Discover why bright kids who find "hard things easy and easy things hard" need more than diagnostic labels—they need supportive systems that help them flourish. Learn how the AWARES framework transforms twice-exceptional and neurodiverse learners' unique profiles from puzzling contradictions into lifelong competitive advantages.

A new independent study of nearly 1,000 elementary students shows that Beast Academy Online significantly improves math achievement for high-ability learners. Students who used the platform just 25 minutes more per week scored substantially higher on year-end assessments.

Test anxiety occurs when normal pre-test nerves become overwhelming and interfere with academic performance, causing kids to "freeze" or blank out despite knowing the material. Dr. Tram Huynh provides parents with practical strategies to help their children manage test anxiety, including normalizing feelings, teaching calming techniques, and knowing when to seek professional help. She emphasizes that test anxiety is common and manageable with the right tools and parental guidance.

Dr. Hui S. Jiang explores how a focus on maximizing gifted children's potential can create harmful pressure and anxiety. When success becomes the measure of worth, children learn to equate their identity with achievement, leading to perfectionism and fear of failure. Dr. Jiang shares how parents can break this cycle by intentionally shifting focus away from outcomes, normalizing struggle, creating non-performance spaces, and verbally affirming unconditional love. This thoughtful examination reminds us that our children's worth isn't measured by accomplishments, and that genuine curiosity and joy in learning matter more than external validation.

AoPS Summer Camps transform students' educational experiences by creating an environment where intellectual challenges replace test-focused mentality. Unlike the regular school year, these camps allow students to explore engaging material with exemplary instructors and like-minded peers, tackling topics many won't encounter in standard classrooms. Whether through mathematics or language arts programs, these camp experiences often become pivotal moments in a student's development, sparking interests that evolve into passions and potentially future careers.

AoPS founder Richard Rusczyk has 3 top recommendations for preparing your advanced learner to return to school after the pandemic.