As we approach a full year of online or hybrid learning, parents are more concerned about whether their child is progressing in schools as expected. Perhaps motivated by learning loss or a child struggling academically, parents may consider tutoring. Finding a tutor for a child involves taking a step back and evaluating the student鈥檚 learning landscape.

Talking with a child鈥檚 teacher is a starting point for determining whether a tutor is necessary. There are a variety of things to consider: grade level curriculum, organizational skills, attentiveness, study habits and just general life activities. Classroom success ebbs and flows with each student鈥檚 situation, especially now with so many schedules disrupted. If it is determined a tutor would be beneficial, remember they are a member of the larger educational team. A tutor will usually want a continuing dialogue with parents because, as the parent, you are the link for sharing information between teacher and tutor.

What tutors can address are specific goals and target outcomes. Choosing a tutor is like choosing a school, 鈥淲hat would be a good fit for the child and meet our expectations?鈥� Once the learning objective is defined, finding a tutor with a particular skill or strength, and teaching style compatible with the student鈥檚 learning style is important. If the goal is to build better study habits or processing skills, an executive functioning focused tutor might be a better fit than a traditional subject matter tutor.

When choosing a tutor, much can be learned in a phone interview, but it can be a trial-and-error process to find the best match. It can take time for rapport to be established and the student to become comfortable with the tutor. Tutoring is not an instant fix 鈥� it takes time and patience to build the relationship and to build skills and confidence. Parents need to remain involved in their child鈥檚 progress 鈥� a tutor never replaces that connection.

A few sites to get more ideas about choosing a tutor:

• (Reading Rockets)
• (Parents.com)
• (Read and Spell Blog)

Resources for finding a tutor:

• (U.S. News & World Report)

The holidays are upon us and with that comes school closures. Gifted children tend to have a strong desire and need for intellectual stimulation, and that need doesn鈥檛 go away when schools are closed. Below are three ways parents can help foster positive social and academic growth during the holiday break:

1. Cultural Excursions

Take a trip to a local museum, science center, aquarium, theatre, planetarium or garden to provide your child with a learning experience. If time and budget allow, consider planning a day trip or vacation to a historical site. Local libraries often offer free activities and events, so be sure to check your local library鈥檚 calendar. Remember to be flexible, as some children require time to process and adjust to new environments.

2. Home Improvement

Take advantage of an extra set of hands, and a curious mind, by implementing a home improvement project while your gifted child is home. Children interested in technology and science could help figure out the best ways to save energy in your household. Other project ideas include furniture assembly, closet or garage organization, cleaning, composting or yard work.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health, which are not just perks for gifted students but for everyone. There are many ways one can volunteer during the holidays, which include hosting a toy or canned food drive, serving meals at a soup kitchen, adopting a family or building homes with Habitat for Humanity.

You can also research additional ideas on 优蜜视频鈥檚 , which includes and for gifted learners.

Lastly, it鈥檚 the most wonderful time of the year, and for many gift giving is part of the season. Please support 优蜜视频 by making Amazon purchases through . A portion of your purchase will be donated directly to 优蜜视频 so we can continue providing high-quality programs and services to gifted youth nationwide.

Happy holidays!

As the Program Manager for the program, I鈥檝e been asked by prospective applicants how to 鈥渂est鈥� prepare their application so that it not only gets read, but stands out. There really are no gimmicks or tricks to this, but there are effective guidelines that I鈥檝e seen throughout my 12 years at 优蜜视频 that I鈥檓 happy to share:

1. Take the application instructions and directions seriously.

Allow plenty of time to complete your application, so you have time to review and double-check it. Stay within the maximum word counts for your essays and short answers. This lets our selection committees know that you understand and know how to follow directions. Don鈥檛 include extra items if specifically given number limits in certain categories such as recommendations. The CDB Scholarship asks for two recommendations. We know that you鈥檙e a spectacular applicant, but, again, this falls under the follow directions rule of thumb.

2. Start your preparation early.

Be mindful of the CDB application deadline. To ensure you meet the deadline, start gathering everything you need, begin brainstorming essay ideas and request letters of recommendation months ahead of time as a courtesy to your recommenders who more than likely have a lot in their schedules to take care of aside from your recommendation鈥� and potentially for other program applicants in addition to yours.

