Information about 2009 Ohio Summer Honor Institutes a and Martin W. Essex School for the Gifted is posted on the Ohio Department of Education website, under Programs for Gifted Children.

These are terrific opportunities for students who are currently in 9th and 10th grade (Institutes), or 11th (Essex), to spend time on college campuses this summer attending programs designed specifically for those identified as gifted and talented. There is a wide variety of subject matter and locations around the state. I urge you to check them out! Some popular courses do fill quickly.

Applications for the 2009 Summer Honors Institutes will be available on January 9, 2009 and are due on April 10, 2009. (Lists of courses available should be available, probably accessible from the link above.)

It can be difficult to find things on the ODE web site. Here is another link to a FAQ about the Martin W. Essex School for the Gifted and the Summer Honors Institutes.

Applications for Need-based Scholarships are available for students in grades 3-11 from Support for Talented Students, Inc. at SchoolMatch. Scholarships may be used for enrichment activities not normally provided in the schools. Activities may be during the summer or during the following school year. Applications are available at
http://www.schoolmatch.com/STS/STS.htm or from a Gifted and Talented Specialist at a Columbus City School. Deadline is March 14, 2008. The Gifted and Talented Specialists will collect the applications and complete the School Sponsor portion. For more information contact Beth Gasior at 365-6626.

The question came up at our recent meeting: how can I get a photo ID, required for admission to many of the above-grade-level testing programs?

These are programs such as the Midwest Academic Talent Search or Ohio Talent Search, where above-grade-level tests (including ACT/SAT) are used to more accurately measure the ability and achievement levels of gifted children. Gifted children’s abilities are not effectively measured by the standard tests, where they tend to max out the scale. More effective measurement can aid planning and instruction to nurture our children.

If you need a State of Ohio ID, you can get one from any Deputy Registrar. You’ll need some original proof of birth (e.g. birth certificate or immigration (BCIS) document), and a secondary ID with proof of Social Security number. For renewal the ID itself suffices, as long as it has not been expired more than 6 months. The cost is $8.50. More information is available on the site of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). (Look under “Driver Licensing.”)

There are some resources and links on the C.C.S. Unified Arts web site. The site is a little difficult to navigate, and some of the items are targeted to educators, but if you look here , you can find the goodies. (The main page for Unified Arts is http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/art/index.htm .)

Recently I was rooting around the web, looking for a few good sites with listings for Books for Gifted & Talented. I found these to be good resources.

Does anyone else have some more to contribute?

Just For Kids – Gifted Children – Recommended Reading List
http://www.just-for-kids.com/gifted.html
Selecting Books for Gifted Readers
Gifted children tend to begin reading at a younger age, read at a higher reading level that their age peers and go through books more rapidly. This creates a number of problems for parents. It becomes a challenge to find materials that are psychologically and developmentally appropriate.

GT-World Reading Lists
http://vcbconsulting.com/gtworld/gtbook.htm
Parents of gifted and talented children are faced with many unusual challenges. With many of our children very early readers, the question is often asked “What books are good for my 4 or 5 year old who’s already reading chapter books?” or “My fourth grader would rather read adults books, but I’m not comfortable with the topics. Help?” These lists are a summary of the reading recommendations from members of our GT-Families mailing list – parents and children – to answer these tricky reading list questions for our gifted children.

Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page:
Books for Children, Featuring Gifted Children
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/featuring_gifted.htm
and …
Reading Lists
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/reading_lists.htm