Homeschooling can be an excellent option for gifted students, based on a variety of factors. Trista McMorrow, a former gifted student and gifted-certified educator, shares her insights on homeschooling gifted learners in this blog.
Read MoreFourth- and fifth-grade gifted instruction in public schools generally differs from that in earlier grades. Dr. Susan Sokolinski's glimpse into gifted instruction in public schools offers insight based on her 26 years of experience in suburban Chicago schools.
Read MoreIt is often difficult to choose between public and private education for a gifted child. Vanguard Trustee Dr. Susan Sokolinski shares her valuable perspective on gifted education in the public sector to inform this decision.
Read MoreOur new blog series centers on the topic, "Selecting the Best School For Your Gifted Child." In our first post, Vanguard Head of School Elizabeth Blaetz highlights the importance of knowing your child before choosing a school.
Read MoreWe're wrapping up this blog series with a look at how the five key aspects of IQ testing come together to help us teach our learners the strategies they need to succeed.
Read MoreFluid reasoners love challenges, puzzles and complex thought patterns. Read on to learn about the fifth and final component of IQ testing: fluid reasoning.
Read MoreChildren with high verbal comprehension are often seen as model students, so why might these learners have difficulty making friends? Read on to learn why.
Read MoreIf you are more likely to give directions based on landmarks than street names, you may be a visual-spatial learner. IQ testing helps identify students with high visual-spatial ability. Learn more about the challenges and strengths of visual-spatial learners in our latest blog post.
Read MoreWe continue our series regarding the various parts of IQ testing with a look at processing speed. Elizabeth Blaetz explains what processing speed is and why fast is not always best!
Read MoreIQ testing is far more than just an entrance exam. In our new blog series, "The 5 Key Aspects of IQ Testing," learn how Vanguard Head of School Elizabeth Blaetz uses more than 20 years of experience in utilizing IQ testing to better teach gifted children. The series begins with a deeper look at Working Memory and how to provide a gifted child who has low working memory with the right tools to succeed.
Read MoreThe “vanguard” is the branch of the military service that goes ahead in any military mission and prepares for the mission to be accomplished. Vanguard Gifted Academy selected that name because we feel we have moved ahead in gifted education. We have paved the way for parents of gifted children to say, wait a minute, maybe my child needs a different educational model. We're paving the way for gifted children to say, I know who I am, and I know how I learn, and I need a little bit of extra space, or I want to be engaged in something beyond what's being offered to me in a traditional model.
Read MoreThe Vanguard Model fosters an authentic sense of community between teachers and students. Within this environment, students feel encouraged to take risks, reflect, tweak and try again. Read on to learn how this authenticity helps us to see amazing things start to happen!
Read MorePerfectionism, high expectations from others, boredom and even cynicism can be common occurrences among gifted students. Understanding and working with those traits is key to helping a gifted child flourish. Read our latest blog post from our series "What is it like to educate gifted students?" and learn what watching gifted kids flourish looks like through the eyes of our Intermediate Level Master Teacher Shannon Holub.
Read MoreKnowing what giftedness looks like as a child interacts with their world is crucial to understanding the challenges of educating gifted children. Read our latest blog post and learn what those challenges look like to our Arts Specialist teacher, Stacey Spears.
Read MoreNext up in our blog series "What is it Like to Educate Gifted Students?", Shannon Holub shares how the Vanguard Model strips away non-essential practices and maximizes the use of approaches that appeal to the gifted learner.
Read MoreWelcome to our Season 4 blog series "What is it Like to Educate Gifted Students?" Join us as Vanguard Head of School Elizabeth Blaetz and Vanguard teachers Shannon Holub and Stacey Spears outline the unique challenges and joys they have experienced throughout their careers in gifted education.
Read MoreThis list of resources offers a wealth of information to parents of gifted children in the form of websites, blogs, and books from authors and authorities that are deeply entrenched in the world of gifted education. We encourage you to look into some of the resources for helpful tips and insight!
Read MoreIn the final installment of our blog series "What is it Like to Be the Parent of a Gifted Child?", Vanguard Head of School Elizabeth Blaetz wraps things up with tips and resources that could be helpful to the parent of a child that has been newly identified as gifted (and they might even offer a refresher to a parent who is already well-versed in gifted education).
Read MoreThere is a lot of research, planning, and self-discovery that goes into deciding whether a child needs to transition to a gifted learning environment. In this week's blog post, Kate Gruber shares how she navigated that process on her way to finding the right learning environment for her son.
Read MoreDue to the discrepancy between their intellectual and social-emotional skills, friendships can often prove difficult for gifted children to maintain. In this blog episode, Candy McCray shares how she has navigated that journey with her son.
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