Chapter Fifteen

Individuals Who are Gifted and Talented

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoN2iBDKZxE

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD4azls3Jdc

Defining Giftedness and Talent

Children capable of high performance include those with demonstrated achievement and/or potential ability in any of the following areas: • general intellectual ability• specific academic aptitude• creative or productive thinking• leadership ability• visual and performing arts• psychomotor ability

Each state establishes its own definition of children who are gifted and talented; there is no federal definition.

4

5

Insert Figure 15.1 from page 540

Insert Table 15.1 from page 541

6

Assessing Giftedness and Talent

Multiple areas of assessment:• Formal assessment of intellectual and

academic ability‒ Off-level testing

• Tests of creative thinking and products• Assessment of leadership potential

7

Differences Among Children Who are Gifted and Talented

• Intellectual ability• Talent category• Learning opportunities

8

Brief History of the Field

• Brief History of the Field– First Half of the Twentieth-Century: Pioneering the field

• Development of intelligence tests (IQ or intelligence quotient)• Nature v. nurture theory of intellectual development

– The 1950s - 1970s: Establishing foundations• Nature of Human Intelligence (Guilford, 1967) describes 120

different kinds of intelligences• The National Association for Gifted Children began in 1954• American reaction to the Soviet launch of Sputnik leads to

mathematics and science education reforms• PL 94-142 does not include services for children who are gifted and

talented. Mandates for education services are the result of state legislation.

9

– The 1980s - 1990s: The field matures and provides focus for school reform• Gardner (1983) advances the theory of multiple intelligences

– Gardener’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences» Linguistic» Logical-mathematical» Spatial» Bodily-kinesthetic» Musical» Interpersonal» Intrapersonal» Naturalist» Existentialist

• The Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act (PL 100-297) was passed in 1988 and created the Office of Gifted and Talented Education to focus on research and education.

– The Twenty-First Century: Challenges and promise present• The No Child Left Behind Act (PL 107-110) mandates that students will reach

proficiency and these criteria may be limiting for students who are gifted or talented as they often exceed these standards and achieve at higher levels.

•

11

• Characteristics of Individuals Who are Gifted and Talented– Academic and Learning Characteristics

• Any of these characteristics may resemble all children but children who are gifted and talented will display a greater degree or intensity than their peers. Understanding of their unique strengths and needs is essential for a challenging academic curriculum.

– Social and emotional characteristics• Students who are gifted and talented often experience social and

emotional difficulties related to their talents, for example, a student who has excellent verbal skills may dominate classroom conversations.

• Children who are gifted and talented may not show advanced abilities in all areas or at all times and educational opportunities must be tailored to meet their unique needs

• Prevalence and Etiology of Giftedness and Talent– Prevalence of Giftedness and Talent

• Prevalence varies across states due to variations in state definitions• Approximately 3 to 5 percent of school-aged children; some professionals

believe that 10 to 15 percent is more accurate• 3 million American children are gifted and talented (National Association

for Gifted Children, 2013)– Etiology of Giftedness and Talent

• It is likely that the exact etiology of a child’s giftedness or talents abilities cannot be identified.

• Nature vs. nurture argument (environment vs. heredity)• Intelligence is no longer believed to be fixed at birth• Physical and chemical changes when the brain is stimulated or challenged

Etiology of Giftedness and Talent

• Nature vs. nurture argument ‒ (environment vs. heredity)

• Intelligence is no longer believed to be fixed at birth• Physical and chemical changes when the brain is

stimulated or challenged

14

15

16

• Educational Considerations– Suggestions for the Classroom• Differentiation: Providing multiple levels for academic

tasks that meet the needs of all learners. Tasks can be differentiated to include critical thinking, higher-order thinking skills, independent learning, and student choice in methods of demonstrating mastery of learning.

17

• Instructional strategies– Curriculum compacting: Reduced time spent on basic concepts

to allow for expanded learning– Higher-level thinking and problem solving: Provide

opportunities for students who are gifted and talented to develop their higher level thinking and problem solving skills.

– Flexible grouping: Grouping designed to match ability rather than age level.

– Cluster grouping: Grouping several students who are gifted and talented together for instructional purposes

– Tiered assignments: Lesson variations based on students’ ability levels

– Problem-based learning: Students are asked to solve real-world problems

– Accelerated pacing of instruction: Students who are gifted and talented may become bored or disruptive if they are not challenged in the classroom. Faster pacing allows them to move at a pace that fosters their learning and educational progress.

Service Delivery Options

• Gifted Resource Services• Acceleration• Independent study• Honors and advanced placement courses• Mentorships• Self-contained classes and special schools• Summer and Saturday programs• Competitions

19

20

21

22

Insert Figure 15.6 from page 570

Services for Young Children Who are Gifted and Talented

• Educational needs of young children with gifts and talents have often been overlooked due to the lack of federal legislation

• Early identification is crucial• Importance of early learning opportunities

23

Adolescents and Adults Who are Gifted and Talented

• Adolescent need to “fit in”• Personality attributes: desire to achieve, persistence,

curiosity and openness to new experiences• Educational opportunities• MENSA

24

Insert Table 15.7 from page 572

25

Issues of Diversity

• Twice exceptional learners• Girls who are gifted• Identifying and serving children from diverse

backgrounds• Cultural characteristics associated with giftedness

26

Students with Gifts and Talents and Disabilities

• Twice exceptional: a child who is identified as gifted and has an another disability

• Students with gifts and talents and disabilities may be overlooked due to cultural biases or stereotypes

• Giftedness may mask learning disabilities and the student will perform at average levels

• Giftedness may be misidentified as ADHD• Require special educational considerations

27

Insert Table 15.8 from page 575

28

Insert Table 15. 9 from page 576

29

Insert Table 15.10 from page 579

30

Technology and Individuals Who are Gifted and Talented

Access to the internet provides:• Knowledge• Resources• Access to mentors• Distance learning• Social interaction with other gifted individuals• Learning experiences

31

– Twice exceptional learners• Stereotypes often assume that people with disabilities cannot

also be gifted or talented. Many students who are gifted or talented may also have a disability. Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist, is a famous example. A combination of learning factors may make correct diagnosis difficult.– Twice exceptional: a child who is identified as gifted and has an

another disability– Students with gifts and talents and disabilities may be overlooked due

to cultural biases or stereotypes– Giftedness may mask learning disabilities and the student will perform

at average levels– Giftedness may be misidentified as ADHD– Require special educational considerations

– Girls who are gifted learners• It may seem odd to include girls in the section devoted to diversity but there is ample

evidence to suggest that girls are often underrepresented in programs for students who are gifted and talented. These statistics may be due to gender-role cultural stereotypes, unequal educational opportunities, and expectations of the school, family, and the girl.

– Identifying and serving children from diverse backgrounds• There are challenges involved in locating, identifying, and serving young children who

are gifted and talented and come from diverse backgrounds or low socioeconomic groups. The underrepresentation of these children in programs for the gifted and talented may be due to variable such as poverty, test bias, faulty identification policies, conflicting cultural values, teacher attitudes and expectations, and rigid definitions of giftedness.

– Cultural characteristics associated with giftedness• Ten attributes of giftedness were identified in African American, Native American,

and Hispanic children: communication skills, imagination/ creativity, humor, inquiry, insight, interests, memory, motivation, problem solving, reasoning.

Trends, Issues, and Controversies

• Striving for world-class standards• Equity and excellence• Full inclusion• Services focus on the gifted students instead of the

gifted program• Talent development

34

35

Insert Figure 15.7 from page 582

36