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Choice
Feeling as if there is no choice is a sure fire way to make anyone unhappy.Choice in school for the gifted can range from the very broad (choosing the school itself) to the narrow (giving choices in assignments, tools, or resources).
While choice alone is not sufficient for altering curriculum for gifted kids, it’s a great place to start!
Can the student choose what kind of book to read? What presentation tool to use? What math class they are in? Give the greatest amount of choice possible, and be prepared to explain where it is not. See if you can find some room at the intersection of Impossible and Possible.
Be ready to give a deeper explanation than you may expect, as gifted kids often have strong reasoning ability combined with a lack of respect for positional authority, and they are ready to challenge the reasons.
Rather than be defensive when the child pushes back, use it as an opportunity to be honestly reflective about why the choice isn’t possible. Be open to other possibilities if a choice really isn’t available.
While choice alone is not sufficient for altering curriculum for gifted kids, it’s a great place to start!
Can the student choose what kind of book to read? What presentation tool to use? What math class they are in? Give the greatest amount of choice possible, and be prepared to explain where it is not. See if you can find some room at the intersection of Impossible and Possible.
Be ready to give a deeper explanation than you may expect, as gifted kids often have strong reasoning ability combined with a lack of respect for positional authority, and they are ready to challenge the reasons.
Rather than be defensive when the child pushes back, use it as an opportunity to be honestly reflective about why the choice isn’t possible. Be open to other possibilities if a choice really isn’t available.
Ideas when you here, "I've already read this book!"
Allow students to take the final assessment as a pre-assessment. If they get an 85% or higher, allow them to demonstrate their learning with a different book or activity. (If the pre-assessment scores show the student needs help in a specific area/topic, they probably don’t need a whole unit to learn it, so allow them the opportunity to demonstrate they understand with a different product.)
Or… use the same book, but consider having the student dig deeper by asking them to create questions/activities using Depth and Complexity Icons, Bloom’s Taxonomy, or the Depth of Knowledge Framework.
Or… consider allowing students to choose activities from a choice board
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