Gifted Education

Gifted and talented students are those who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities.

There are multiple types of intelligence, and some students will excel related to one or more forms of intelligence and not others. These intelligences include:

• Linguistic—rapidly master language and demonstrate the ability to use language effectively; enjoy reading, playing word games, and writing.

• Musical—demonstrate an unusually well-developed sense of sound and rhythm; have a high level of musical ability.

• Logical-Mathematical—able to use numbers, solve problems, think conceptually, and deal with abstractions. This category includes mathematicians and physicists.

• Visual-Spatial—able to think in terms of physical space, see things from different perspectives, and develop mental images. This category includes painters and architects.

• Bodily-Kinesthetic—demonstrate control, poise, and extraordinary ability related to movement and use of their bodies. This category includes surgeons, dancers, and athletes.

• Personal—may demonstrate interpersonal ability, exhibiting skill in understanding and interacting effe

Is Your Child/Student gifted?

Here are some common characteristics of students who are gifted and talented:

• Learns material and completes activities quickly

• Has strong verbal skills

• Is curious about different topics

• Asks difficult questions

• Experiments with different ways of solving problems and completing tasks

• Attends to a motivating topic for long periods

• Is preoccupied at times

• Dislikes drill and practice

• Is independent and works autonomously

• Takes risks

• Is nonconforming

• Is idealistic and has a sense of social justice

• Has a well-developed sense of humor

• Is sensitive

• Finds failure stressful

• Has deep and intense feelings and reactions

Accommodations For Gifted Students

• Recognize the need for effective collaboration with teachers, administrators, related services personnel, and parents to address the needs of the student.

• Engage in well-planned co-teaching that supports all students

• Differentiate instruction based on student needs.

• Use cooperative learning to support student learning and social development.

• Enhance higher-order thinking by developing lessons that require problem centered learning.