Smart Girls, Smart BoysSmart Girls, Smart Boys

Milestones and Danger ZonesMilestones and Danger Zones

Contact InformationContact Information

Barbara Kerr, Ph.D.Barbara Kerr, Ph.D. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Williamson Distinguished Professor of

Counseling PsychologyCounseling Psychology CLEOS Project, University of KansasCLEOS Project, University of Kansas 616 JRP, KU, Lawrence, KS 66045616 JRP, KU, Lawrence, KS 66045 bkerr@ku.edubkerr@ku.edu 785-883-4749785-883-4749

Pre-School Gifted GirlsPre-School Gifted Girls

Reading “too early” Reading “too early” Oblivious to peersOblivious to peersUnusual interestsUnusual interests

The gifted-friendly school offers a haven for these little The gifted-friendly school offers a haven for these little girls whose intellectual interests, desire for adult girls whose intellectual interests, desire for adult company, and thirst for reading cannot be met in company, and thirst for reading cannot be met in other pre schools.other pre schools.

Pre School Gifted BoysPre School Gifted Boys

High activity levelHigh activity level Advanced problem solvingAdvanced problem solving Strong asynchonyStrong asynchony

The gifted-friendly school can provide The gifted-friendly school can provide opportunities for appropriate, differentiated opportunities for appropriate, differentiated challenge for physical, intellectual, and challenge for physical, intellectual, and emotional development for asynchronous boys.emotional development for asynchronous boys.

KindergartenKindergarten

GirlsGirls Denied early admission because reading is Denied early admission because reading is

discounteddiscounted BoysBoys

Victims of kindergarten red shirting so that he can Victims of kindergarten red shirting so that he can “mature a little more” “mature a little more”

Gifted-friendly schools offer the only rescue for Gifted-friendly schools offer the only rescue for gifted children left behind by state and district gifted children left behind by state and district policiespolicies

Elementary SchoolElementary School

GirlsGirls Gifted girls are more like gifted boys than like Gifted girls are more like gifted boys than like

average girls in interests, aspirations, and play.average girls in interests, aspirations, and play. Vivid, intense fantasy lifeVivid, intense fantasy life Need for aloneness and privacyNeed for aloneness and privacy Need for acceleration and challengeNeed for acceleration and challenge

Gifted-friendly schools can provide smaller play Gifted-friendly schools can provide smaller play groups as well as smaller classes, and most groups as well as smaller classes, and most important, can use acceleration as a strategyimportant, can use acceleration as a strategy..

Elementary SchoolElementary School

BoysBoys

May act out when boredMay act out when bored

If denied advancement, may bully others.If denied advancement, may bully others.

Bartleby Syndrome may strike!Bartleby Syndrome may strike!

Gifted-friendly schools can individualize, can Gifted-friendly schools can individualize, can accelerate, and most important, can observe accelerate, and most important, can observe Bartleby Syndrome early and nip it in the bud.Bartleby Syndrome early and nip it in the bud.

Middle SchoolMiddle School

GirlsGirls Pressure to be prettyPressure to be pretty Pressure to be popularPressure to be popular Pressure to camouflage talentsPressure to camouflage talents

Gifted-friendly schools can provide single sex Gifted-friendly schools can provide single sex education and girls’ groups, as well as focusing on education and girls’ groups, as well as focusing on achievement norms.achievement norms.

Middle SchoolMiddle School

BoysBoysPressure to be athleticPressure to be athleticNeed to hide creativity and sensitivityNeed to hide creativity and sensitivityPressure to withdraw from female friendsPressure to withdraw from female friends

gifted-friendly schools can provide a safe haven gifted-friendly schools can provide a safe haven for creativity, the opportunity to NOT be for creativity, the opportunity to NOT be athletic or to have alternatives to team sports, athletic or to have alternatives to team sports, and small mixed sex groups for social growth.and small mixed sex groups for social growth.