Be sure to check the deadlines of upcoming ACT and SAT test dates and register as early as possible to be assured of your requested test date and the location of your test center. It also doesn鈥檛 hurt to do a 鈥渢rial run鈥� to the test site so you know in advance not only where it is but how long it will take to get you there, whether driving or on public transportation. The less stress you can put into test day realities, all the better for you to focus your energy on the test itself鈥� and not on getting there.

3. Choose recommenders wisely.

Make sure that your recommenders know you well enough to support a positive letter of recommendation that makes it clear they know you in the context in which they are writing your letter, and that they have the time to write and submit your recommendation in accordance with the deadline. It is YOUR responsibility to give your recommenders all of the necessary details and deadline information, not theirs to research. You do not want to make this process difficult for them, but should focus on presenting yourself in a positive light to any person willing to support your application. You can certainly provide your recommenders with details, as they may think highly of you but not remember your record-setting time in the 100 meter butterfly or the essay you had published in the school鈥檚 literary magazine. Many teachers and coaches routinely write multiple letters of recommendation over the course of an academic year. It鈥檚 fine if you supply them with appropriate data on YOU鈥攚hich is not to say that you write your own recommendation for them to sign. Any recommender who asks you to do this is NOT a recommender that would be appropriate for you to utilize.

4. Don鈥檛 lose focus of the detail.

Make sure that you know and are eligible for the specific requirements of the CDB Scholarship. Overlooking a direction or neglecting any of the submission requirements鈥攊.e. not answering the required number of essay prompts, not submitting a work sample, not completing a parent or recommender statement鈥攃an disqualify an otherwise eligible applicant from consideration. Read the directions carefully, and don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out to a member of the CDB Scholarship team either by phone or e-mail if you have any questions.

5. The seventh聽grader is the applicant- not your parent.

I鈥檓 going to let you in on an insider secret: no one on the CDB team wants to get a phone call from a prospective applicant鈥檚 parent that begins, 鈥淚鈥檓 filling out the application for my son/daughter鈥︹�澛� unless their question specifically refers to the Parent Statement聽 or general directions-related queries. The application is the responsibility of the student to complete. Yes鈥攁 parent or responsible adult can assist with making sure all elements of the application are in order, but it鈥檚 up to the actual applicant to be proactive when it comes to requesting the recommendations, school transcript and all of the essay writing and submission of activities, work sample, etc.

6. Stay organized.

Keep track of various deadlines and test days with your planner or a calendar app. It鈥檚 also a good idea to keep an online or paper folder with all of the components of the scholarship application as 鈥渟aved鈥� documents prior to submission, as well as the specific people and dates you鈥檝e gone to for your recommendations and school transcripts. Stay on top of the application components that others are responsible for in a respectful manner which does not mean asking them every week if they鈥檝e completed and submitted your materials. With the CDB application, you can check online under your name to see if and when outside pieces of your application have been submitted.

7. Make sure you know the scholarship.

It鈥檚 irritating to a reader when an applicant misspells the name of the scholarship or mistakenly lists the incorrect name if they鈥檙e applying for multiple scholarships.

8. Proof your work and have someone else review your application for errors.

It鈥檚 perfectly acceptable to ask another person鈥攑arent, teacher, older sibling鈥攖o read your work and ask for their input or to check your grammar and spelling. A second pair of eyes can often spot errors that you might have missed in the umpteenth reading of your work. But to be clear– this application should be the work, ideas and creative submission of the applicant who is a 7^th grader, not that of an adult. Our readers are well versed in reviewing applications, and the 鈥渧oice鈥� we expect to be presented with is that of the student applicant, not an over-arching parent.

9. Pay attention to presentation.

If you鈥檝e written great essays and have followed all of the scholarship directives and guidelines but submit an application that is sloppy or not what should be considered as a final draft, you could jeopardize your chances of being a stand-out applicant. All things being equal, the student who submits a neat and professional looking application is going to have an advantage over what appears to be a rushed and not well-proofed submission.

10. Be original.

Many of our readers say that a great essay opening line or a slice-of-life story captures their attention and makes that applicant memorable. Write about specific aspects, experiences, memories or moments of your life in your responses to the various prompts that are unique to you.

11. Share your passions.

As important as your scholastic performance may be, we want to see what you do outside the classroom that has your interest and focus, which is why the CDB application asks for the time commitment and length of time that you鈥檝e put into a particular commitment, as well as any leadership roles you have assumed in your extracurricular life. It鈥檚 fine to dabble in a lot of different pursuits, but the limited number of response slots on the CDB application are meant to reveal your passions鈥� the areas that you have seriously devoted your out-of-school time, effort and outreach towards.

