How to work with gifted kids

Module 3, Unit 2, Activity 3

Nami Holderman

Fumi is in second-grade who is a bright and self-learning student who enjoys challenging subjects, especially in Math. He always comes up with questions regarding materials that has not covered in class and wants to learn new computations and equations. Typically he finished assignments before other children and acted out because he was bored.

Just because he is smart does not mean that he well behaves. Frequently, if there is a mismatch between classroom instruction and a gifted student's intellectual needs, that child may "act out" or misbehave. It's not because he or she is looking for attention, but because this student may be bored. Gifted students are developmentally asynchronous, meaning that their cognitive and emotional development are out of sync.

For the interventions, teachers will meet regularly to measure Fumi's academic development and create a particular curriculum based on his capacity. Teachers will also Collaborate with the technology specialist, explore related arts, or work with others to find appropriate extensions. Often this can mean linking the assignment to the student's area of interest or giving him authentic problems.

There are two types of assessments; Achievement test to measure giftedness, and  Ability test to measure Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or cognitive abilities test scores are also used to identify gifted and talented students. Fumi will need to take both assessments. By collecting assessments data, the teachers, parents, and administrators can work together positively and collaboratively to develop an appropriate educational strategy for gifted students.

Providing him a freedom of learning, the teacher can set up a section where he can self-learn his ability by using the technology. The teacher will find hand-picked tools and strategies for differentiating academic content, injecting and respecting creativity,  gifted students form personal connections in areas of interest and collaborations with other gifted students, and managing the logistics of gifted in the classroom.

Gifted students like Fumi will also benefit working collaboratively with intellectual peers to develop optimally. The teacher can meet his parents to search networks to provide him extra programs such as Saturday or summer enrichment programs. Seek out curriculum units that have been funded through the Javits program, the National Science Foundation, and other sources.

The teacher to set a goal, and designing the programs and services to provide will meet a goal and the student's achievement successfully.

Source

Delisle, J. Ph.D., and Lewis, B. A. (2015) The survival guide for teachers of a gifted kid. How to plan, manage, and evaluate programs for gifted youth K-12. Retrieved from https://www.freespirit.com/files/original/Survival-Guide-Teacher-Gifted-Kids-preview-1.pdf