Barbara Klein, Ed.D.

    Students with special talents and passions of all kinds can have trouble learning in a standardized classroom. Often teachers see “gifted” children as quirky because inevitably they have learning highs and learning lows. For example, a child passionate about reading may have no interest or no strong ability in science and/or math. Passionate children are either over the top with energy or can not be bothered to work on what is hard for them. Special strategies need to be used to help these children achieve in all subjects. Here is an example:
    Jonathan is a very advanced mathematics learner. In 2nd grade he is doing 5th grade work with very little effort or support from his teacher or his parents. Juxtaposed to these strengths is an inability to learn to read. Jonathan gives up on reading shortly after school begins. He hides in the corner during reading and refuses to do his simple homework. His learning highs and lows make him a candidate for tutoring for gifted children.
    Teaching hard-to-teach bright students is my speciality. I have written two books on gifted children and worked with many hard to teach children in more than 40 years I have worked as an educator.