the point of driving you crazy? Have those questions reached a point that you really don't know the answers anymore? My eldest is my questioner always wanting to know why something works. While at the zoo, he was completely obsessed as to how the pipe system operated getting water to the animals. In first grade, a passing ambulance led to question upon question about emergencies leading to a discussion about blood transfusions until I finally had to admit, I didn't know anything else about the topic. He was silent for a few moments and then said, "You know mom. One question isn't enough. It just leads to more questions." BINGO! You're right. I wrote it down (and used it for the grand finale of his application.)
4. Helpful hits when completing the parent referral: Be aware that you do have a 5000 character limit. The application system can time you out if is inactive for too long. It is a good idea to type your narrative into a Word or Goggle Doc first. One of my teachers almost lost the comments on a student's referral after spending an hour working on it. We learned our lesson on that one!