Gifted Students
Gifted Students
By: Amanda Perkins
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"Gifted students need opportunities to analyze, evaluate, create, and reflect."(Ullman, 2022).
Learning Targets:
Individuals will be able to identify at least three characteristics of gifted students .
Individuals will be able to explain the importance of using multiple measures for identifying gifted students.
Individuals will be able to give at least two strategies for differentiating instruction to meet the unique needs of gifted learners.
Characteristics of Gifted Students:
There are many characteristics of a gifted learner, rapid learning, high level of curiosity, advanced vocabulary, intense focus, creative thinking, and exceptional memory. These students want to be perfect, and along with the above named characteristics, may also suffer from anxiety. Their anxiety could be related to their need to be perfect. When in class it is important if you suspect a student may be gifted to get the right people involved, to get testing and observations going. It is not as simple as just referring the student to the gifted teacher, there has to be documentation, multiple tests and observations to make sure the child is in fact gifted (Fordham, 2023).
There are many strategies to differentiate instruction for gifted learners.
The first thing you need to do is make sure you have a good classroom community. Your students need to feel safe and trust you. While there are many ways to differentiate, two ways are creating tiered assignments and compacting the curriculum. Tiered assignments allow students to accomplish the same assignments but at a higher difficulty. An example of this would be creating your lesson plan for the middle tiered students and then adding an additional step or challenge for the gifted students. Instead of giving one way to apply a certain skill they could apply it two ways. Some teachers like to plan the lesson for their gifted students and then differentiating for the rest of the class while providing for those who may have a harder time with the assignment. This way is very time consuming and works best when working with your other colleagues. When compacting curriculum, you want to toss out the part students already know, in a math class for example, if you give start by giving your gifted student(s) five essential problems and if they master them you can move on to an extension activity. (Ullman, 2022)
The importance of using multiple measures for identifying gifted students
The importance of using multiple measures for identifying gifted students is vital because "no two gifted students are alike." so the data collected must be objective and subjective (NAGC). One test should not determine if a student is gifted. Some students are gifted in art or math but English is not their strong suite. Every student is different and that is fine, but because of this, many examples of their work throughout all subjects need to be taken into consideration. Some examples of how gifted students are identified are, standardized cognitive ability tests, IQ tests, creative thinking assessments, performance based tasks, observations by teachers and student portfolios.
made in Canva by A. Perkins
What do you know??
What is one common example of how gifted students are identified?
a) By measuring their height and weight.
b) Through standardized cognitive ability tests.
c) By assessing their ability to run long distances.
d) By evaluating their handwriting neatness.
Which of the following is a key strategy for differentiating instruction for gifted learners, as described in the provided text?
a) Eliminating all assignments to allow for independent study.
b) Creating tiered assignments that offer varying levels of challenge.
c) Focusing solely on standardized testing to measure progress.
d) Maintaining a rigid, uniform curriculum for all students.
answers 1) b, 2) c
What did you learn? *Click the arrow to see the answer
You as the teacher are planning a new unit and want to effectively differentiate instruction for a diverse group of learners. which of the following approaches would BEST address the needs of gifted students while maintaining a positive classroom community?
a) Providing all students with the same assignment and offering extra credit for those who complete it quickly.
b) Designing tiered assignments by creating a base lesson for the middle-level students and adding complexity for gifted students.
c) Compacting the curriculum by pre-testing all students and then having gifted students assist struggling learners with the standard curriculum.
d) Planning the lesson solely for gifted students and then simplifying it for the rest of the class, regardless of time constraints.
answer: b
What did you learn?*Click the arrow to see the answer
Why is the use of multiple measures crucial for identifying gifted students?
a) To ensure all students are assessed using standardized cognitive ability tests.
b) To accommodate students who excel in all academic subjects equally.
c) To recognize the diverse ways in which giftedness manifests and to gather both objective and subjective data.
d) To simplify the identification process by relying primarily on IQ test scores.
answer: c
(Licausi, 2015)
Portfolios include cover letters, table of contents, entries of core and optional work, dates, drafts, and reflections.
made in Canva
Conclusion and Reflection:
Gifted students have exceptional talents and need the support and to be challenged to succeed (Fordham, 2023). It can be difficult to get them to not feel left out when the others around them are not identified as gifted. Knowing how to handle these students and their academic needs is very important.
In my classroom I will nurture each of my students learning abilities. The gifted students (or any students) at the Elementary level need to have a love of learning. Gifted students need to be provided with challenging and engaging opportunities, and work on developing their critical thinking, problem solving and creative skills. As a teacher, you can go to National Association of Gifted Children https://nagc.org/ and they have a ton of resources. They even have events you can attend to better educate yourself for your gifted students. Gifted students usually get pulled by a gifted teacher, but on the days when they do not you as their classroom teacher can provide them with support and resources.
Example of CogAT Testing:
Verbal Classification: The Verbal Classification section evaluates verbal reasoning abilities. In this section, test-takers receive a list of words. Consequently, they must identify the word that does not belong with the others, relying on a common characteristic or relationship. To excel in this section, students need a solid vocabulary. Additionally, they must possess the ability to analyze word relationships. Lastly, strong critical thinking skills are essential to determine the odd word out.
Look at the words on top. They are alike in some way and go together. Now look at the words on the bottom. Choose one word from the answer choices that goes with the words on top in the same way.
Guitar Banjo Harp
A. Trombone B. Trumpet C. Flute D. Violin E. Instrument
Number Series: The Number Series section measures numerical reasoning and pattern recognition skills. In this section, test-takers receive a series of numbers that adhere to a specific pattern. They must then identify the next number in the sequence. This section requires a strong understanding of mathematical relationships, the ability to recognize patterns, and the application of logical thinking to determine the correct number in the series.
Look at the numbers in the top row below. There is a rule that governs the order in which the numbers occur in the series. Figure out the rule and then choose the number that comes next from the answer choices below.
2 7 12 17 22 ___
A. 23 B. 25 C. 27 D. 29 E. 31
Answers to CogAT
Answers to CogAT
E , C
HOW I USED AI
I used AI to refine my learning targets. I put in the general idea I had and AI put it more in detail for me, I also asked AI about my APA formatting. I would also search in Gemini for articles about gifted learning, education and students. I used AI to help me create my two mastery questions. I put in my learning targets and it helped me create the questions. I also used A1 to find youtube videos on gifted students/education. I used Gemini and chatGPT. I used canva to create the banner and poster in the middle of the page. AI helped me to find sources and videos easier than using a google search.
References:
Ez-Pz. (2024, January 16). Find The Odd One Out | Visual Puzzle Challenge | Test Your Cognitive Skills & Logic [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlB93evs1Xc
Fordham Institute. (2023, November 29). The benefits of multiple screenings for student giftedness. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/benefits-multiple-screenings-student-giftedness
Licausi, M. (2015, February 2). What can Marzano scales do for gifted and talented students? Mrs. L's Leveled Learning. https://mrslsleveledlearning.com/what-can-marzano-scales-do-for-gifted-and-talented-students/
My-Progression. (2024, May 24). Teaching Gifted and Talented Pupils - Part 1 - How to Spot the Signs [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEz7C_CtDUY&t=264s
National Association for Gifted Children. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://nagc.org/
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2022, November 20). *Gifted and talented education: Recognizing gifted and talented students* [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://youtu.be/dLPKUOXXilY?si=d8EgLRqwXNn0Y_u1
TestingMom.com. (n.d.). CogAT Practice Tests for All Grade Levels. Retrieved February 21, 2025, from https://www.testingmom.com/tests/cogat-test/sample-cogat-practice-questions/?srsltid=AfmBOoq7d0QKedlL3RWHQA8lN3z4nxZhoUjscsQg7wagWeaaWgBPpx41
Ullman, E. (2022, May 3). 6 ways to deliver differentiated instruction for gifted students. HMH Blog. https://www.hmhco.com/blog/differentiated-instruction-for-gifted-students?srsltid=AfmBOop7BfHdgYrpz9hn8NaHBwGj7KIbhN1HtAfGv-_9rdDNUcMrJyr8
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