Nothing sparks discussion at a PTA meeting like gifted classes. Who got in? Who didn’t? A mom shares her experience learning why her smart and lively little girl did not get in and the difference between a smart child and a gifted one. Readers also share their views on public school gifted programs, prompted by a recent Sunday AJC package of stories on the criteria for admission and criticisms of the process. And in a guest column, the head of an early childhood network stresses the importance of reading to children and fostering early literacy.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez