Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Stephanie Tolan: An Advocate for Gifted Children
People are all different. They are different in the way they look. They have different interests, values, and beliefs. They have different skills. Some people like to read. Others prefer solving math problems. Some people are unusually good at sports. Others are unusually attractive. Some kids struggle in school because learning is hard for them. Others struggle in school because they are remarkably bright. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We all have things that make us special, and we all need help in one way or another. Stephanie Tolan has chosen to help one group that many believe do not need help: gifted children. This is her story.
As a child, Stephanie Tolan's world revolved around books. She spent many nights reading books under the covers with a flashlight long after she was supposed to be asleep. She wrote her first story in the fourth grade. It was thrilling for her to realize that she had the power to create the magic that was in books. At that moment, she decided that she wanted to be a writer.
Years later, Stephanie Tolan had degrees in creative writing and English. She was a wife and a mother. She got a job as a teacher and became inspired by her students. She saw their excitement about reading. She noticed that reading made them happy in a way that most adults have forgotten. They helped her remember her dream of becoming a writer. She wanted to write something that her students would enjoy. She went home that day and began writing.
