Students who are Gifted

By Lisa Winkler

Definition of Gifted Students

Students who have extraordinary talents and skills

Students who are very bright, creative, and talented

Twice exceptional gifted students are students who also have disabilities

It does not always have to do with intelligence

Students who are gifted may have achievement/potential in any of the following areas:– Intellectual ability– Creative or productive thinking– Leadership ability– Visual or performing arts– Athletic Ability

The Intelligence Quotient

Average human IQ is 100 The average IQ of a college graduate is

120 A student who is gifted has an IQ of

above 120 A student with an IQ of above 140 is

considered exceptionally gifted (a.k.a Genius)

Common Intellectual Characteristics

Large vocabularies Learns material quickly with little practice Starts reading early Abstract thinking Asks lots of questions Can store large amounts of information Atypical sense of humor

Smart or Gifted?

Like repetition and practice

Ask questions that have answers

Learn developmentally appropriate vocabulary

Think very fast Ask difficult

questions Learn vocabulary

that is not developmentally appropriate

Measuring Students who are Gifted

IQ TestsSchool Achievement Creative BehaviorsTeacher/Parent Evaluations

Ability Tests

Measure general intelligence as well as memory, conceptual thinking, mathematical reasoning, verbal and nonverbal reasoning, visual motor abilities and social intelligence

Examples

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale Wechsler Intelligence Scale for

Children Cognitive Abilities Test Woodcock-Johnson Test of

Cognitive Ability

Achievement Tests

Measure what the student has already learned

Examples

Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills Metropolitan Achievement Test California Achievement Test IOWA Tests of Basic Skills

Common Myths

They are lucky They are emotionally mature and

stable They do not need help They do not know they are gifted

unless someone tells them

Federal and State Regulations

Under the Gifted and Talented Students Education Act (1988), students who are gifted require services that other students do not.

Compared to IDEA, the federal legislation does not require specific services for these students. The amount of services given is mostly determined by state and local policies.

Choices for a Student who is Gifted

Entering school early (K-College) Curriculum Compacting Concurrent Enrollment Single Subject Acceleration Whole Grade Acceleration

What can the teacher do?

Guide the student Do not be intimidated

let the child get excited about their interests

Be flexible and open-minded

Listen up future teachers!

Expanding the curriculum of a student who is gifted is not giving the student more of the same (MOST) work. This will lead to boredom and frustration.

So what is expanded curriculum?

When the student ventures away from the basic curriculum in areas that they are interested in or excel in with the guidance of the teacher.

This may include field trips. Afterwards, the students work with

their classmates on their individual findings.

Curriculum Differentiation

Giving the student who is gifted different options that will accommodate their need for acceleration of content, greater depth and difficulty of instruction.

Examples of Curriculum Differentiation

Revising lesson plans Small group investigations Independent study

Suggestions for Parents

Do not: Use the child’s strength as

punishment Nag the child Talk to other adults about your

child Give inconsistent punishment

Be an advocate for your child!

Begin with your child’s teacher Know the school’s philosophy

statement on gifted education Be familiar with the members of

the school board Attend board meetings

Most schools need state funding to provide special programs for students who are gifted. This is why it is important for the parents to become involved.– Do not be afraid to write or call the

state legislatures

What do we know about intellectually gifted students?

Males above 160

IQ

Females above 160

IQ

Total

June 1979-1989

89 85 174

July 1989-Jan. 2002

313 191 504

July 1979-Jan. 2002

402 276 678

Learning Styles

Unstructured environments Independent study High flexibility Do not like recitation and lecture

styles

Gender Issues

Females relate their academic success to luck while males relate success to ability.

Females perceive their abilities to be strongest in language arts while males feel they are stronger in math and science.

So why are Japanese Students so “intelligent”?

Students are not titled (egalitarian treatment)all students are considered equal

Learning is cooperative- higher ability students help the lower ability

Education system focuses on high achievement for all students instead of a selected group

There is little or no focus on achievement tests More time is spent in art and music than

American schools (2 hours each per week)

All students who are gifted are different

Arlene

One day she wore different colored socks and all the other girls followed the same trend within a week because they looked up to her so much.

Kevin

He is the typical “math whiz”. In 7th grade he took the SAT’s and

got a perfect score on the math and verbal.

Franklin

In 8th grade Swears at the teachers Thinks his peers are childish When the teacher called him Frank,

he had an outburst and threw his books and papers in the air and verbally assaulted the teacher.

References

Chan, D. (2001). Learning Styles of Gifted and Nongifted Secondary Students in Hong Kong. Gifted Child Quarterly, 45, 35-44.

Cooper, E. (1999, March/April). A Reflection: The Japanese Approach to Gifted and Talented Students. Gifted Child Today, 18-21.

Friend, M. & Bursuck, W.D. (1999). Including Students with Special Needs. (2nd ed.) Needham Heights: A Viacom Company.

Oakland, T., Joyce, D., Horton, C., & Glutting, J. (2000). Temperament-based Learning Styles of Identified Gifted and Nongifted Students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 44(3), 183-189.

Ricca, J. (1984). Learning Styles and Preferred Instructional Strategies of Gifted Students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 28 (3), 121-126.

References

Rimm, S.B. (2001). Keys to Parenting the Gifted Child. (2nd ed.) New York: Barron’s Educational Series Inc.

Siegle, D. & Reis, S.M. (1998). Gender Differences in Teacher and Student Perceptions of Gifted Students’ Ability and Effort. Gifted Child Quarterly, 42(1), 39-46.

Strip, C.A. (2000). Helping Gifted Children Sour. Arizona: Gifted Psychology Press.

Walker, S.Y. (1991). The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

Webb, J.T., Meckstroth, E.A., & Tolan, S.S. (1994). Guiding the Gifted Child. Arizona: Gifted Psychology Press.

Woolfolk, A. (2001). Educational Psychology. (8th ed.) Needham Heights: A Pearson Education Company.

References- On-Line

American Association for Gifted Childrenhttp://jayi.com.aagc> accessed 11, Feb. 20002Hoagie’s Gifted Education Pagehttp://www.hoagiesgifted.org> accessed 11, Feb. 2002The Eric Clearinghousehttp://www.eric.org/ >accessed 11, Feb. 2002The National Association for Gifted Childrenhttp://www.nacg.org/ >accessed 11, Feb. 2002