The Gifted ChildMrs. Dody Martin, Talent Development Catalyst Facilitator

Defining GiftednessThe definition of a “gifted” child has not yet been universally agreed upon. To date, there is no single agreed- upon definition. Gifted children are defined differently in all cultures and countries. Even within school districts you will find a wide range of guidelines for identifying gifted students. These are a few definitions of giftedness :The Jarvis Act defines gifted as: The term gifted and talented student means children and youths who give evidence of higher performance capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools in order to develop such capabilities fully.“U.S. Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) defines gifted as: Outstanding talents are present in children and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor."Renzulli defines gifted as: “Gifted behavior occurs when there is an interaction among three basic clusters of human traits: above-average general and/or specific abilities, high levels of task commitment (motivation), and high levels of creativity. Gifted and talented children are those who possess or are capable of developing this composite of traits and applying them to any potentially valuable area of human performance. As noted in the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, gifted behaviors can be found "in certain people (not all people), at certain times (not all the time), and under certain circumstances (not all circumstances)."

Bright Learners Vs. Gifted LearnersThe following chart is helpful when explaining the

difference between a bright student and a truly gifted student:

Bright Learners Gifted LearnersKnows the answers

Is interested Is attentive

Has good ideas Works hard

Answers the questions Top group

Listens with interest Learns with ease

6-8 repetitions Understands ideas

Enjoys peers Grasps the meaning

Completes assignments Is receptive

Copies accurately Enjoys school

Absorbs information Technician

Good memorizer Enjoys straightforward, sequential presentation

Is alert Is pleased with own learning

http://www.bownet.org/BESGifted/brightvs.htm

Asks the questions Is highly curious

Is mentally and physically involved Has wild, silly ideas

Plays around, yet tests well Discusses in detail, elaborates

Beyond the group Shows strong feelings and opinions

Already knows 1-2 repetitions for mastery

Constructs abstractions Prefers adults

Draws inferences Initiates projects

Is intense Creates a new design

Enjoys learning Manipulates information

Inventor Good guesser

Thrives on complexity Is keenly observant Is highly self-critical

by Janice Szabos

Characteristics of a Gifted LearnerA gifted child may show many, but not all of

these characteristics listed. Also some characteristics may be developed over time.

Reads with comprehension at an early age Learns rapidly and easily; may resist doing routine

work or works in careless manner Transfers learning to new situations Recognizes relationships Skilled in problem solving Prefers complex and challenging tasks rather than

basic work; may resist challenging work for fear his/her struggle will be seen by others

Knows about many things of which other children are unaware, retains knowledge

Verbally proficient, exhibits advanced vocabulary for age or grade level

Questions critically Displays curiosity about many topics, keenly

observant

Social and Emotional Characteristics

Bases friendships on similarity of interest rather than age

Adjusts easily to new situations Is conscientious and truthful Friendly, helpful Has strong sense of justice; may assertively

oppose injustices Self-confident; may believe he/she is valued for

what he/she can do rather than who he/she is; may fear loss of regard from others if exceptional ability is lost

Prefers older companions Tend to be perfectionists; may be self-critical

and critical of others, may work slowly, procrastinate

Motivational and Creative Characteristics

Motivational Prefers to work independently, requires little direction; may

dislike cooperative learning Assumes and discharges responsibility; may dominate

others Strong beliefs, opinionated Has passionate interests, easily absorbed in activities and

thoughts; may be unwilling to do other activities Persistent in seeking task completion

Creativity Displays a keen sense of humor or sees humor in subtle

situations; may be the class clown, make jokes or comments at inappropriate times

Sensitive to the aesthetic characteristics and value of things Displays intellectual playfulness; asks many "what if"

questions; may be a nonconformist Challenged by new ideas Enjoys experimentation; invents new methods or solutions

to tasks; may daydream, be absentminded, loose work

How To Teach Gifted LearnersThe National Association for Gifted Children provide these guidelines in teaching gifted students:Good Instruction for Gifted Learners:1) Good curriculum and instruction for gifted learners begins with good curriculum and instruction. It's difficult, if not impossible, to develop the talent of a highly able student with insipid curriculum and instruction. Like all students, gifted learners need learning experiences that are rich. That is, they need learning experiences that are organized by key concepts and principles of a discipline rather than by facts. They need content that is relevant to their lives, activities that cause them to process important ideas at a high level, and products that cause them to grapple with meaningful problems and pose defensible solutions. They need classrooms that are respectful to them, provide both structure and choice, and help them achieve more than they thought they could. These are needs shared by all learners, not just those who are gifted. But good instruction for gifted learners must begin there.

2) Good teaching for gifted learners is paced in response to the student's individual needs. Often, highly able students learn more quickly than others their age. As a result, they typically need a more rapid instructional pace than do many of their peers. Educators sometimes call that "acceleration," which makes the pace sound risky. For many gifted learners, however, it's the comfortable pace-like walking "quickly" suits someone with very long legs. It's only "fast" for someone with shorter legs. On the other hand, it's often the case that advanced learners need a slower pace of instruction than many other students their age, so they can achieve a depth or breadth of understanding needed to satisfy a big appetite for knowing.

