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| Myths of Gifted Students: |
Truths about Gifted Students: |
- They will succeed no matter what.
- They like school and get good grades.
- They are good at everything.
- Teachers enjoy having them in class.
- Gifted students are easy to identify.
- Everything comes easy for the gifted student.
- Gifted students have trouble making friends.
- If they’re gifted, they don’t have disabilities.
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- Giftedness is something you are born with.
- Gifted students learn 4 – 8 times faster than the average student.
- They generally do not know how to study because they have never had to.
- They excel in critical thinking and problem solving.
- Gifted students can typically be as well adjusted as other peers.
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| ~ George Betts (1988) |
~ Barbara Clark (2002) |
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Gifted Students are not Better Than..........They are Better AT:
Gifted students learn differently than other students.
Gifted students learn faster than other students. (4 to 8 times faster)
Gifted students learn at a deeper cognitive level than other students.
~ Barbara Clark (2002) |
| The High-Achieving Child |
vs |
The Gifted Child |
Knows the answer
Is interested
Pays attention
Works hard
Answers questions
Enjoys same-age peers
Learns easily
Listens well
Readily takes in information
Seeks clear, fast solutions
Has a unique talent
Likes to finish a project
Is self-satisfied
Is insightful |
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Asks the questions
Is extremely curious
Gets involved physically & mentally
Plays around, still gets good grade/test scores
Questions the answers
Prefers adults or older children
Is bored – already knew the answers
Shows strong feelings and opinions
Processes information and applies it more broadly, with greater complexity, or in unique ways
Explores problems in depth
Has many talents
Enjoys the process more than the end product
Is highly critical of self (perfectionist)
Is extraordinarily intuitive |
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~ Janice Szabos (1989) |
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If appropriately encouraged and guided students will achieve self-fulfillment
and make a major contribution to society and the well-being of its people. |
| Recommendations to Maximize Gifted Potential: |
- The curriculum must be challenging, personally meaningful and rewarding to the students.
- The teacher must understand the fact that the students are intellectually gifted and what that means.
- The instruction must require minimal memorization and drill/practice activity and provide maximal opportunity for inquiry, scientific investigation, and creative production.
- The peer group must include other gifted students.
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| ~ UNDERSTANDING is the KEY to helping GIFTED students reach their POTENTIAL! ~ |
| Proactive Strategies: |
- Be knowledgeable about gifted students and all their issues
(academic, social, emotional, cognitive)
- Think/plan ahead – know your child’s (interests, needs, challenges, abilities) – then find an academic environment which provides options (true differentiation).
- Be involved as partners in your child’s learning.
- Be involved in your child’s activities outside of school.
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| Challenges for Gifted Students: |
Risk Factors of Gifted Adolescents: |
- Parental & societal pressures to achieve
- Increased (and perhaps unrealistic) expectations from parents and teachers that set them up to feel incompetent.
- Peer rejection ~ often due to intellectual differences.
- Excessive self-criticism
- Variable frustration & anger
- Social-emotional issues
-In our society it is not acceptable “to be smart” – especially in adolescence.
-Teenage years are the most difficult socially for gifted students and can have a great impact of self-esteem ~ positively or negatively.
-Gifted students are more sensitive ~ therefore they feel the emotional stress of adolescence with greater depth.
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- Underachievement
- Perfectionism
- Rejection from peers
- Nonconformity ~ sometimes in disturbing directions
- Depression, anxiety, isolation and low self-esteem
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~ Barbara Clark (2002) |
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Differentiation ~ What does it look like?
(Expect the curriculum to look like this to meet your child’s needs) |
| What it is |
What it is not |
- Meets the Gifted child’s intellectual & affective needs
- Challenging
- “Beyond” the tradition
- Expansive
- Accelerated
- Creative
- Integrative
- Engaging
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- Not more of the same
- Busy work
- Review, repetition
- Limiting
- Fragmented
- Mundane
- Dull
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| Basic Curriculum |
Differentiated Curriculum |
| Content |
Content |
- Facts
- Concepts
- Principals
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- Broad Issues
- Subject Integration
- Generalization
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| Process |
Process |
- Comprehension
- Computation
- Expression
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- Problem Solving
- Creative Thinking
- Logical Thinking
- Critical Thinking
- Researching
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| Product |
Product |
- Term Paper
- Map
- Written Report
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- Use of New Material
- Creative Production
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| ©Patty Carney-Bradley, 2007 |
