WATG16

Early childhood builds the foundation for a student's education and gifted students have a need for program extensions. Advanced knowledge acquisition is expected, but that's just part of their plan; extension plans must include considerations for the whole child. Knowledge acquisition, creativity, problem solving, task commitment, communicating ideas and citizenship are woven into an advanced math program that builds in intensity each year. Attendees will also learn how to use an emotion identification scale and problem solving strategy charts to help students grow into independent learners and avoid the impostor syndrome. With hard, valuable, creative work, students earn the powerful feeling of pride.

 Outcomes
Attendees will learn about growth mindset and the impostor syndrome while being shown an extension program that prepares students for a differentiated math path. Attendees will be given an emotion identification scale and problem solving strategy charts that are tools for helping students handle feelings that surge through them when encountering challenges. If a child does not encounter frustrating challenges at an early age, their eventual experiences with frustration may lead them to think, "I'm not smart anymore" or "I'm a fraud, everyone's going to find out I'm not smart". Research has shown emotions are closely tied to achievement so students need to understand their emotional swings. My extension program starts with kindergarten activities that require progress over time, to first graders facing perplexing problems in logic, to second and third graders being immersed in design frustrations. Students discover that hard, valuable, creative work, equals pride. H+V+C+W=P