The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship and the annual cohort of selected CDB Scholars takes into account more than an applicant鈥檚 numerics鈥攇rade point average and test scores.聽 Our team looks at each application as an amalgam of the multiple aspects of what contributes to present you as an accomplished, multi-faceted, high-potential individual, which we hope is indicative of the CDB application in all of its component parts.聽 We want you to be as engaged in the application process as we will be in its reading and getting to know you.

Interested in becoming a CDB Scholar? The is now available. Apply by April 10, 2018.

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Executive skills are those cognitive abilities and habits that allow us to be organized, to plan and implement action.聽 They are essential to being productive and to completing goals and projects.聽 We learn these very early on, from rote (A-B-C鈥檚 and colors) helping us to strengthen our memory, to learning to play well with others in the proverbial sandbox.聽 But what do these skills have to do with our success later in life?聽 How do they translate to a professional environment, aka, 鈥淲hy do I need to learn this?鈥�

A quick survey of professional development experts and their websites tells us that many executive skillsets are common among the differing methodologies.聽 This suggests that improving these functions is precisely what leads to great leadership qualities.

Understood.org¹ lists 8 Key Executive Functions:

Impulse Control

Think before you act, envision the consequences of your actions before the action is taken.聽 Stephen R. Covey, in his seminal work The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People², suggests that we have a choice in how we react to a given situation, and that decision determines the outcome of that experience. This also plays a part in 鈥渄oing what we want鈥� vs. 鈥渄oing what we need to.鈥�

Emotional Control

Remain Calm. It helps to separate emotion from experience; learning to take constructive criticism and alter one鈥檚 trajectory is a huge growth opportunity. Being able to communicate without excessive emotion helps develop trust. It can be seen in Covey鈥檚 tenet, 鈥淭hink Win-Win,鈥� which allows us to consider a circumstance as an opportunity for all parties to be happy with the outcome, rather than a win-lose mentality.

This is also what allows us to Synergize, to work with others for a result that is stronger than if we each acted alone. This skill is of utmost importance in teamwork.

Flexible Thinking

Being flexible, adaptive, and able to modify course based on new information allows us to capitalize on changes to create the best outcome in a project. It helps to Clarify³ the project鈥檚 goals, and then modify as you go based on new information.聽 Another area where being flexible helps one to excel is in listening.聽 Covey recommends that we 鈥淪eek First to Understand – then to be Understood.鈥澛� This enables us to get to the heart of the matter quickly, offering valuable insight for a project鈥檚 completion.

Working Memory

Practicing remembering facts, learning new subject matter, and developing mnemonic devices to assist with retention and recall are excellent ways to develop a stronger working memory.聽 In addition, being organized and utilizing tools and methods to help you remember will make it easier to access key information.

Organization

This, in turn will help you organize your thoughts, to be able to effectively communicate an idea or to plan a project.聽 The first step in David Allen鈥檚 鈥淕etting Things Done鈥� method is to Capture and then Organize information³.

Planning and Prioritizing

Franklin Covey once published a booklet titled How to Eat an Elephant.聽 The booklet outlined steps for success starting with Covey鈥檚 鈥淏egin with the End in Mind.鈥� Being able to envision the end result will help construct a plan for achieving a large or long-range goal.聽 Consider goals and break them down into smaller, bite-sized pieces.聽 Simon Sinek鈥檚 Start with Why⁴ and Brian Tracy鈥檚 鈥淭he Seven Leadership Qualities of Great Leaders鈥�⁵ both speak of Vision.聽 In addition to Strategic Planning, prioritizing and thinking with the big picture in mind, beginning the process with value-based goals helps us Focus on mission-driven decisions, so that our activities will ultimately be effective and satisfying.聽 Covey expresses this by reminding us to 鈥淧ut First Things First.鈥�

Task Initiation

Once all the pieces are in place, one must actually take action!聽 Allen recommends that we Engage³.聽 Covey recommends that we Be Proactive².聽 Sinek and Tracy state Action is the final necessary ingredient for success.聽 Yvon Choinard, founder of Patagonia said, 鈥淭here is no difference between a pessimist who says, 鈥渙h, it鈥檚 hopeless, so don鈥檛 bother doing anything,鈥� and an optimist who says, 鈥渄on鈥檛 bother doing anything, it鈥檚 going to turn out fine anyway.鈥� Either way, nothing happens.

