Gifted Students

Often in book clubs and small groups, attention is focused on striving students who are not yet at the expected level for their age/grade. We can't forget, as Dr. Sally Reis mentions, gifted students have "specialized needs" involving specific differentiated reading strategies that are necessary to help them continue to progress in reading, both in comprehension as well as engagement." When considering modifications for gifted students, you should incorporate motivators and engagement opportunities through inquiry-based learning. To ensure this, provide gifted students these opportunities through exposure to higher-order thinking expository texts that increase curiosity, foster exploration, and encourage wow factors. To achieve those goals, when considering literary texts, you should look for these things: strong characters, complex and unpredictable plots, enriching language, and a rich amount of literary devices. It's important to have extension tasks and activities on hand for gifted students who finish tasks early or offer 'optional' challenging tasks like creating a game. The optional activities are mentioned as an optional step available for anyone who wants to attempt to take their learning to the next level (don't say it is just for 'gifted students').