Exquisite Minds: Creative and Gifted Children

Exquisite Minds believes in the importance of cultivating creativity in bright and gifted children. We believe creativity can solve almost any problem; rather than why something can’t be done, it’s how it can be done. Exquisite Minds offers support to parents and educators who want to challenge children to find new and constructive ways to look at the world.

Good Study Habits: How to Help

Parents can help with good study habits by creating a comfortable environment and a set routine which allows for the least amount of dissent. As we know, studying hurts, but failing hurts worse.
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Developing Empathy in Children by Using Fiction

Reading literary fiction plays an important role in developing empathy in children. Here's how and why to use literary fiction...
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No One Thinks Like a Thirteen-Year-Old

A friend of mine has several gifted children. One afternoon her 13-year-old son called her at work and said he was going to a friend’s house for awhile. His mom reminded him to hide the key for his sister Beth, …
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How to Challenge the Gifted Child at Home

As a teacher of gifted students parents have often asked me what they can do to challenge their gifted child at home. Before the parent looks for outside activities, they may want to look at their own special abilities. Parents of gifted children...
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Motivating the Gifted Child

Motivating the Unmotivated Child Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. As Zig Ziglar stated, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” Throughout my teaching career, I often heard this …
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Gifted The Movie-Now on DVD

Gifted is the thoughtful drama directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer), which depicts the struggles of raising a child prodigy amidst differing parenting philosophies. The story line follows a series of affective moments, lending Gifted a compassionate look at the life of an exceptional child.
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Best Strategy Board Games

Teaching gifted students over the years gave me the opportunity to discover the best strategy board games for kids. If the game held their interest, challenged them, and helped develop critical thinking, then it was a winner. It became apparent …
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Reducing Holiday Stress

How to Identify and Eliminate Sources of Holiday Stress : A teenager was watching her mother prepare a roast for their holiday dinner. The mother first cut...
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Teaching Gifted Children Through Independent Studies

Independent studies or self-directed learning can be an excellent strategy for challenging gifted children, as long as teachers do not rely too heavily on this teaching method. However, how much independence is too much?
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Sibling Rivalry: What Parents Can Do

Sibling Rivalry: While parents cannot prevent their children from arguing and fighting, they can limit the intensity, the duration and the frequency of fighting.
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Fundraising Ideas for Kids

Fundraising ideas for kids: Children and young adults often want to know what they can do for others in times of great tragedy. This can be a teachable moment...
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Questions to Ask at Parent Teacher Conferences

Bringing your own questions to parent teacher conferences ensures that the issues foremost on your mind are discussed. If you are not proactive about organizing your thoughts prior to the conference, your concerns may be neglected.
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