Serving the people of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
What opportunities exist for Catholic gifted students?
By Barbara Haig - Special to Parenting
"All children are gifted!" So say the posters, t-shirts and parents and teachers in parochial and public schools.
Every child has his or her individual abilities. One might be an excellent athlete. Another might play games or share better than all her friends. But meeting the needs of a gifted learner can be challenging.
"We need to believe that all children are gifts to the world. But there is a subpopulation of gifted learners - just as there is a subpopulation of children who have learning difficulties - who have the right to an appropriate education," says Sharon Gerleman, director of the Wisconsin Center for Gifted Learners (WCGL), a private day school and gifted resource center in the Milwaukee area.
Definitions vary, but the State of Wisconsin defines gifted and talented students as those "who give evidence of high performance capability in intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or specific academic areas and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided in a regular school program in order to fully develop such capabilities."
Intelligence isn't the only factor, but research shows about 5 percent of all children have IQs above 130. However, Gerleman says, some educators recommend the top 10 percent be evaluated for potential giftedness, because their environments might not allow them to demonstrate their abilities.
With more than 32,000 children in Catholic elementary schools in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, that means several thousand children could be classified as gifted learners. Specific records aren't kept about how schools work with these children, because the program areas that address giftedness are difficult to define.
While gifted learners may be our future physicians and authors, experts say if their strengths are not acknowledged the same characteristics can become a problem.
"Where do gifted Catholic children go? That's a good question for us to consider," says W. Scott Weyda, associate director for student activities and services for the Milwaukee Archdiocese.
At every Catholic school, he says, "there is a minimum of planning time that has to be done to make sure you don't just teach to the middle. Schools must have a plan in place to identify students who might have special learning needs. At its broadest definition, doesn't that also mean students who need to be challenged more?"
Writer W.E.B. DuBois said, "Of all the civil rights for which the world has struggled and fought for 5,000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental." Catholic schools address that challenge with varying degrees of success.
St. Mary's Model
Kathryn Cesarz is a fourth-grader at St. Mary Elementary School in Hales Corners. A creative child, she loves to draw and is above grade level in reading and math.
"She really stretches when she thinks of things that go beyond what would be right in front of her. She's able to do a lot of work in her head," said her mother, Colette Cesarz.
Kathryn is enrolled in the High Potential Education Program (Hi-PEP) program at St. Mary. Once or twice a week, she joins a small group of other fourth-graders for a broad variety of higher-level topics that keep her challenged.
Of the 430 children enrolled at St. Mary's, 39 first- through fifth-graders are involved in Hi-PEP. All school children initially are evaluated through the Iowa Basic Test, but teacher referrals also are considered. Parents then complete a questionnaire to identify other aspects of the child's giftedness. In a second phase, other intelligence tests are used.
Those children who fit the criteria work with Jeannette Van Hecke, who has been involved with the program for nine of its 18 years. They meet once a week by grade level and pay $25 to cover supplies.
"We try to make it well rounded - science experiments, math problem solving, art-type projects - no set curriculum. We try to do some things that go along with what they're doing at their grade level, but provide a variety of higher-level thinking skills," Van Hecke said.
Gifted programs are sometimes perceived as elitist, but that's not the case with the program at St. Mary. "It's very well thought of. Basically it was set up to meet the needs," Van Hecke said.
Fond du Lac Approach
St. Mary's program is successful because of the school's commitment to it and parental support, Van Hecke said. But it is one of few archdiocesan schools that has a single person responsible for gifted programs. Others, like those in Fond du Lac, have a different method.
Sr. Deborah Golias is system administrator of the Fond du Lac Area Catholic Education System, a group of three campuses serving 684 elementary and middle school students.
Unlike the individual pullout program at St. Mary, Golias said her group is working on a comprehensive approach they call an accommodation program, to serve all children, regardless of ability or handicap. Teacher in-service programs help give them the strategies to handle many situations.
"First, we try to address the unique and special needs of all our students. Every child deserves that. Second, we received a grant to bring the archdiocese's Scott Weyda and his team to Fond du Lac to provide supportive consultants. One of the components to that program is to ask, 'What do we do about gifted and talented students?'" she explained.
Golias said new standardized tests will help schools and teachers assess curriculum and children's learning. "Given that, we can better look back into our programs and look at gifted and talented and at-risk, and address needs as they evolve," she said.
Difficult to Meet Needs
By their own admission, however, other schools are not able to meet the needs of gifted learners.
"Some parents want gifted and talented programs. We just don't have the staff," said Sandra Duffy, principal at St. Gregory the Great Elementary School in Milwaukee. "I tell them I'm terribly sorry. We're a small school. If there were special (education) federal dollars, we'd love to (offer the programs)."
