No Gifted Child Left Behind!
The Other Side of 'Response to Intervention'
The Neglected Needs of our Gifted and Talented
“IN 1971, researchers at Johns Hopkins University embarked on an effort to identify brilliant 12-year-olds and track their education and careers through the rest of their lives. The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, which now includes 5,000 people, would eventually become the world’s longest-running longitudinal survey of what happens to intellectually talented children (in math and other areas) as they grow up.
Today, many are CEOs, professors at top research universities, transplant surgeons, and successful novelists. That outcome sounds like exactly what you’d imagine should happen: Top young people grow into high-achieving adults. However, previous research into gifted children has shown that many, or even most of them, aren’t so lucky: They aren’t identified early, and they don’t necessarily get special attention from their schools. Even among Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth participants, the Vanderbilt researchers have previously found that those who weren’t challenged in school were less likely to live up to the potential indicated by their test scores. Other research has shown that under-stimulated gifted students quickly become bored and frustrated—especially if they come from low-income families that are not equipped to provide them with enrichment outside of school.
But it’s hard to separate the findings of this study from what we know about gifted kids in general. The genuine concern is, we know we’re not identifying all of this population. We’re not getting nearly enough, and we’re losing them.
To people more worried about kids who are falling through the cracks altogether, doing slightly less than we could for the most gifted might not seem like a pressing problem. But if the study is right that exceptional youthful ability really does correlate directly with exceptional adult achievement, then these talented young kids aren’t just a challenge for schools and parents: they’re also demonstrably important to America’s future. And it means that if, in education, we focus on steering all extra money and attention toward kids who are struggling academically, or even just to the average student, we risk shortchanging the country in a different way.”
The poor neglected gifted child - Precocious kids do seem to become high-achieving adults. Why that makes some educators worried about America’s future
Retrieved from the Boston Globe https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/03/15/the-poor-neglected-gifted-child/rJpv8G4oeawWBBvXVtZyFM/story.html
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Educators
- Recognize that every student is unique. Look for and nurture the gifts and talents of every child.
- Seek to provide a stimulating learning environment that addresses the learning needs of each child.
- Become an expert in differentiating curriculum. Learn about different curriculum models.
- Read the latest research on best practices for gifted students.
- Collaborate with colleagues when planning curriculum.
- Look for and attend professional development opportunities that address the needs of the gifted.
- Create a student centered classroom. Give students choice in their learning.
- Learn how to compact curriculum and provide extension activities that have students think and problem solve on a deeper level.
- Design activities that encourage students to think like a disciplinarian or expert in the unit of study.
- Encourage curiosity. Ask open ended questions that require students to take on different perspectives.
Parents/Guardians
- Learn about your child’s learning preferences and interests.
- Gather information about how to volunteer at your child’s school.
- Learn as much as you can about your child’s talent area. For example, if your child is especially talented in language arts, you’ll need to learn about options for students with those strengths.
- Research outside-of-school opportunities (http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/summer.htm); don’t depend on your child’s school to fulfill all of your child’s needs.
- Be reasonable with your requests for accommodations: differentiation in the regular classroom, grouping with other talented students within the regular classroom, placing them in a separate class for high-ability students, participating in pullout programs, independent study, and moving up a grade for one or more subjects.
- Be a positive advocate for your child. Set the stage for positive interactions with school personnel by volunteering for lunch or recess duty, offering to help with tasks like making bulletin boards, chaperoning field trips, etc.
- Join a parent group, or start one. The National Association for Gifted Children (www.nagc.org) is a national organization for parents and teachers of gifted students. Another group to consider is SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted - http://sengifted.org/).
- Help your child find like ability peers to interact with on an intellectual level.
- Don’t over schedule your child. They may be capable but that doesn’t mean they don’t get overwhelmed.
- Remember to provide them with down time and fun activities. They won’t be children forever!
For further ideas on how to be an advocate for your child please visit one or both of the following sites:
NAGC - http://www.nagc.org/get-involved/advocate-high-ability-learners/advocate-your-child
Davidson Institute for Talent Development - http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10558.aspx
Community Members
- Become a mentor.
- Learn about what is offered in the way of gifted. programming services. Ask how you can help.
- Volunteer at a local school.
- Provide job shadowing experiences.
- Learn about gifted education by visiting websites such as the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC https://www.nagc.org/).
- Organize a Family/Community Partnership with the school district.
- Support local after school and summer extension programs.
- Offer scholarships for disadvantaged gifted students.
- Attend school events such as a robotics competition, orchestra performance, play, science fieldtrip, etc.
- Offer to be a guest speaker on Career Day.
- Donate materials, time, facilities for school projects, professional development, etc.
- Make financial contributions that support local programs.
In Closing
Academically advanced learners have unique and challenging needs. We cannot assume because they are getting good grades in school that their needs are being met. Likewise, students who are not being challenged may become bored and refuse to do work they already know how to do, thus appearing as lower achieving. Recognize that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and/or who have language barriers are often under-identified. They don't always come to school prepared with the same advantages of other students. Remember, Every Student Deserves to Learn Something New in School EVERY SINGLE DAY. The burden of insuring this falls on the parents. Gifted students are at risk and can get disillusioned and not achieve at the levels they are capable of. They have tremendous potential, but that potential can be lost and they can fail to realize the promise their gifts suggest if we do not address their need for challenge.
http://www.giftedstudy.org/resources/pdf/article_gessner_educational_register.pdf
Maria Griggs
HCL TOSA
Bellingham Public Schools
Bellingham, WA