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