Because I love etymology, I’ve always introduced philosophy to my gifted students as a “love of wisdom” (Greek ~philos and sophos). We spent some time exploring words related to those roots. My students especially loved the origin of the word “sophomore!” (see also “A Greek Root is Worth 1,000 Words”) If you work with intellectually … Read more
Many years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Marcy Cook speak. She is a well-known math specialist and presenter of seminars and workshops all over the world, and if you’ve never attended one of her sessions, I highly recommend it! In my district, the goal for our gifted students has always been to create … Read more
Metacognition: a big word and a powerful idea. People of all ages, from primary students to corporate CEOs, benefit from learning how to THINK about their own THINKING. Way back in the 1960s, Edward de Bono introduced lateral thinking and created strategies that enable people of all ages to intentionally think in organized ways in … Read more
Did you know that if you learn just 14 Greek and Latin roots, you can unlock the meanings of hundreds of words, maybe thousands? Clearly, students of all ages benefit from vocabulary instruction that includes Greek and Latin instruction, and there are so many great resources and methods. I’ve tried different approaches over the years, … Read more
When I ordered the logic game Chocolate Fix from ThinkFun (affiliate link), I thought it would be great to set out as a center for my kindergarten, first, and second graders. What I discovered is that the levels of this game, a little like Sudoku, can challenge kids all the way through fifth grade, and … Read more
