Definition
According to the US Department of Education (1993), gifted students are: "Children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for preforming at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment."
Characteristics
Characteristics of gifted learners include, but are not limited to:
- Students are often perfectionists and idealistic
- May experience heightened sensitivity to their own expectations and those of others
- They know content or strategies beyond the current grade level
- Problem solvers
- Often think abstractly and with such complexity that they may need help with concrete study and test-taking skills
Accommodations
Accommodations for gifted students include, but are not limited to:
- Grouping gifted students with other gifted students (refrain from grouping with lower-level students)
- Encourage students to explore content-related topics in-depth
- Encourage creative expression
- Avoid drill and practice activities
- Ask students higher-level questions and require students to look into causes
- Allow flexible seating arrangements
- Evaluate students individually instead of in a group for classroom management
Modifications
Modifications for gifted students include, but are not limited to:
- Create additional project-based assignments related to the content
- Ask students to take a pre-test to see what they already know to modify curriculum
- Use Bloom's Taxonomy to create individual assignments
- Provide alternate homework assignments
- Allow the student to modify an assignment by choice (with teacher approval)
Resources
- Giftedness Defined
This website gives teachers a definition of giftedness, as well as the six areas where students can be gifted. Within the six areas, this website includes specific ways to cater to the individual child's strengths.
- General Accommodations for Gifted Students in the Regular Classroom
A short resource for teachers to provide appropriate accommodations for gifted students. This checklist includes accommodations in grouping, curriculum, environment, classroom management, and assessment.
- Modifying Regular Classroom Curriculum for Gifted and Talented Students
A website dedicated to helping teachers modify classroom curriculum for gifted students. This website also gives teachers examples by providing case studies with multiple students and how the teacher can modify the curriculum to meet the child's individual needs.
- What it means to Teach Gifted Learners Well
This resource provides teachers with examples and non-examples of how to effectively teach gifted students.
- Tips for Teachers: Successful Strategies for Teaching Gifted Learners
A website with the goal to provide teachers tips to reaching gifted students. This resource includes nine effective tips for teachers to use with students who are gifted learners.