Duffy emphasized, however, she's aware everyone learns differently. "Our job as professionals and as teachers is to work on delivery in different methods. Assessments are important, too. Within a classroom setting, what we do for children is to know them well enough that our expectations fit the child."
At St. Gregory that includes individual programs, such as offering textbooks and novels on audiotape for children who learn better auditorily. A special needs coordinator on site helps those with difficulties.
Potential Problems
Jennifer's (not her real name) children attend a Catholic school on Milwaukee's south side. But when her third son came along, his abilities were much more pronounced than those of his sibling. He read at an early age and had a profound interest in advanced subjects. He also began to withdraw at school.
"I sat down with the teacher a few times and said, 'you have to understand, he was doing this a few years ago.' It did not dawn on her to offer anything different," said Jennifer. Subsequently, she enrolled her son in a private school.
When gifted learners are not challenged, there can be trouble, according to psychologist Raymond Gallope, who provides counseling at several Catholic schools.
"Giftedness can be misdiagnosed as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and can also be coupled with other personality difficulties." Gallope told the Catholic Herald.
Equally distressing is that for others, especially girls, it can mean a loss of that intrinsic love of learning. It may be easier to play dumb than to continue to seek new challenges.
Catholic schools are not alone in their search for ways to work with gifted learners. Many public schools also struggle with balancing financial constraints and meeting the needs of students of all abilities. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has not employed a gifted coordinator for several years. At the federal level, however, a bill is being considered that would provide money for state education agencies to support programs and services for gifted and talented students.
Schools and Parents
Ultimately, it's up to both schools and parents to help meet the needs of gifted learners. Many work with WCGL's Gerleman, who said most teachers enter the field with little knowledge of how to recognize or teach gifted learners and many have stereotypical beliefs about the children.
"They may wrongly think that all gifted learners are high-achievers who will make it on their own without any help. Or they may think that piling on extra work will motivate a student. The keys are differentiating learning options and offering alternate, appropriate work that stretches a child's skills - and not allowing the gifted learner to be the target of envy or vicious attacks," she said.
Parents also have a responsibility to keep children active and offer enrichment activities. WCGL offers weekend and summer sessions, as does UW-Milwaukee's College for Kids and the Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth. Parents also can volunteer at programs such as Odyssey of the Mind and forensics.
Mary Kopp, the woman who started St. Mary's Hi-PEP program 18 years ago, is the principal at St. Bernard ELementary School in Wauwatosa. She believes more can and should be done for gifted learners - and all children.
"There are so many more things open to kids these days that meeting the needs of the children shouldn't be as difficult as it was in the past," she said.
Some children are able to concentrate for long periods of time at a young age or demonstrate gifts and talents by using a large vocabulary, constant questioning, creativity, and/or exceptional ability in a particular subject area.
Differences commonly found between most gifted learners and their age peers are advanced comprehension, faster pace of learning and a need for schoolwork that provides activities that are both complex and fast-paced. Parents should consult with child development professionals, such as their local school officials or higher education personnel, for additional information.
How do I get a good education for my child without being seen as pushy?
Begin by educating yourself. Learn the terms and definitions of the various educational programs offered at your school or district. Learn all you can about the needs of gifted children.
Develop good communication skills and hold discussions about being "gifted" in an open and honest way with your child and other family members. Remember that parents must be their child's advocate.
In a polite and cooperative manner, parents need to inform the schools about their child's special needs and then volunteer to help make sure those needs are being met.
- From the California Association for the Gifted
Websites
Hoagies Gifted Education Page: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org www.hoagiesgifted.org
Talented and Gifted Families: www.tagfam.org
Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth: http://www.wcaty.org www.wcaty.org
Wisconsin Center for Gifted Learners: http://www.execpc.com/~wcgl www.execpc.com/~wcgl
Books
"The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids : How to Understand, Live With, and Stick Up for Your Gifted Child," by Sally Yahnke Walker
"Keys to Parenting the Gifted Child" (Barron's Parenting Keys), by Sylvia B. Rimm
"Guiding the Gifted Child: A Practical Source for Parents and Teachers," by James T. Webb
"Bringing Out the Best : A Resource Guide for Parents of Young Gifted Children," by Jacquelyn Saunders
"Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom," by Susan Winebrenner
How can teachers meet the needs of gifted learners?
