Gifted and Talented

Programs
By: Ricardo Rojas

5 recommendations
Abstract
“I examined the educational aspect of gifted and talented children, such as
what sort of resources went into identifying them and what sort of things
can be done for gifted children. Then, I wanted to think about the
socialization of gifted children, and how teachers can better assist in
helping a gifted student thrive in class, and help them develop healthy
attitudes around their own giftedness, so others can feel comfortable
around them as well.”
What is being “Gifted?”
The National Association for
Gifted Children defines giftedness
in students as their ability to
perform in various tasks at a
higher capacity than their peers,
and such much so it requires
modifications in their educational
experience to support their
talents.
Project Bright Horizon, affliated
with the Arizona Department of
Education considers giftedness as
a “diagnostic that provides useful
information about how an
individual child learns, to inform
curricular and instructional
decisions for that child.”
Statistics and Observations
● 6.7% of students were
enrolled in a gifted program
in 2014
● 4.8% of Arizona students were
enrolled in a gifted program
in 2014
● Black and Hispanic
enrollment in Gifted programs
is historically lower than for
Asian or White students
“Treating giftedness as an in-born
trait that can be identified by test
scores has resulted in severe
underrepresentation of high-potential
children from low-income families
and students of color in gifted
education programs”
-Joseph S. Renzulli, for Education Week
Characteristics of Gifted Students
● Have unique education needs
● Feel responsible for their own learning
● May not require the same sort of tools or activities to learn content than
their peers.
● Open and flexible, prefer logic and objectivity
● Need content beyond what is normally available
● Activities that use “hands on, discovery based, problem orientated
creativity generated” projects are best
Curriculum
● Modifying Content. Content for the classroom can be changed in order to
give gifted students accelerated or more complex materials.
● Challenge. Materials in the classroom, or activities done gifted students
need to be more challenging, or invoke higher level thinking for gifted
students.
● Student Centered. The gifted child’s needs should be a focus for the
teacher, in that they need to allow the child to have some autonomy in
their learning.
Being Formally Gifted
Cognitive, Mental, and Social Effects of
Giftedness
● Gifted Students report lower levels of
social functionality. Gifted males tend to
report higher levels of depression.
● Gifted Children overall are at a risk of
higher mental health issues
● Early reporting of gifted students,
appropriate education for them, and
counseling are all important for gifted
students.
● Along with this, I took the time to read
about people’s experiences with being
gifted or knowing gifted kids. There is
an interesting disconnect between a
gifted child’s self perception and what
seems like other children’s contempt for
them.
● Proper work needs to be done at the
teacher end to ensure that these
attitudes are not fostered within gifted
students.
Role of the Teacher
1. Build Community. The teacher of
gifted students needs to ensure that
gifted students are given time to blend
into the classroom with the others,
so they don’t develop a superiority
mentality.
2. Frequent Check Ins. Making sure that
you check in and assess your gifted
students gives them the chance to say
they may not not understand
something, and you can make sure you
aren’t holding them to impossible
standards
3. Student Led Learning. Give them the
space to work independently and go at their
own accelerated pace when they want to.
4. Exploration. Give gifted students the
chance to explore and expand upon topics
of their own interest.
5. Involve parents. Make sure that a
student’s engagement doesn’t end when
they leave the classroom for the day.
Works Cited
Pendarvis, E. D., & Others, A. (1990). The abilities of gifted children Prentice-Hall, Prentice Hall Bldg., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 ($36.95). Retrieved from
http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/62977902?accountid=4485

Evidence based education request desk. EBE #845. (2011). ().Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast, Available from: SERVE Center at University of North
Carolina at Greensboro. 5900 Summit Avenue Suite 201, Browns Summit, NC 27214. Retrieved from ERIC Retrieved from
http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/1312421258?accountid=4485

Oh, S., Hailey, E., Azano, A., Callahan, C., & Moon, T. (2012). What works in gifted education-documenting the model-based curriculum for gifted students.
().Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. Retrieved from ERIC Retrieved from
http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/1140142494?accountid=4485

Renzulli, J. (2019, November 18). What We're Getting Wrong About Gifted Education. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/11/11/what-were-getting-wrong-about-gifted-education.html

Search Database. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.davidsongifted.org/search-database/entry/a10342

Eren, F., Çete, A., Avcil, S., & Baykara, B. (2018, May 4). Emotional and Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted Children and Their Families. Retrieved September
21, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6060660/

Digest of Education Statistics, 2017. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_204.90.asp

https://www.azed.gov/gifted-education/project-bright-horizon