CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Presenter: Mary St George

DODGING PAST THE PEN: What to do with Reluctant Writers who are Gifted

This presentation deals with the child who has been identified as gifted, but who does not write effectively in the classroom. This situation can be highly frustrating for students, teachers and parents.

In this session the speaker will discuss a range of considerations for working with reluctant writers who are gifted. Matters addressed will include developmental issues, perfectionism, collaborative writing processes and the role of the reading programme in providing a model for the child who struggles to record complex ideas. Presenting writing tasks in a way that appeals to gifted thinkers will be discussed. Non-written products and the usefulness of technological alternatives to writing by hand will also be briefly addressed.