Information and Support for Families with Gifted Learners
For further information about giftedness and talent, parenting a gifted child or gifted education in New Zealand, you might like to explore the options below. If you have other suggestions that might be useful to add to the list, please get in touch to share your ideas.
At your Kura/School
- Your child's classroom teacher - He or she should be the first person to talk with if you have any concerns about your child's learning. Their understanding of what it means to be gifted and how to support a gifted learner will be dependent on their experiences.
- Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) - Each school has a Special Education Needs Co-ordinator who co-ordinates education opportunities for students who are gifted as well as students who have learning or behavioural difficulties. While SENCO's have the role of supporting gifted students, the level of their experience and knowledge of giftedness is variable depending on how long they have had the role, whether they have had any training and their own views and experiences of working with gifted students.
- Teacher’s with knowledge in their specialist area - While these teachers may have limited knowledge around giftedness they are likely to recognise high ability, high levels of interest and the potential to do well.
- Career Adviser - The person in this role at a Secondary School level can be very helpful in working with our child to identify their interest and map out their subject path to ensure they have access to their areas of interest for higher education and work opportunities. It is really important that students access subjects that keep these pathways open. Mapping can also serve as motivation for some students who may otherwise underachieve or leave school early.
- Syndicate Leader, Dean or Senior Manager such as the Principal - Should you feel that your teacher has no been responsive and/or unable to resolve concerns you have raised about your child's learning needs, you may need to seek further understanding, support and guidance from school staff you are more senior. You will need to find out your schools management structure, - the classroom teacher should be the first person you highlight these concerns to, while the principal should be the last.
In your Hapori/Community
- Elders and respected members of your community
- Mentors - People with expertise in the area of your child’s strengths and interests can be very inspiring and provide supports to show a young person that they are valued as whole person, and that their interests, abilities and qualities are valued and respected. Mentors also provide the challenge for students to stretch in their learning, a very important support to ensure that gifted children are learning how to learn - through safe risk taking, failure, resilience and persistence.
In Aotearoa/New Zealand
- New Zealand Association for Gifted Children (NZAGC) - The organisation has a website which offers general information, has an active forum and a list of psychologists for assessment of giftedness and links. The organisation publishes a magazine called Tall Poppies which is available free to members, and has active family groups in some regions which get together and hold regular events. The organisation also holds an annual national conference.
- New Zealand Centre For Gifted Education - Provides day programmes for gifted learners, and support for parents/carers/families.
- Te Kete Ipurangi - The website is a great source if information about giftedness and gifted education and this includes a Ministry of Education publication for families called Nurturing Gifted and Talented Students - A Parent Teacher Partnership, as well as articles and links.
- Social media - For example Facebook groups and Twitter, search 'gifted'
- Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand - Should you feel that a teacher or member of school management has behaved in an unprofessional manner, you may lay a complaint about their conduct or competence with the New Zealand Teacher's Council.
Internationally
- Hoagies Gifted Education Page
- Social media - For example Facebook groups and Twitter, search 'gifted'