Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
Understanding Gifted and Talented
Development of the Field of Giftedness
Lewis Terman and his colleagues (Jolly, 2008; Terman & Oden, 1959) that laid the groundwork for efforts in U.S. schools to identify and nurture students who are gifted.
Definition of Giftedness
Emergence of a Profession
Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act
Recent Changes in the Field
Current trends in education have raised issues for gifted education similar to those raised for special education, such as the possible negative impact of high-stakes testing on students who are gifted and talented
The term “gifted and talented children” means children and, whenever applicable, youth, who are identified at the preschool, elementary, or secondary level as possessing demonstrated or potential abilities that give evidence of high performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, specific academic or leadership ability or in the performing and visual arts and who by reason thereof require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school.
Children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. These children and youth exhibit high performance capability in intellectual, creative, and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity, or excel in specific academic fields. They require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools. Outstanding talents are present in children and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.
Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports).
Alternative Conceptualizations of Giftedness
(a) above-average ability; (b) task commitment or motivation; and (c) creativity, or the capacity for innovation, originality, expressiveness, and imagination and the ability to manipulate ideas in fluent, flexible, elaborate, and original ways
Prevalence
White, male
Oldest child
6-10%
Characteristics of Individuals Who Are Gifted and Talented
Cognitive Characteristics
Ability to Manipulate Abstract Symbol Systems
Power of Concentration
Unusually Well Developed Memory
Early Language Interest and Development
Curiosity
Preference for Independent Work
Multiple Interests
Ability to Generate Original Ideas
Academic Characteristics
Social and Emotional Characteristics
Sense of Justice
Altruism and Idealism
Sense of Humor
Emotional Intensity
Perfectionism
High Level of Energy
Strong Attachments and Commitments
Aesthetic Sensitivity
a keen perception of the characteristics and complexity of the arts and the interrelationships of the arts with other domains.
Identifying Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
Considerations for Identifying Giftedness
Underlying Principles of Effective Assessment
Two-Stage Assessment Process
Measures to Match Programs
Other Considerations
checklists that are domain specific, describing abilities or interests in a particular area, such as mathematics or music, can help professionals pinpoint student strengths.
Equity
Authentic Assessment
Dynamic Assessment
ongoing identification of student learning needs and ability, is one approach used to assess cognitive abilities that often are not apparent when most forms of standardized tests are used.
Spatial Ability
capability to mentally visualize and manipulate objects.
Eligibility
Response to Intervention and Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
How Learners Who Are Gifted and Talented Receive Their Education
Early Childhood Education
The Debate on Early Intervention
Elementary and Secondary Education
Grouping
a characteristic of any program in which school personnel use test scores or school performance to assign (for all or part of the school day) same-grade students to groups or classes with markedly different levels of academic preparation.
Full-Time and Part-Time Separate Classes
Special Schools
Homeschooling
Inclusive Practices
Transition and Adulthood
Ownership of their abilities. These students know they have special abilities, yet they may also express disbelief about them. They may feel like impostors, waiting for someone to tell them that they are not that special after all.
Dissonance. These students often have set very high standards for themselves. When they do not always achieve those standards, they may be dissatisfied with the gap between what they expected of themselves and what they have accomplished, even if others do not ever think a gap existed.
Competing expectations. Adolescents who are gifted and talented often receive advice from parents, teachers, friends, grandparents, counselors, university representatives, and others. They may feel pulled in many directions, wanting to please everyone but also themselves.
Premature identity. Because of all the pressures they may experience, some adolescents take on an adult identity too soon. They may make career choices prematurely, decide on educational options before they should, and then experience frustration with their choices.
Recommended Educational Practices for Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
(C)ontinual formative assessment in order to ensure that students are grasping essential concepts but are not dwelling on material already mastered
Clear (L)earning goals that give a focus to the instructional program
Data-driven learning (E)xperiences employing evidence-based practices and adjusting instruction based on student needs
(A)uthentic products, that is, student projects and assignments with specific purposes rather than those that are contrived
A (R)ich curriculum that incorporates a wide range of materials and experiences.
Curriculum Compacting
the goals of an instructional unit are identified, student mastery of all or part of the goals is documented, and alternative instruction is provided as appropriate
Acceleration
advancing learners through levels of curriculum and programs according to individual achievement and performance, assumes that different students of the same age are at different levels of learning within and across learning areas
curriculum flexibility, makes learning options responsive to learner needs and contextual demands by offering content-based acceleration practices at all levels of schooling and in all subject areas.
High School Variations on Acceleration
Enrichment
the extension of regular curriculum with different examples and associations that build complex ideas
Differentiation
refers to an instructional approach that assumes that students need many different avenues to reach their learning potential
Problem-Based Learning
Interventions for Diverse Populations
Provide separate instructional opportunities for students with the same developmental profiles. Students from diverse groups need to have opportunities to interact with students who are similar to themselves (Kaplan, 2011). Students should be grouped by critical variables—for example, by gender or social background.
Use technology to aid in transmission of learning. Applications of technology have evolved rapidly and hold great promise for students with disabilities and those from nondominant groups.
Provide small-group and individual counseling, mentorships, and internships, all of which make possible individual attention to affective as well as cognitive issues of development.
Focus on the arts as a therapeutic intervention as well as a creative and expressive outlet. Whether it be in art, music, drama, or dance and whether targeted students have high academic ability or a particular talent, the arts provide an outlet that fosters creativity and encourages higher-level functioning.
Use materials rich in ideas and imagination coupled with an emphasis on higher-level skills. Both self-concept and motivation are jeopardized when students overuse basic materials, as sometimes happens for English language learners. Challenging content with attention to ideas and creative opportunities is essential to avoid boredom and withdrawal.
Perspectives of Parents and Families of Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
Parent Strategies for Encouraging Their Children
Reading to the child at all ages
Providing educational puzzles and games
Holding dinner table discussions on issues of the day
Having the child interact with adult friends, who may serve as role models or mentors
Providing trips to the local library for books and research
Traveling to interesting places and even having the child plan the trip
Viewing films and special television programs together and discussing them
Encouraging the child to be creative and expressive in the arts areas in which she shows a sustained interest
Trends and Issues Affecting Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
Alternative Program Models
Talent Development
Students Who Are Twice Exceptional
Effective Differentiation
Technology-Based Options
Opportunities External to Schools