http://www.diagnostic-learning.com/Who is the gifted learner? Often the I.Q. score is used as the projection to measure I.Q. If this is the sole judgment of I.Q, then one may consult the Stanford-Binet Form LM , the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, or the Silverman & Kearney tests. Each of these three tests defines an I.Q. of 140 as the nominal IQ for a gifted child. Estimated statistical occurrence of the children in this range is one or two children per a million children. Highly and profoundly gifted children may be defined as those who score above the third or fourth standard deviation on IQ test, or who are prodigies in a particular domain. (Webb, Meckstroth, & Tolan) The State of Texas definition of the gifted and talented student states: The phrase gifted and talented student means a child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who:•    Exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area;•    Possess an unusual capacity for leadership; or•    Excels in a specific academic field - 74th legislature of the State of Texas, Chapter 29, Subchapter d. Section 29. 121 Actually, identifying the gifted learner is not the problem. Properly educating and providing experiences for the gifted learner is the problem.  In 1988, the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act was passed. This Act is a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Javits Act has three primary components: 1. the research of effective methods of testing, identification, and programming, which is done at the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented; 2. the awarding of grants to colleges, states, and districts that focus on Read more »Original post blogged on b2evolution.

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When my children were younger, I really thought I knew how I was going to parent them as teenagers. I observed other parents and saw much of what I thought was "wrong." Sure, I saw some good examples but I was convinced that parenting with strictness was the only way to go.

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On TODAY Moms, we like to give Dads a voice, too! Bob Trott is a writer and editor who lives in Seattle with his wife and their adorable 2-year-old daughter. Here, he wonders whether reluctance to get a sitter is a mom thing. What do you think? Let him know in the comments!

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"Mommy, what is fungus?" Not exactly the type of question you want to hear from your second grader at the end of the first day of the new school year. Actually, it's not the type of question I ever want to hear from my kid unless she is reading a Science book.

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Every new school year bring new freedoms -- and responsibilities. Click here to take the TODAY/Parenting.com back-to-school survey!

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Finding the right tutor for your child can be a trying process. What does one observe in the person who is the right tutor? What characteristics does the right tutor possess? What are the qualifications needed for being the right tutor? Creative Tutors is an excellent example of how employing the right tutor creates success for your child. What are the qualifications needed for a tutor? Ironically, no state requires a degree for one who wants to be a tutor. That leaves the choice to the interviewer. One thing is for certain, you aren’t just going to choose someone as your tutor that does not have some type of education. You must fit the education to the need. If reading is the subject, the tutor must have knowledge of reading skills. As a concerned parent, you know that someone trained in the field that your child needs is going to give the best results. The Creative Tutor’s teacher will have degrees in the field of expertise needed for the student. Read more »Original post blogged on b2evolution.

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And now for something fun and freaky... What would happen if babies ruled the world? That's what German advertising photographer Paul Ripke wondered when he created the ‘Man Babies’ project at his Hamburg, Germany studio. Ripke took 45 different parents and their kids …

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My son is lying on the floor on his stomach, resting on his elbows. He can read now and he and his younger brother are looking at a calendar, a free one that my in-laws received from the garden supply shop in their town. He’s writing down the birthdays of each member of our family, his uneven handwriting running over several days at once. He has just finished his brother's in August when he flips the page to enter in his own birthday.

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Before I was a kid person, I was a dog person.

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There is an interesting dilemma taking place in our home with regard to my children's friends. I always enjoy having them over and sometimes spending the night. I definitely prefer everyone hanging out here, where I can keep a better eye on things.

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