Gifted and Talented Tidbits 28
By Lenora Barnes 4/29/16
THIS WEEK
This week the kindergarten students completed a variety of activities. The students began class by solving five rhyming word puzzles. The students continued to learn how to solve logic problems and completed one about ladybugs. The remainder of class was devoted to a lesson about giftedness. We discussed how they were identified as GT and five topics related to giftedness. The students created a paper person chain of themselves which included the topics that we discussed. In addition to these discussion topics, the students added a list of their gifts and talents to one of the people in the chain and a list of people and things that were important to them on another. The discussion starters were:
· Giftedness is about how you think and feel
· Everyone is special in some way
· Nobody's perfect
· I can use my gifts to do great things
· Use you gifts kindly
Since MES did not have class due to the late start, those students will complete the activity next week.
The first and second graders began class with a journal prompt and two stories with holes to solve, for warm-up. Next, the students completed a culminating activity for the read aloud novel we just finished. After that, time was spent time working on their animal projects. The students put the finishing touches on their scripts, located images for their background and animal, and practiced for the video. Some of the classes were also able to complete logic problems, brainteasers, and coding.
The third and fourth grade classes also began with a journal prompt and two stories with holes to solve. The journal responses that the students shared sparked great thought-provoking discussions. After listening to another chapter from our read aloud novel, the students worked to complete two puzzles related to the story that really challenged them to think differently. The remainder of class time was spent working on their individual projects.
UPCOMING
5/9 - 5/10/16 No GT Class Due To STAAR Testing
5/16/16 - 5/19/16 TPSP Presentation Hour For Parents - 3rd & 4th Grade
5/19/16 Last Day Of GT Pullout Class For This School Year
DID YOU KNOW?
As the day of the big test approaches, take a few minutes to consider that some children may experience test anxiety, even the gifted students. Some of our gifted students, even though they have high ability and potential, do not have confidence. Other GT students may feel intense pressure to make a perfect score on the test. Some GT students tend to over-analyze everything, which can lead to anxiety during the test. The link below provides tips for taming test anxiety. Most of the tips may be familiar to you, but it is worth a quick read for a reminder of what some of our students may be facing and ways to help them.