In school districts in the US and around the world, there are programs in place to help gifted and twice-exceptional kids overcome their educational challenges. But one of the least-expensive and easiest tools to utilize, acceleration, is often overlooked. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik from the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa joins us on episode 34 to talk about most kids’ first option for acceleration, early entrance to Kindergarten.

About the guest - Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, PhD is the Administrator for the Acceleration Institute and Research at the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, both at the University of Iowa.

She founded the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary Students (C-MITES) at Carnegie Mellon University and was its director for 22 years. Together with Dr. Susan Assouline, she wrote Developing Math Talent: A Comprehensive Guide to Math Education for Gifted Students in Elementary and Middle School (2nd ed.). She is also a co-author of the Iowa Acceleration Scale, and co-editor of the 2015 report on academic acceleration, A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps the Excuses Holding Back America’s Brightest Students.

Mind Matters podcast features discussions with leaders in the fields of psychology, education, and beyond, with an emphasis on gifted/talented and 2e (twice-exceptional) children and adults. Host Emily Kircher-Morris explores parenting, counseling techniques, and best practices for enriching the lives of high-ability people. For more information go to www.MindMattersPodcast.com.

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