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How to Create and Manage Discussion Groups for Gifted Kids

In addition to meeting the academic needs of gifted
students, it is also important to address affective issues they may have. These
bright kids benefit from being with others who are highly intelligent and with
whom they can discuss social and emotional issues that may set them apart.

Terry Bradley is a gifted education advisor from Colorado who
specializes in social and emotional needs of very bright students. For years,
she has facilitated affective discussion groups with gifted middle school and
high school students. In these groups, kids talk about issues they have in
common and how life looks and feels through the lens of giftedness.

Bradley feels that there needs to be a balance between
appropriate academic and emotional opportunities. Very bright kids often share
similar characteristics such as intensity, sensitivity, heightened moral and
ethical codes of behavior, and the ability to process feelings more thoroughly
and deeply. Discussion groups provide a forum where students have the
opportunity to express themselves as they truly are.

In her article, Beyond Academics: Discussion Groups ThatNurture Affective Growth in Gifted Students, Bradley explains the difference between affective education and
counseling. She also offers a step-by-step guide for adults who want to
start discussion groups in their own schools. Topics include getting support,
the optimum group size, frequency of meetings, choosing discussion topics, and
encouraging participation. She describes specific activities that she uses as
well as communication techniques. Outside resources are also included.

If you do not already have a social/emotional discussion
group established at your school, consider starting one. Even if you already
have a group up and running, you will find the ideas in Bradley’s article to be
helpful.

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About Me

I am the author of Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook and former author of the popular Prufrock's Gifted Child Information Blog.
I continue to offer the best strategies and resources for parents and teachers of gifted young people.
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