Bright Child AZ  is a small, locally owned consulting and book business based out of Chandler, Arizona.

We specialize in finding and selling books that support gifted and creative learners, their families and educators. In addition to finding, and also writing many of our books, we work with authors and other professionals to provide educational consulting to schools, school districts, and parents across the country. Gifted learners are unique and it is our passion to support them and the adults in their lives.

Founded by Adam Laningham, and in partnership with family and friends, Bright Child AZ works to bring creativity and support of gifted learners to as many parents, teachers, and schools as we can. Our team consists of internationally known authors, phycologists, expert teachers, and administrators. 

  Contact us at - adam@brightchildbooks.com

Adam C. Laningham

Adam Laningham, author of Gifted Children & How Trauma Impacts Them, and Thinkology 2.0, has over 20 years of experience in the field of education. Adam was recognized as the 2014 Arizona Gifted Teacher of the Year, he has taught at several schools in multiple grade levels, created and facilitated numerous gifted programs, and also served as a district gifted services manager coordinating programs for over 6000 gifted students. Adam has served on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association for Gifted & Talented for many years and is currently the President Elect of SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted). As founder and owner of Bright Child AZ, Adam is an international speaker, consultant, and gifted advocate.

 

 

Proud members and supporters of:

See Adam's SENGVINE articles below

Membership Partner

 

We are a small, local independent business, and we know we cannot always compete with giants such as Walmart and Amazon for price. We, however, do our best for what is right for our community. In doing so, we...

 

• Look to support other small or independent businesses
• Print our own books, and favor others, printed in the USA
• Try to reuse and recycle packaging and materials whenever possible
• Print marketing materials from union print shops or print shops that support local education organizations
• Support non-discrimination initiatives such as signing the Open AZ Unity Pledge:

www.openaz.co

 

June 2022

Summer - A Time to Encourage the Love of Learning and Reflection

The summer is here, and with it comes a unique opportunity to support your child’s learning as well as find a valuable time to bond with them. Gifted children thrive on learning and making connections. As a parent or grandparent, the more unstructuredness of  summertime gives you the opportunity to work with, enrich, and get to know your children better. I am going to encourage you to do the following three things for your child this summer: provide opportunities to authentically learn, time to reflect & discuss, and appreciate some down time. 

Many times schools focus on what students are required to learn, regardless of student interest, as well as focusing on assessments and grades. None of this is typically appealing to children, especially our gifted and twice exceptional learners.  Summer is not a time of not learning, in fact, I would argue it is a fantastic opportunity for real learning. This is the chance to experience new things, explore, and learn without the school learning structure. 

We should use this time to encourage learning the authentic way, through experience! I encourage you to take some time and look into doing some of the following with or for your child/children. Some of these activities they will want to do, and some they will not. I encourage you to let them do many of the activities they want to do, but also do one or two that will push or challenge them. 

Go to museums, zoos, aquariums, National Parks, theaters, the movies. There are bound to be surprises and opportunities to learn new things. 

Participate in sports, the theater, family events, summer camps. These are all good to meet other children and adults who may have similar interests, but also will have other perspectives to learn and grow from. 

Read Find a book or two to read with your child. Talk about the story, the characters, decisions made, etc. Learning from books cannot be underestimated.

 

Do hands-on projects such as model building, create some art, work in the garden, buy, and learn to care for some house plants, adopt a new pet, etc. Help them find their passions, and create/build something, or care for something real.

All of these are important opportunities to not just experience with your child, if not just have them experience, but also to have discussions with them. These discussions not only help you get to know them better but will help them learn and grow from the experiences. Having children think and reflect on their learning, in these cases, learning experiences is important to helping them grow and learn from them. Take this time to talk about not just how they did and what they learned, but also how this learning affects them, how the others involved may feel or learn, how these experiences can be applied to other events in their life. 

One of the greatest learning tools is to ask, “Why?” and then listen. Then follow up with another, “Why do you think that?” All of these experiences can help a child better understand themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, but also how they can grow, learn and adapt. It also helps with understanding others and their relationships when working with others. This is an invaluable tool when preparing to be successful in our culture and workplace no matter what they decide to do in the future. 

We also should not forget about valuing down time. I see so many parents scheduling their children for one club, event, or tutoring activity after another outside of the school day. It makes me wonder when these kiddos have time to think and reflect on their own. Gifted children can have infinite interests, and having them partake in them is highly important, but too much of a good thing can no longer be a good thing. 