3) Good teaching for gifted learners happens at a higher "degree of difficulty" than for many students their age. In the Olympics, the most accomplished divers perform dives that have a higher "degree of difficulty" than those performed by divers whose talents are not as advanced. A greater degree of difficulty calls on more skills-more refined skills-applied at a higher plane of sophistication. A high "degree of difficulty" for gifted learners in their talent areas implies that their content, processes and products should be more complex, more abstract, more open-ended, more multifaceted than would be appropriate for many peers. They should work with fuzzier problems, will often need less teacher-imposed structure, and (in comparison to the norm) should have to make greater leaps of insight and transfer than would be appropriate for many their age. Gifted learners may also (but not always) be able to function with a greater degree of independence than their peers.

4) Good teaching for gifted learners requires an understanding of "supported risk." Highly able learners often make very good grades with relative ease for along time in school. They see themselves (and often rightly so) as expected to make "As," get right answers, and lead the way. In other words, they succeed without "normal" encounters with failure. Then, when a teacher presents a high-challenge task, the student feels threatened. Not only has he or she likely not learned to study hard, take risks and strive, but the student's image is threatened as well. A good teacher of gifted students understands that dynamic, and thus invites and insists on risk-but in a way that supports success. When a good gymnastics coach asks a talented young gymnast to learn a risky new move, the coach ensures that the young person has the requisite skills, then practices the move in harness for a time. Then the coach "spots" for the young athlete. Effective teachers of gifted learners do likewise.

Reference for Guidelines: http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=659

Professional Development for Teachers of Gifted Students

It is very important that teachers are properly trained to teach gifted students. School districts need to provide professional training to all teachers who will directly impact the learning of gifted students especially those gifted students who will remain in a regular classroom setting. These teachers need to be trained in the ability to select instructional materials that facilitate optimal challenge. They need to have the ability to handle small and large group instruction and individual learning styles. They need to have the ability to use problem-centered approaches and open- ended learning. These teachers need to be trained in these instructional strategies: pacing, questioning asking, use of open-ended questions, use of inquiry-based models, and access to advanced resources including materials, places, and technology.

ResourcesTextbook Sources:VanTassel-Baska, Joyce (2003). Curriculum Planning and

Instructional Design For Gifted Learners. Denver, Colorado: Love Publishing Company.

Internet Sources:Defining Giftedness: www.misd.net/giftedchildren.htm#DefiningGiftednessThe National Association of Gifted Education: www.nagc.org and www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=659What is a Gifted Child by: Carol Bainbridgehttp://giftedkids.about.com/od/gifted101/p/gifteddef.htm

To allow the Classroom Teacher and the Talent Development (TD) Catalyst Teacher to share responsibility for the education of the gifted learner

To provide appropriate learning activities for gifted learners in heterogeneous classrooms

The Catalyst Model at HES

CollaboratorsClassroom TeacherTD Catalyst TeacherAdministratorsOther members of the school’s teaching

staff who contribute to the academic progress of gifted learners

Indirect ServicesLessons and activities are prepared in collaboration with the

classroom teacher. The lessons and activities are used by the classroom teacher in the regular classroom.

Team TeachingProjectsContractsAlternative homeworkAlternative assignmentsCurriculum compacting contractsCentersProfessional Development for teachersGifted identification is also part of Indirect Services provided by

the TD Catalyst Teacher.

Direct ServicesLessons for gifted learners that arethe sole responsibility of the TD CatalystTeacher. They are developed and taughtto gifted learners by the TD CatalystTeacher.Demonstration LessonsSmall group instructionPull out for a set period of timeActivities related to classroom instruction

What is the TD Curriculum?The North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSOS) and

more…LITERACY:William & Mary Literature UnitsNavigator Novel Studies-contains some controversial topics to open

discussion; examine historical perspectives and perceptions.Jacob’s Ladder Vocabulary: Powerful Vocabulary (3-5)

Prefixes and Suffixes (3rd Grade)Greek and Latin Roots (4th & 5th Grade)

Personal Inquiry projectsThinker’s Keys(K-3)Literacy Student Choice MenusInvestigations & Navigator UnitsProblem Solvers (1-5)Math SuperstarsMentoring Mathematical Minds=M3

Differentiated Education Plan (DEP)Students’

needs determine differentiation of environment, content, process, and product.

End of Year Performance ReviewThe TD team will evaluate each TD student’s overall yearly performance and End-of-Grade assessments to make recommendations for continuing services using the Performance Review form.

Parents of gifted students will receive a pink copy of this review with the final report card.

Performance Review

What is the TD Budget?Currently, the TD department purchases

the same resources so there is equity in all CMS schools.

I have a very limited spending budget. Thank you to our PTA for making TD a priority.

Everyone works collaboratively to meet the needs of the gifted learners.

How Can Parents Can Help?Online learning at home:Studyisland.com (EOG prep)Discovery Education

Study Habits and Organization: Free Parent University classes offer ideas

Read with and to your child. Modeling fluency is still important. Discuss what is read. Make generalizations. Discuss different perspectives/opinions.

Index CardsIf you have a specific question or concern, please write

your question on the index card along with :• Your Child’s Name• Grade• Homeroom Teacher• Parent’s Name• Contact Information (phone, email)

• Please give the card to Mrs. Martin or put it on the table. I’ll try to be prompt in responding.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY!