Standard 3: Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction   -- Synopsis

The LEA employs challenging, rigorous, and relevant curriculum and instruction K-12 to accommodate a range of academic, intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted learners.

At Bradley Creek, the curriculum may be extended, enriched, and/or accelerated to meet the needs of children performing significantly above grade level. Classroom teachers work closely with the Gifted Education Specialist to ensure that content, process, and learning environment are effectively modified and appropriately challenging. In order to best meet each student’s individual needs, service delivery is multi-faceted and flexible. Please see service delivery options below for a few of the many possibilities.

• team teaching

• cluster grouping

• subject grouping

• resource units

• resource class

• cross-grade grouping

• anchor activities

• curriculum compacting

• learning centers

• tiered assignments

• learning contracts

• computer-based instruction

• independent study

• small group electives

The AIG program at Bradley Creek Elementary follows the Elementary School AIG Service Framework for New Hanover County Schools.

• K-3 Nurturing Program: Lessons involving creativity, logic, problem-solving, deductive thinking, evaluative thinking, spatial reasoning, and more are taught. These lessons help students relate their grade-level curriculum to higher-level thought processes.

• Kindergarten: Units expose and challenge students in the areas of Creativity, Logic, and Problem Solving. We begin evaluative thinking at this level.

• First Grade: Lessons center around Thinking Skills and the Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) program, including deductive, logical, evaluative, spatial, and convergent thinking. Units are designed to challenge all learning levels and help make stronger connections to grade-level skills and thought processes. Evaluative thinking continues at this level.

• Second Grade: Units are designed to combine the concepts from Kindergarten and First Grade Nurturing Lessons as students merge thinking skills, use logical reasoning while working to reason at a higher level, and consider mathematical concepts through visual/spatial manipulation at a higher level. Evaluative thinking is a large focus of this grade level's nurturing program.

• Think Lab: The Think Lab is a special place where students practice their thinking skills in a nontraditional way.