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Mason Gifted Family Resources - Mason City Schools

Mason Gifted Family Resources

Every gifted learner is unique. Giftedness may show up through advanced thinking, creativity, curiosity, academic strengths, problem solving, or a deep interest in particular topics—and children do not always develop at the same pace academically, socially, and emotionally.

The resources below are designed to help families better understand giftedness, support their child's growth, and partner with educators along the way. Think of this page as a living home base to revisit whenever a new question or developmental stage arises.

Understand Giftedness

Characteristics & Traits

Support at Home

Fostering Curiosity

Social-Emotional

Whole-Child Growth

Twice-Exceptional (2e)

Strengths & Needs

Understand Giftedness

What does it mean to be a gifted learner?

Giftedness is about more than earning high grades or completing work quickly. Gifted learners may demonstrate advanced abilities in one or more areas while continuing to grow and develop in others.

Common Characteristics Families May Notice:
Strong curiosity and desire to understand how or why things work
Rapid learning and making swift connections across complex ideas
Advanced vocabulary, reasoning, and analytical problem-solving
Deep, highly focused interests and sustained concentration
Creative or original approaches to novel or unfamiliar problems
Strong memory and preference for challenging, intricate ideas

No single characteristic defines a gifted learner; traits vary widely across individuals.

NAGC Family TIP Sheets

Support Growth at Home

Encourage curiosity, challenge, and independence

Supporting a gifted child at home does not mean creating extra schoolwork or constantly accelerating academically. The most valuable opportunities come from helping children explore their passions, ask big questions, solve problems, and learn to navigate challenges.

Select an Area to Explore Home Strategies:

Space for Questions & Exploration

Inquiry-Based Support
What It Looks Like at Home:

Gifted learners frequently ask complex, existential, or multifaceted questions that don't have simple answers. They thrive when curiosity is treated as an active exploration rather than a test with only one right solution.

Actionable Family Strategies:
  • Model shared inquiry: Say "I don't know the answer to that—how can we research and find out together?"
  • Create an "I Wonder" journal: Keep a running list of unanswered questions to investigate during weekend trips or library visits.
  • Provide open tinkering time: Offer blocks of unstructured time with loose parts, coding tools, art supplies, or building sets without a fixed end goal.

Practical guides for navigating daily learning, curiosity, and habits at home.

NAGC Family TIP Sheets

Support Social & Emotional Growth

Nurturing the whole child

Advanced academic ability does not necessarily mean that a child is equally advanced socially or emotionally (often referred to as asynchronous development). Like all children, gifted learners continue to develop emotional regulation, resilience, and self-advocacy skills.

Select a Topic to Explore Family Insights:

Perfectionism & Mistake-Making

NAGC & Davidson Insight
What It May Look Like at Home:

Hesitation or refusal to try tasks unless 100% sure of success; tearing up drawings or erasing homework until the paper tears; setting impossibly high self-expectations; emotional meltdowns over minor errors or getting second place.

Practical Family Strategy:

Normalize and model mistake-making out loud at home. Reframe mistakes as "learning data" rather than a measure of worth. Praise effort, strategy revision, and perseverance rather than effortless perfection or inherent smarts.

Key Insight: One of the most important things we can help gifted learners understand is that being capable does not mean everything should feel easy. Challenge, mistakes, revision, and productive struggle are essential parts of learning.

Gifted & Twice-Exceptional (2e) Learners

Supporting both strengths and dual needs

Understanding 2e Learners

Some gifted students also have a disability, learning difference, or another area requiring additional support (sometimes described as twice-exceptional, or 2e). Strengths can sometimes mask an area of difficulty, and a difficulty can make advanced abilities less visible. Twice-exceptional learners are fully eligible for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans to receive specialized accommodations and services right alongside their gifted education services.

Twice-Exceptionality Resource Guide (ODEW)

Understand Gifted Education in Ohio

Gifted identification and gifted services in Ohio are guided by state requirements established by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce across four primary areas:

Superior Cognitive Ability
Specific Academic Ability
Creative Thinking Ability
Visual & Performing Arts
State Department

ODEW Parent Resources

Review state laws, acceleration policies, and family rights.

Visit ODEW Gifted Page

Understand Written Education Plans (WEPs)

The roadmap guiding your child's gifted learning goals and services

In Ohio, a Written Education Plan (WEP) is an individualized document developed for every identified gifted student who receives gifted education services. It acts as a collaborative blueprint between school and home, outlining the learning goals matched to their gifted identification, instructional differentiation, and support provided throughout the school year.

Learning Goals

Targeted academic or cognitive extension goals designed to stretch and challenge your child beyond standard grade-level curriculum.

Service Delivery

Specifies how instruction is differentiated (e.g., cluster grouping, honors/advanced courses, GIS co-teaching or resource support).

Progress Monitoring

Details how your child's progress toward their specific goals will be assessed and periodically reported home to families.

Staff Roles

Identifies the designated educators and Gifted Intervention Specialists (GIS) responsible for delivering and supporting services.

Annual Review & Collaboration: WEPs are reviewed and updated annually. Parents receive a copy of the WEP each school year. If you ever have questions regarding your child's goals or progress, the teacher or Gifted Intervention Specialist listed on the WEP is always your best starting point.

Have a Question? Start Here.

Classroom Learning Questions?

Start with your child's classroom or content-area teacher. They manage daily learning experiences, differentiation, and classroom personalization.

WEP & Gifted Service Questions?

Reach out directly to the teacher or Gifted Intervention Specialist (GIS) listed on your child's Written Education Plan (WEP).

Identification & Testing Questions?

Visit our Gifted Identification & Testing webpage or contact the district Gifted Office directly.

Overall Service Model Questions?

Our Gifted Services team is happy to help you understand the continuum of support offered across all grade bands.

Additional External Resources & Organizations

National Association for Gifted Children

Research, family TIP sheets, advocacy tools, and parent resources.

Explore NAGC Resources → Ohio Dept. of Education & Workforce

State criteria, acceleration, policies, and family rights.

Explore Ohio Resources → Davidson Institute

Articles, 2e guides, and social-emotional development support.

Explore Davidson Library →

We're Growing Together

There isn't one single roadmap for raising or educating a gifted learner. Children change, interests evolve, and needs shift year to year. Our goal is to partner with families and educators to recognize strengths, provide challenge, and help each learner thrive.

Elizabeth Dooley Gifted Coordinator, Mason City Schools
Email Elizabeth Dooley