It is not uncommon for gifted students to do the bare minimum when undertaking a homework assignment or project. The basic class requirements that tend to target the average student rarely reflect the educational needs of the gifted. Helping your child develop strategies for approaching these projects can make a tremendous difference in what he or she gains from the content being studied. When confronted with a school project, encourage your child to consider innovative ways to convey information, beyond the basic posterboard or oral report. For example:

§ Create something new based on the subject area being studied. Depending on the content, this could involve an invention, a poem, an original story, or a piece of artwork. For example, if your child is studying Native Americans of the Northeast, you might suggest research leading to a demonstration of how pinch pots or pemmican were made. If early America is the focus, encourage creation of a play based on life in a typical colonial village. Ideally, your child should come up with these ideas, but some suggestions might help "jump start" the thought process.

§ Develop an "editorial" reaction. Give an opinion and back it up with facts. Discuss how and why a main character in a novel or story should have reacted differently. How might an historical figure have handled a specific issue more effectively?

§ Compare and contrast historic eras or people, fictional characters, scientific processes, political events, military conflicts, natural disasters, etc. This is both an important skill and a strategy that can work for many subjects.

§ Pose some "What if…?" questions that relate to the content area: What if westward expansion had never happened? What if Mozart had lived until the age of 80? What if the South had won the Civil War or the British had won the Revolutionary War? What if moveable type had not been invented until the 20th century? What if the oceans were not salty?

§ If a book report is required, talk to your child about the reading. Can it be compared in any way to another book he knows of? If the author were to write another book based on the same characters, what might it be like? Develop a summary of this hypothetical book.

Finally, remember that no two gifted children are alike, and that working with the gifted can be a challenge for teachers and parents alike. Finding the strategies that work best for your child will be collaborative process between you and the school. Most parents find that it is possible to advocate for a gifted child in a spirit of cooperation, and without confrontation.

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by a grant from the NEC Foundation of America

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