Teachers have an enormous impact on the lives of gifted students. Underachieving students have been salvaged by an understanding teacher who took an interest in them. The investment of time and energy in differentiating the curriculum for gifted students can inspire them to have higher aspirations, to win scholarships, to choose demanding careers, and to use their gifts for the betterment of society. In addition to taking classes to learn more about their needs, teachers can:
- Linda Silverman, "Counseling the Gifted and Talented"
Characteristics of the gifted learner
Good problem-solving abilities
Rapid learning ability
Extensive vocabulary
Good memory
Long attention span
Sensitivity
Compassion for others
Perfectionism
High degree of energy
Preference for older companions
Wide range of interests
Excellent sense of humor
Early or avid reading ability
Ability in puzzles, mazes, or numbers
At times, seem mature for age
Perseverance in areas of interest
- Silverman/Waters Checklist of Gifted Characteristicsder
Not all prayer is a petition for something. Prayer is also praise and thanksgiving, Gary Pokorny, director of lay formation at Saint Francis Seminary, reminds us.
Sorting through this millennium thing
By Patricia Lorenz
I don't get it. What's the big fuss about this new millennium thing? After hearing and reading about it for a year or more, I finally just learned how to spell it this week. Two L's, two N's. We've been bombarded for months by Y2K scares on TV, radio, e-mail, newspapers, magazines, billboards and church bulletins. I finally decided the scare stuff is all a bunch of hooey and I'm not hoarding anything, not food, water, wood burner, wood, gas, guns, cash or chocolate.
New Year's Eve is going to find me doing the same thing I've done for years on New Year's Eve - spending it with my youngest son, trying to keep him awake so I'll have somebody to wish Happy New Year's to at the stroke of the Times Square glitter ball hitting the pavement.
Oh, it's not that I didn't try to plan a ravishing party at my house. I started begging all four of my kids a year ago to come home for New Year's Eve and even invited my folks, brother, sister and their families to join us. But the media and the Y2K scare got to them and they're all going to stay home in their respective states with Dick Clark while they ponder the possibilities of life without electricity or something.
One thing we have to keep in mind is that it's not really the end of the old millennium and the beginning of the new one. Think about it. To go from one to 100 you have to complete the 100th year.
This New Year's Eve we're just going to be starting the last year of the second millennium. We need to finish the year 2000 to complete this batch of 1000 years. Next year, when we celebrate 2001, will actually be the beginning of the new millennium. So I figure it just doesn't pay to get all worked up over this New Year's Eve.
So, all the fuss aside, I decided to do one thing to get ready for next year. I decided to ponder my life - where it's been, where it's going. I thought and thought. I pondered, perused, wrinkled my brow, compared, recalled, and tried to see into my future.
After about 10 minutes I knew for certain that I will never be rich or famous. And yet in the same breath I was able to say that I have achieved a success far beyond riches and fame.
I felt rich as a kid when I grew up in a happy Catholic home with terrific nuns at school and parents who not only had a sense of adventure and fun but who worked hard to teach me the VALUE of hard work and frugality and the power of prayer. I really thought we were rich. The house my Dad built himself was the best on the block and I never remember wanting for anything. I was in my late 20s when I learned that my dad's annual income as a rural mail carrier was about $6,000 a year when I was in grade school.
Famous? What does that mean? As a writer who writes for magazines and books that reach millions of people in many countries, I often feel like the words that flow out of my fingers and end up in cyberspace somewhere are more famous than I'll ever be. No one has ever stopped me on the street and asked if I'm that writer person. No one has ever asked if they can do a TV show from my house, or asked me to be on a board of directors of some big company. I sleep well, knowing they never will.
People who read the kind of stuff I write rarely remember the author's name. More often than not my written words end up in a gazillion e-mail letters flitting from continent to continent and my NAME isn't even in the text.
Where then, is the fame I gladly claim? It's on my list of closest friends I invite over one-by-one for a simple tea party during the holidays. It's on my list of children and grandchildren, who all live out of town and half live out of state, who phone me practically every other day most weeks. It's there on the sidewalk with the friends I talk to after Mass on Sunday. It's on my Christmas card list. It's on my SWILL list. (SWILL is my women's group, Southeastern Wisconsin Interesting Ladies League.)
It's these people, my quiet life, my old beater car, my simple no frills, no bills, no debts, no stress that make me feel rich and famous. Just me and a boat load of people who care. Like I said, rich and famous beyond measure.
This next year, the last one of the old millennium and in the year 2001, when we officially celebrate the new millennium, may you also feel rich and famous. You have a whole year to get it in place. And a whole year to remember it's two L's, two N's.
Keep the faith.
(Lorenz, a nationally known inspirational writer and mother of four grown children, lives in Oak Creek. She spends most of her time writing books.)
Copyright, 1997 by Catholic Herald, Milwaukee, WI
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