One of the best parts of the summer is that it brings a gratter chance to be bored. Please keep in mind, our children need time to reflect on their own, let their minds rest, and have a chance to contemplate and become who they are. Please do not over schedule them. When we are bored or unstimulated, we get to know ourselves better. Make sure your child has some time just to be.

I hope you all have a chance to help your child grow this summer, and that you have the chance to get to know them better and build some cherished memories. Please also know that as adults, we are also always growing, learning new things, and also learning to better understand ourselves. We just need to sometimes be in the moment. With everything going on, don't forget to take some time for yourself. 

 

February 2021

Directors' Corner - Staying Strong

The year 2021 holds promise as we look to the future and hope for brighter times, yet the year 2020--while challenging for many of us--still lingers with its fear and worries. As a former history teacher, the events that took place this past fall and winter were a roller-coaster. We experienced lows ranging from our democratic institutions being undermined and the deaths of some of our most cherished civil rights icons to the highs of a presidential inauguration showing hope and inspiration of a young girl, descended from slaves, reciting before a president and the world at only the age of 22. All of this occurred while in the background the world suffered from a once in a century pandemic taking away many of our loved ones. As I write this and reflect, I think back to some of the stories my grandmother told me of growing up during the Battle of Britain. A highlight of the year was when the children each received an orange as their Christmas present. Certainly, those times were no less bleak. Yet they managed to survive and get through it to better times and reached the light at the end of their tunnel. We know that the light is coming for us to end our dark times and pray that it is close at hand. Until that light shines, things remain tough on us and our children. Our recent dark times have tested the strongest among us and have caused the educator in me to worry about our children. It is difficult for us to tell them not to worry, that things will be all right when times are still bleak and, indeed, we are still worried. Our gifted children are keen observers, are absorbing all of this and need our support. Below are a few things to keep in mind as we support them and ourselves through this trying, and hopefully dissipating, section of our history. It is OK not to Know the Answers Gifted children know the questions to ask to get at what we are thinking. They also know when they are being placated. Just be honest with them. You do not have to highlight the ugly, but you can be honest and up front when talking to them. Show them that you trust them enough to tell them the truth and that you care enough to support them through anything. Encourage Them to get Involved and Do Something Positive for Others They will not feel as helpless if they are helping to make a difference. Even small things like helping a neighbor, sewing masks, adopting a pet from the shelter, cleaning up a local park, doing volunteer work, etc. will let them have some control and perspective. Encourage Them to Do Something Good for Themselves Physical and mental health has never been more important. Bring in some arts, get creative, take the dog for a walk, try some yoga, and practice mindfulness. It all helps. Also, don’t forget to do this yourself!  Look to History and Strong Examples of Character Humans have been through many bleak periods. Many groups and individuals have suffered only to come out stronger. I am writing this during Black History Month, and it probably has been years since I was so inspired by such a person as when I listened to Amanda Gorman at Joseph Biden’s inauguration. History is full of stories of perseverance: Joe Biden, Milala Yousafzai, John Lewis, and the great Ruth Bader Ginsburg are just a few who come to mind. We can all learn from them. Most Importantly, Please Keep Communicating with Your Children  Never have our personal relationships mattered more. Being isolated and worried about what is going on is not healthy for anyone, let alone a sensitive child. Keep them involved. Let them watch the news, but also watch the news with them and encourage reflection, discussion, and perspective. Show them your interest in them and your love for them. I am honored to be able to join this wonderful organization’s Board of Directors. It allows me to do my part to help and to feel like I am contributing to the better good. All of us at SENG hope that you are finding the inspiration and support to not only get through these times but also to support those around you and those who look up to you . Even if it is something as simple as the gift of an orange, we can all find inspiration, do some good, and work our way through the bleakness. (Click here to find out more about SENG Model Parent discussion groups in order to further support your gifted child.) Adam C Laningham is on SENG’s Board of Directors, is the Arizona Liaison for SENG, and chairs the Liaison Committee (Click here to discover who is the Liaison in your state). Adam has over 20 years of experience in the field of education. He is the Manager of Gifted & Advanced Academics for Deer Valley Unified School District, a large, diverse school district in the Phoenix area providing a wide range of services to over 5,000 gifted identified students. Adam was recognized as the 2014 Arizona Gifted Teacher of the Year, he has taught at several schools, multiple grade levels and run numerous gifted programs. Adam has served on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association for Gifted & Talented for many years, is an international speaker, consultant, and published author.