J Richard Knapp

I recently had the opportunity to observe a 10-year-old boy learning to  code  a basic computer program. For those of us computer challenged,  coding  is the programming language that designs software, apps, computer games, and even websites such as mine. Is this a lesson for gifted children? Actually not! Everyone can learn the basics of programming in this day and age - we just need to  learn how to think ! The first step in this boy's learning was to teach him basic vocabulary, facts, and rules. This was his  foundation  to coding. A designed activity followed to engaged the boy in demonstrating that he really understood the foundation.  (Note: There were no time restraints on this child's learning. Why must we rush our kids?) And then... wonderful things began happening! The boy looked at the entire foundation and began  systematically analyzing it . He examined carefully all the parts and how they related to each other. This was followed by the boy experimenting with the v

  A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary. Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more rude. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer.  The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and a

  Do you have an adolescence or teen in your household? What if you have more than one? Oh my! If that is true, I hope you take the time for a little 'R & R' (research & restraint). Your child is about to experience one of the most confusing and frustrating times in their human development - and it  may last for years! LOOKING BACK I used to joke when my daughters were teens,  "If I could just put them in a brown paper bag when they turned 13 and take them back out in about 3 years, they would be beginning to act like human beings again."  All joking aside, I was quite wrong in the number of years that teen changes were beginning and ending. Research tells us today that teen development likely  begins at the onset of puberty , which in fact could be as early as 10 and even younger in some children. In other words, the age of puberty continues to become earlier and earlier in children as time goes by. THE BRAIN IS CHANGING TOO Book 1 In relationship to the onse