High SchoolHigh School

GirlsGirls Continued high grades, but may take less rigorous Continued high grades, but may take less rigorous

coursescourses Fear of standardized testingFear of standardized testing May be multipotential and overcommittedMay be multipotential and overcommitted Continued pressure to enter the culture of romanceContinued pressure to enter the culture of romancegifted-friendly schools can provide individualized gifted-friendly schools can provide individualized

advising for optimal development; preparation for advising for optimal development; preparation for testing; focused guidance; and sustenance for testing; focused guidance; and sustenance for dreamsdreams

High SchoolHigh School

BoysBoys May feel pressure to be a hero and scholar athleteMay feel pressure to be a hero and scholar athlete May disengage from extracurricular activities and May disengage from extracurricular activities and

interests perceived as feminine interests perceived as feminine May avoid career interests now dominated by May avoid career interests now dominated by

women and narrow choices too muchwomen and narrow choices too much

Gifted-friendly schools can provide a niche for the Gifted-friendly schools can provide a niche for the nerd, a challenge to pursue creative interests, and nerd, a challenge to pursue creative interests, and discouragement of stereotyped career interests.discouragement of stereotyped career interests.

The Facts that Most Schools Won’t The Facts that Most Schools Won’t FaceFace

Gifted children of are as different from average Gifted children of are as different from average children in their needs as developmentally disabledchildren in their needs as developmentally disabled

Gifted boys and gifted girls have different needsGifted boys and gifted girls have different needs Gifted children do not benefit from being held back, Gifted children do not benefit from being held back,

from helping less able children, from “socialization,” from helping less able children, from “socialization,” from co operative learning, and from minimal pull from co operative learning, and from minimal pull out programs.out programs.

Meta-analyses of follow-up studies show that Meta-analyses of follow-up studies show that grouping with intellectual peers, acceleration by grouping with intellectual peers, acceleration by domain, and focused mentoring are the treatments of domain, and focused mentoring are the treatments of choice for gifted children.choice for gifted children.

The Facts, continuedThe Facts, continued

Hispanic, African American, and Native American Hispanic, African American, and Native American gifted children have lower test scores as a group, but gifted children have lower test scores as a group, but perform as well as non-minority peers with higher perform as well as non-minority peers with higher test scores.test scores.

True potential for extraordinary accomplishment is True potential for extraordinary accomplishment is predicted by not only academic achievement, but by predicted by not only academic achievement, but by focus, autonomy, and personality characteristics focus, autonomy, and personality characteristics unique to each domain of accomplishment.unique to each domain of accomplishment.

Potential for gifted children is a function of talent, Potential for gifted children is a function of talent, achievement, and distance from the center of achievement, and distance from the center of privilege that has to be traversed.privilege that has to be traversed.

The Counseling Laboratory for The Counseling Laboratory for Exploration of Optimal StatesExploration of Optimal States

CLEOS at University of KansasCLEOS at University of Kansas Profiling of patterns of eminence in adolescents in Profiling of patterns of eminence in adolescents in

specific domainsspecific domains Day long workshops with online and personal follow Day long workshops with online and personal follow

upup Assessment with state of the art personality, interest, Assessment with state of the art personality, interest,

and values inventoriesand values inventories Visioning of future lifeVisioning of future life Flow identificationFlow identification Individual counselingIndividual counseling Goal-settingGoal-setting A Personal Map of the FutureA Personal Map of the Future

National CLEOSNational CLEOS

A research through service program for creatively A research through service program for creatively gifted studentsgifted students

All volunteer army of counselors and psychologists!All volunteer army of counselors and psychologists! Schools may send teams of up to fifteen high school Schools may send teams of up to fifteen high school

students for one day workshopsstudents for one day workshops Services are provided for cost of materials onlyServices are provided for cost of materials only Results of research are available for application by Results of research are available for application by

schools and familiesschools and families All students leave with a individualized Map of the All students leave with a individualized Map of the

FutureFuture