Gifted Students
They are NOT excited about school
MYTH: Gifted students are enthusiastic about school
Intellectual Ability-Challenge
Every student needs to feel appropriately challenged!
When students are not challenged they may experience boredom and disinterest in school. 'Gifted students may complete part of an assignment or project and then move onto a new project or stick to a subject long after others have moved on (Understanding giftedness).' Gifted students have an active mind that needs to stay engaged and interested in what they are learning. Teachers can find mentors and go on field trips as a few methods to keep students interested and appropriately challenged.
Gifted students will often 'refuse to drill on spelling, math facts, flash cards or handwriting(Understanding giftedness).' Teachers use differentiated strategies for instruction to increase the complexity of a task for students who don't feel appropriately challenged. An example of this might include asking the student to write a sentence for each spelling word, or a paragraph that includes all of the words, or a power point presentation for the class with the definitions of each word.
When students are not challenged they may experience boredom and disinterest in school. 'Gifted students may complete part of an assignment or project and then move onto a new project or stick to a subject long after others have moved on (Understanding giftedness).' Gifted students have an active mind that needs to stay engaged and interested in what they are learning. Teachers can find mentors and go on field trips as a few methods to keep students interested and appropriately challenged.
Gifted students will often 'refuse to drill on spelling, math facts, flash cards or handwriting(Understanding giftedness).' Teachers use differentiated strategies for instruction to increase the complexity of a task for students who don't feel appropriately challenged. An example of this might include asking the student to write a sentence for each spelling word, or a paragraph that includes all of the words, or a power point presentation for the class with the definitions of each word.
Six Ways to Meet Bright and Gifted Kids' Needs Without Much Extra Work
Organizational Skills
Not all gifted students are organized and neat!
Students with an advanced level of intellectual ability have strengths and needs in different areas just like everybody else. They are kids that need guidance and advice to become successful. Teachers can help students stay organized by daily routines that help students organize their desk, binders, and agenda. Graphic organizers, checklists and rubrics can be used to help students organize their work and expectations.
Students with an advanced level of intellectual ability have strengths and needs in different areas just like everybody else. They are kids that need guidance and advice to become successful. Teachers can help students stay organized by daily routines that help students organize their desk, binders, and agenda. Graphic organizers, checklists and rubrics can be used to help students organize their work and expectations.
Social Skills and Anxiety
Students who are gifted may have a 'heightened self awareness and feelings of being different (Understanding giftedness).' This may cause issues for students with bullying or peers stigmatizing them because they are different. A gifted student could also be the bully and criticize their peers for their pace or ability to understand a topic. Teachers can use a variety of grouping in the classroom. The various types of groupings include whole class group, small group same skill group, small group mixed skill group, Providing a time for students to work with peers that are achieving at a similar skill level can create scaffolding and creative conversations.
Time Management Skills
Students with advanced intellectual ability may 'daydream and seem restless and out of their seat often(Understanding giftedness).' Teachers can use many strategies to help students manage time like a timer, making agreements or learning contracts allows the teacher/student partnership in learning. Student completes a task the teacher wants completed then student is awarded time for independent study. Teachers can use curriculum compacting by pretesting or assessing students prior knowledge of an expectation to allow them to work at a level appropriate to their ability.
Kara Christie
Location: Toronto Ontario
Resources
Understanding Giftedness. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.abcontario.ca/resources-support/understanding-giftedness
Education for All-the report of the expert panel on literacy and numeracy for students with special education needs. (2015). Ontario.
Education for All-the report of the expert panel on literacy and numeracy for students with special education needs. (2015). Ontario.