ABSTRACT
Parents of young gifted children voice common concerns about what often is presented to them as “differentiated instruction.” Despite their inexperience in school, primary grade children bring worlds of knowledge, skill, experiences, traditions, impressions, tastes, values, and ideas to the classroom. In many ways, differentiated instruction, especially for young children, begins in the home. Parents know their child more intimately than anyone else. These parents are doing, in a natural way, what teachers do in a differentiated classroom—creating projects that inspire creative thinking and reasoning, and providing resources that pique the child’s curiosity and stimulate a hunger to learn more. Many of them know that parents are a rich and often untapped source of information and insight. There are many points in a unit or lesson when the feedback of parents could aid the teacher and child in significant ways. Many parents find that primary teachers are open to feedback and suggestions, provided the parents approach them diplomatically.