Self-Monitoring

Allen recommends that we Reflect on the outcome of our activity.聽 Did what we do create the result we expected?聽 Are there ways to be more efficient?聽 Regular, routine check-ins allow us to monitor our progress and decide whether we have met milestones on the way to our goals. Covey also advocates for us to take care of ourselves by Sharpening the Saw, as we cannot provide or contribute if we are not healthy mentally and physically.

1. Morin, Amanda. “At a Glance: 8 Key Executive Functions.”聽Understood.org. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
2. Covey, Stephen. ” 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”聽StephenCovey.com. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
   1. https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php
3. Getting Things Done庐. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.
   1. gettingthingsdone.com
4. Sinek, Simon. 鈥淪tart with Why.鈥� StartwithWhy.com. Web. 27 Jan. 2017
5. Tracy, Brian. “7 Leadership Qualities and Attributes of Great Leaders.”聽BrianTracy.com. 14 Oct. 2016. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.

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Mark Erlandson, the parent of a gifted student who presently attends a boarding school out East, is a former lawyer and public high school English teacher from Wisconsin starting a new business as a legal writing consultant.

Now that my daughter is a high school senior and headed off to college in the fall, among the items I worry about is whether we have properly prepared her to be academically successful there. At first blush, the idea seems absurd. We have read to her since she was a baby, provided intellectually stimulating activities while limiting television and electronics, even sent her to an elite boarding school. What else could we possibly have done? 聽While it is too late for me, don鈥檛 let it become too late for you: Teach your gifted child good study habits.

Many gifted students have never really experienced a true academic challenge during high school, especially those who were not enrolled in special schools, even if they have taken AP or honors classes. For them, education is the memorization of facts to be regurgitated at a later date. Therefore, when these students encounter the more rigorous and demanding curriculum of college, they may be without the effective study skills and habits necessary since colleges require more application of concepts rather than just memorization of facts. () Most students look at studying as simply re-reading or restudying class material that was not very challenging to begin with.

This type of study experience will only lead to boredom and frustration. Therefore, if your child is not challenged in his or her regular classes, provide challenging material and projects yourself. Although many experts recommend making this material interesting as well, it is probably best to provide a mixture of both subject matter that your child enjoys and subject matter he or she finds less interesting. Life requires us to persevere and use our study skills in both situations.

Here are some important study skills gifted students need to acquire:

1. 1. Time management – often gifted students have been able to still succeed while procrastinating and completing assignments at the last minute. Help your child learn to:
      • study at a regular time every day and week – make it a habit;
      • set a daily, weekly, and semester schedule, assigning amounts of time to each subject or project;
      • be sure to revise this schedule periodically;
      • prioritize goals on a daily basis – priorities will change as deadlines approach;
      • break long-term projects into short-term attainable steps.

1. 1. Motivation – help your child to:
      • recognize the 鈥渞eal world鈥� application of the material being learned, e.g., a poetry analysis develops not only analytical skills applicable across a spectrum of occupations, but the creativity employers emphasize and 聽21st century jobs require;
      • define success as learning new material and working hard, not getting an A on an assessment. Praise effort.

1. 1. Organization:
      • find a place free of everyday clutter to study;
      • visit office supply stores to get an idea of all of the possible products available to help with organization;
      • let the student select the organizational method (your method may not work for them);
      • realize the first choice of organization aids may not work and another method may need to be tried.

1. 1. Studying in chunks:
      • try not to study for longer than 25 minutes as studies show the brain struggles to concentrate on a specific topic for longer than that;
      • break for about five minutes at a time, no longer;
      • if possible, change your environment when you change subject or topic, e.g., study for the math exam in the bedroom and the literature exam in the kitchen (it will help your brain to recall and organize information);
      • start with a harder subject/topic and then alternate with easier ones.

1. Note-taking:
   • take notes when listening to a lecture. (Practice with a TED lecture online if the content presented in class is too easy);
   • develop an abbreviation and punctuation system that makes sense to you;
   • use indentation and white space on the page to separate and organize information;
   • consider a formal method of note-taking, e.g., Cornell notes;
   • check your notes as soon as possible after taking them to make sure they are complete and coherent;
   • re-write your notes as a way of reviewing for an assessment;
   • use mnemonic devices to help recall information from notes.

Two very helpful sites for finding more information about study skills and strategies are and . Dartmouth College has for those who are visual learners.

In some ways, being gifted can sometimes seem more like a curse. Developing study habits is one way to combat that.

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