As the holiday season approaches, finding the perfect gift for your child can be both exciting and challenging. Here are several gifting resources and suggestions for the bright child in your life. Happy gifting!
Games and Toys
Experiences and Subscriptions
- Museum Memberships/Adventure Passes to local sites.
- Class Subscriptions: Enroll them in online classes for coding, music, or art to develop new skills.
- Magazine Subscriptions: Focus on your child’s interest. National Geographic, Cricket, Ranger Rick, The Week Junior, and Skipping Stones are some award-winning options.
- Subscription Boxes: Monthly boxes tailored to their interests, from geography to STEM projects, keep the excitement going all year: Little Passports, BitsBox, KiwiCo, and more boxes!
News from the GATE District Office
Gifted and talented students often face high expectations and may encounter challenges that test their abilities. A growth mindset, which is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning, is crucial for these students.
How to Develop a Growth Mindset
- Encourage Curiosity: Foster an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and exploring new ideas. Encourage them to see learning as an adventure rather than a chore.
- Emphasize Effort Over Results: Teach students that effort and perseverance are more important than innate ability. Celebrate their hard work and improvement, not just the final outcome.
- Model a Growth Mindset: Demonstrate how you handle challenges and setbacks. Share personal stories of persistence and learning from mistakes to show students that growth is a lifelong process.
- Use Positive Language: Replace fixed mindset phrases like "I can't do this" with growth mindset alternatives such as "I can't do this yet." Encourage positive self-talk that focuses on potential and improvement.
- Set Achievable Goals: Help students set small, attainable goals that lead to larger achievements. Celebrate the milestones along the way to reinforce their progress and build confidence.
- Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer feedback that highlights specific areas of improvement and provides guidance on how to achieve it. Ensure feedback is supportive and focuses on effort and strategy.
- Teach the Brain's Ability to Grow: Explain to students that their brains are like muscles that get stronger with use. Share age-appropriate neuroscience concepts that illustrate how learning changes the brain.
- Encourage Peer Learning and Collaboration: Create opportunities for children to work together, share ideas, and learn from each other. Collaboration can help children see different perspectives and develop new strategies for problem-solving.
- Celebrate Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: Normalize mistakes by discussing what can be learned from them. Encourage children to view errors as a natural part of the learning process.
- Incorporate Reflection Time: Allow children to reflect on their learning experiences, identify what they did well, and consider what they could do differently next time. Reflection can deepen their understanding and reinforce a growth mindset.
GATE Website News
Visit our newly updated GATE website to access current and past newsletters, explore translation options, and find detailed program information.
Upcoming Opportunities
Explore a curated list of summer programs for gifted children by visiting the Davidson Institute’s comprehensive guide.