GIFTED AND TALENTED LEARNERS

A child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level
of accomplishment when compared to other of the same age, experience, or environment and who:
1) Exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area;
2) Possess an unusual capacity for leadership; or
3) Excels in a specific academic field.

Gifted Learner

Those learners who are naturally endowed with a high degree of general mental ability or
extraordinary ability in a specific sphere of activity or knowledge.

Talented Learners

Those learners who have exceptional skills and ability in a specific area such as art, music,
science, and language.

Qualities of the Gifted and Talented Learners

 They learn more quickly and independently than most students their own age.
 They often have well-developed vocabulary , as well as advanced reading and writing skills.
 They are very motivated, especially o tasks that are challenging or difficult.
 They hold themselves to higher than usual standards of achievement.

Teaching Gifted and Talented Learners (Classroom Strategies)

1) Treat students as individuals
-Exceptional students are unique, they may be twice-exceptional. Intellectually gifted children
who also have learning disabilities, they may be gifted in one area and not in another.
Extraordinary talent in math does not always transfer to an equal talent in writing, art or
science. This can be frustrating for the students.

2) Let students explore their passions

- Help students immerse themselves in a subject that sparks their passion by providing a topic
library or a checking books and magazines out of the library and creating a resource of
appropriate videos.
 3) Infuse enrichment into activities
- Students may speed through material as they master it. If the suggested pace is two
chapters a week but your students can complete two chapters a day because the topic
engages them, let them get ahead.

4) Build in time for flexible learning groups

- Teacher can intentionally create small groups for flexible learning with consideration of
students’ readiness levels, strengths and /or interests. This thoughtful planning tool can be
used to create a more dynamic learning environment.

5) Embrace creative questioning

- Gifted learners are often curious about the world around them, and they may ask detailed
questions to satisfy their thirst for knowledge. Be respectful of your students’ curiosity, and
encourage the search for answers to impossible questions.

6) Encourage self-directed learning with your students

- Have regular conferences to help students plan their work, and provided support for
difficulties and evaluation. Self-directed learning is a skill that can be developed with all
students. While some children are more self-motivated than others, self-directed learning is
crucial to becoming a lifelong learner.

Students who are gifted and talented have sometimes been regarded as the responsibility of
special education, along with students with other sorts of disabilities. Often their needs are discussed,
for example, in textbooks about special education, alongside discussions of students with intellectual
disabilities, physical impairments, or major behavior disorders (Friend, 2008).

By definition, students with gifts or talents are capable of creative, committed work ta levels
that often approach talented adults. Other students-including students with disabilities- may reach
these levels, but not as soon and not as frequently. Many educators therefore think of the gifted and
talented learners not as examples of students with disabilities, but as examples of diversity.

“Gifted children are born with natural abilities well above the average for their age. Gifts can become
talents when they’re developed and nurtured.”

Many things influence whether a gifted child’s natural ability becomes a talent. These things include
family values, educational opportunities, personality and motivation, health and chance opportunities.