A tribute to Frank Falk, his work, and the deep connections he had to those in the gifted community.

We are creators. Every day we design our lives. We choose to survive major illnesses, to overcome obstacles, to do our own part in making this a better world. We seek meaningful lives, and we desire that our children do the same. Most of our GDC parents want their child to be happy—now and in the future. They don’t say, “Tell us how to make our child successful.” I believe happiness comes from following our drive to create.

Acceleration is allowing a student the opportunity to move through an educational program at a younger age or at a faster pace than typical. It is the most research-supported intervention in gifted education. Is this the right course of action? Read more about our expert recommendatioons.

Lee Ann’s dedication to the children, parents and community of GDC will be sorely missed. She knew everything about the organization and made sure everyone had what they needed. Read more for details about her scholarship fund and memorial service.

We have much to thank Betty Meckstroth for. Betty was coauthor of one of the first, most important, award-winning books on the gifted: Guiding the Gifted Child (Webb, Meckstroth, & Tolan, 1982).  A huge supporter of parents of the gifted, Betty contributed an immense amount of knowledge and experience to this book, which remained a favorite for decades.

For nearly 44 years, Gifted Development Center has been a beacon of child-centered assessment. We are seeking gifted poet/examiners to continue our work who can “attend in a more perceptive, intimate, even holistic way.” We need assessors who excel at listening, who can tell a story of who this child is, what are this child’s needs, and why we should care.

Giftedness is a way of experiencing that is aware, sensitive, intense, empathic, curious, complex, intuitive, imaginative, creative, excited about ideas, committed to the greater good.

Gifted women and girls are often discouraged from letting their light shine and their brilliance come through. This is a pledge to be unique, to be courageous and to grow brighter because the world needs you.

On October 8, 2021, Mayor De Blasio announced his plan to phase out the New York City Gifted and Talented Program. This places all gifted programs in America at risk. Abolishing gifted programs widens the gap between haves and have-nots. Eliminating gifted programs is the highest form of discrimination, suggesting that under-represented populations cannot BE gifted.

“Gifted” has many different connotations. Most people think it is about high achievement in school. In my view, that is academic talent. Gifted children may or may not excel in school, and academically talented students may or may not be gifted.

To differentiate the concept of giftedness from “success”—in school or in life—I have come up with the notion of Gifted Plus to signify the inner experience of giftedness.

Gifted Development Center is well represented at the 68th Annual Convention of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), which is taking place in Denver this year from November 11th - 14th. The convention will be held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort near the Denver airport. Live streaming of the event is also planned.

“Gifted” has many different connotations. Most people think it is about high achievement in school. In my view, that is academic talent. Gifted children may or may not excel in school, and academically talented students may or may not be gifted.

To differentiate the concept of giftedness from “success”—in school or in life—I have come up with the notion of Gifted Plus to signify the inner experience of giftedness.

Most of us have a harsh voice inside our heads that chastises us when we “make mistakes.” It is quick to judge us, often calling us names. “That was stupid!” The power this voice has over us increases our anxiety. In this era of mindfulness, we yearn for inner peace. We are aware that the more inner peace we attain, the more peace there will be in the world. Despite this awareness, we allow our critical inner voice to remain unchecked.

We have greater awareness today of the harmful effects of teasing and bullying, but there is one area of our lives where it remains unchecked: within ourselves. Even the most sensitive and compassionate among us, who would never intentionally hurt another, do not think twice about mercilessly berating themselves. Let us to examine this accepted practice.

Leta Hollingworth, the founder of gifted education, developed a program of emotional education for the gifted. She noted that exceptionally gifted children tend to be exceptionally honest, and that their honesty often gets them into trouble. Leta felt that learning when not to tell the truth is as important a skill for the gifted to learn as any school subject. This was part of her emotional curriculum.

Socialization means adapting to the needs of the group, whereas social development indicates positive self-concept and concern for the welfare of others.  The former may result in alienation from one’s inner self, while the latter leads to self-actualization. Gifted children have positive social development when they are respected in their families; when their parents value the inherent worth of all human beings; when they find true peers of similar ability at an early age; and when they interact with the mainstream after they have developed a strong sense of their own acceptability.

An article by Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman | At the age of 4, Michelle read fluently. She skipped second grade. By sixth grade, she stood out among her peers and began attending gifted classes. She learned French and took accelerated courses. Michelle attended Chicago’s first magnet high school for gifted students. She graduated cum laude from Princeton where she did her thesis on “Princeton Educated Blacks and the Black Community.” She went on to earn a law degree from Harvard Law School. If we abandon gifted programs, as we are being entreated to do once again, we ignore the benefits of gifted programs for diverse students like Michelle Obama. We worsen inequality, because children of privilege have access to a wealth of resources, whereas children with limited means are dependent on public schools to identify and develop their special abilities. 

An article by Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman | What is overexcitability (OE)? Is there empirical evidence that gifted children and adults have greater OE? Does OE portray gifted children as emotionally needy and peculiar? Why is the concept controversial? Can we distinguish OE from AD/HD, sensory processing disorder, and other issues? How should we respond to OEs?

An article by Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman | From its inception, the person-centered study of giftedness has been built on the mission of protecting human rights. While some still profess that the purpose of gifted education is to foster eminence, there is a more profound need for identifying and supporting the gifted.

An article by Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman | From its inception, the person-centered study of giftedness has been built on the mission of protecting human rights. While some still profess that the purpose of gifted education is to foster eminence, there is a more profound need for identifying and supporting the gifted.