Students who are Gifted

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Students who are Gifted

• By Lisa Winkler

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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Measuring Students who are Gifted

• IQ Tests
• School Achievement
• Creative Behaviors
• Teacher/Parent Evaluations

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Ability Tests

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

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Examples

• Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
• Cognitive Abilities Test
• Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Ability

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Achievement Tests

• Measure what the student has already learned

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Examples

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

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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

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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.

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Choices for a Student who is Gifted

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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Examples of Curriculum Differentiation

• Revising lesson plans
• Small group investigations
• Independent study

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Suggestions for Parents

• Do not
• Use the childs strength as punishment
• Nag the child
• Talk to other adults about your child
• Give inconsistent punishment

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Be an advocate for your child!

• Begin with your childs teacher
• Know the schools philosophy statement on gifted
  education
• Be familiar with the members of the school board
• Attend board meetings

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• 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

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What do we know about intellectually gifted
students?
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Learning Styles

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

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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.

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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)

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All students who are gifted are different
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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.

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Kevin

• He is the typical math whiz.
• In 7th grade he took the SATs and got a perfect
  score on the math and verbal.

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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.

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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.

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References

• Rimm, S.B. (2001). Keys to Parenting the Gifted
  Child. (2nd ed.) New York Barrons 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.

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References- On-Line

• American Association for Gifted Children
• http//jayi.com.aagcgt accessed 11, Feb. 20002
• Hoagies Gifted Education Page
• http//www.hoagiesgifted.orggt accessed 11, Feb.
  2002
• The Eric Clearinghouse
• http//www.eric.org/ gtaccessed 11, Feb. 2002
• The National Association for Gifted Children
• http//www.nacg.org/ gtaccessed 11, Feb. 2002