Programming Information for Parents 

Question: 

My child qualifies for Gifted and Talented (GT) services. What does this look like?


Answer: 


The GT Teacher will work closely with your child’s classroom teacher by helping to provide an array of learning opportunities. Your child will work with the GT teacher twice a week for pull-out services for either reading, math, or both but will also be given opportunities to work on GT assignments every day in the regular classroom. GT activities are not considered “extra” work, but different work. There will be a plan in place for your child to make sure they are given an adequate amount of time to complete these assignments throughout the school day. 


Question: 


How are assignments differentiated for GT students?


Answer:


In this program your child will be completing a variety of performance-based tasks. These activities allow students to demonstrate their learning in a real-world setting through:


GT assignments will respond to your child’s curiosity, urgency for meaning, advanced vocabulary, interest in complexity, fast comprehension, and/or vast memory.



Below are additional strategies that may be used with your child to maximize learning experiences:

Independent Study

Self-directed learning strategy where the teacher acts as a guide or facilitator, and the student plays a more active role in designing and managing their own learning.

Ability Grouping

Enabling students with advanced and/or performance to be grouped together to receive appropriately challenging content instruction. 

Enrichment

Activities that add or go beyond the existing curriculum. Activities may occur in the classroom or in a separate setting. 

Subject Acceleration

Provides the student with advanced content, skills, and understanding before the typical age or grade level. Students may remain with peers of same age and grade or may participate with a higher grade level class for particular content area instruction. 

Cluster Grouping

A full-time grouping assignment for highly gifted students in the regular classroom. Typically, four to eight gifted students with similar needs and abilities are “clustered” in the same classroom, which allows the classroom to more efficiently differentiate assignments for a group of advanced learners. 


In short, gifted children need choice-individualized and self-regulating experiences that are appropriate to their self-motivated independence. This includes higher-order thinking activities that give their abstract minds a workout. 

Oftentimes, they need advanced levels of subject matter and short instructions with quick paces through difficult material because they learn in fewer repetitions.