TOPIC 6: GIFTED CHILDREN AND TALENTED CHILDREN
Introduction
Gifted" means performing or demonstrating the potential for performing at significantly higher
levels of accomplishment in one or more academic fields due to intellectual ability, when
compared to others of similar age, experience, and environment.
Objectives
By the end of this topic you should be able to:
Define giftedness.
Explain the sign of a gifted child.
Discuss teaching strategies for gifted children.
Learning activities
Learning Activity 6.1: Reading
Read the provided topic notes on Gifted Children and Talented Children
Learning Activity 6.2: Journal
Explain the signs of Gifted Children and Talented Children. Post your contribution in the
provided journal.
Post your article in the journal provided
Learning Activity 6.3: Discussion
Discuss the teaching strategies for Gifted Children and Talented Children.
Post your discussion in the provided discussion forum
Assessment
The journal in activity 6.2 and Participation in the discussion in activity 6.3 will be graded
Topic Resources
URL Links
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Gifted Children and Talented Children
Gifted students are those whose potential is distinctly above average in one or more of the
following domains of human ability:
intellectual,
creative, social and
physical. Talented students are those whose skills are distinctly above average in one or
more areas of human performance."
Gagne's key word is potential. He believes in the power of environmental factors, that being
natively smart isn't enough; a child needs support and guidance to achieve his/her gifted
potential.
Levels of Giftedness
Mildly Gifted - IQ 115 – 129 Moderately Gifted – IQ 130 – 144 Highly Gifted – IQ 145 – 159
Exceptionally Gifted – IQ 160 – 179 Profoundly Gifted – IQ 180+
Characteristics of the Gifted and Talented Child
Keen powers of observation.
Learned or read very early, often before school age.
Reads widely and rapidly.
Well developed vocabulary - takes delight in using unusual and new words.
Has great intellectual curiosity.
Absorbs information rapidly - often called sponges.
Very good memory - can recall information in different circumstances.
Have to ability to concentrate deeply for prolonged periods.
Very good powers of reasoning and problem solving.
Have intense interests.
Possess unusual imagination.
Have a great interest in "big" questions, e.g. the nature of the universe, the problem of
suffering in the world, environmental issues.
Very sensitive - perhaps getting upset easily.
Very concerned about rights and wrongs, concerned about injustices
Note
While these skills and abilities may be useful as an initial guide as to whether your child is
gifted, formal assessments for giftedness need to be more comprehensive, and generally require
some kind of standardised psychological and/or developmental testing carried out by a
specifically trained professional (such as a psychologist or doctor).
Teaching strategies for the gifted and talented (G&T
For the gifted and talented child it is important that they are identified and their educational,
social and emotional needs are addressed. Schools must show the G&T child they are valued,
giving them appropriate academic challenge and also chances to be together, to feel less isolated.
Gifted and talented learners do benefit from such measures and services as:
Acceleration
Students can be accelerated across the year or within subjects. Differentiation – an over-used
term, it means creating something to extend the child in your class; richer or more challenging
tasks
Compacting the curriculum to allow flexibility
By compacting the curriculum, teachers can provide Gifted and Talented Students the
opportunity to quickly complete the required curriculum content and provide access for them to
engage in more academically rigorous content through enrichment activities that addresses their
specific cognitive needs. For example, when a student has completed a set of calculations they
can then find ways to apply this knowledge to real world situations that require higher order
thinking problem- solving skills.
Create opportunities to assume ownership of learning
Allow gifted learners to assume ownership of their learning by having a student-centered
decision-making process. Provide “Free Choice” Boards that are based on the students’ interest
and educational needs that are structured to include accelerated skills. Students will make the
decision on which activities to complete based on their interest. The teacher is still guiding the
process, but the student is choosing the learning expression.
Allow expression of opinions and exploration of points of view
The Gifted and Talented Learner tends to be quite expressive and opinionated in various genres.
Allow this trait to shine by having open forums and debates on pertinent issues. Giving your
gifted and talented students opportunities to compete with each other and engage in collaborative
projects, can be both fun and challenging, it also meets their social needs, their desires to be
heard and recognized, and to understand others viewpoints will be met.
Differentiate instruction that leads to research
Differentiation through curriculum acceleration allows G&T students to work toward problems
they do not understand, creates stimulation for attaining knowledge, problem-solving flexibility
in approach, and fosters creative thinking, while researching the unknown.
Have high expectations and encourage leadership
Teacher expectation should be high of the gifted and talented students but not unrealistic. The
educator can maximize the students’ potential by encouraging them to advance and assist them in
achieving success. One example is encouraging students to participate in extracurricular
activities that will advance them in their area of giftedness, such as running for student office,
publishing a newspaper to distribute, or starting a club. This will help to develop their natural
leadership skills.
