Three Dozen (Plus More!) Gifted and Talented Teaching Resources
Identifying Advanced Learners
How do educators or parents identify advanced learners? Parents are usually the first to identify a learner of this nature. Children
who read at an early age, for instance, are more likely to be placed in classes for the gifted students. Within the public school system, there is a set procedure for assessing the ability of students. This guide to gifted and talented teaching resources begins with several articles that look at the various aspects of this question.
- Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented
- What it Means to be Gifted
- Characteristics of a Gifted Student
- Six Areas of Giftedness and Talents
- Asynchronous Development and the Gifted Learner
Supporting Advanced Learners
Unfortunately, in many states and school systems, the lack of funding has limited the access to classes for students termed, “gifted and talented.” What happens when these students do not receive the support they need and deserve? Are there specific things teachers and parents can do to help students, even when gifted and talented programs are lacking or unavailable? What does the world gain when advanced learners are nurtured and supported?
- Disadvantages of Neglecting Advanced Learners
- Federal Mandates for Gifted Education: Do They Exist?
- Are We Meeting the Special Needs of Gifted Children?
Lessons Specifically for Advanced Learners
Educators, regardless of grade level, find it helpful to have lesson plans specifically created for students with exceptional abilities. This is especially true if the school system does not have programming for gifted and talented students. Lessons that capture advanced learners’ imaginations, inspiring them to step out of their comfort zones to investigate, research, create, develop and produce assignments that are evidence of their best work are imperative. Here are some engaging lessons for the advanced learner.
- Shakespeare for Gifted Students
- Unsolved Mysteries Lesson Plans for Gifted Students
- Language Arts Projects for Gifted Students
- Tapping into the Artistic Talents of Gifted Students
- Math for Gifted First Graders
- Elapsed Time Lessons for Gifted Third Graders
Enrichment and Other Programs
Even if schools have classes specifically for advanced learners, parents and teachers might want to encourage participation in extracurricular enrichment programs, summer school/camp or other activities that will nurture the gifts and talents of their child or student. Check out these ideas for enriching the gifts and talents of advanced learners.
- Creating an Expert Day for Gifted Students
- Group Activities for Gifted Students: Creating Connections
- Gifted Student Goal Setting for Year-long Service Projects
- Tips for Service Learning Projects for Gifted Students
- Perfect Activities for Young Gifted Learners
Issues and Problems
Advanced learners often have problems that other students do not have, simply because they are so bright. Both parents and teachers find it difficult to deal with the advanced learner’s restlessness in the classroom when they become bored as well as their feelings of inadequacy because their peers tease them. The following articles offer information on these issues.
- Social Factors that Cause Gifted Students to Fall Behind
- Classroom Behavior Management for Gifted and Talented Programs
- Social and Emotional Health of Gifted Students
- Working with Gifted Student with Disabilities
- Unusual Behaviors of Gifted Students
- List of Social Issues that Gifted Students Face in School
- Addressing the Emotional Needs of Gifted Children
- Assessing Progress of Gifted Students
Assessing Advanced Learners
Assessing a student with exceptional talents can sometimes be difficult, simply because they score off the rubric. Developing various means of assessing, other than standardized testing, helps give both the student and the teacher a clear idea of progress gained.
- Assessing Gifted Students with Bloom’s Taxonomy
- Using Portfolios for Gifted Children
- Measuring Gifted Students Academic Output
- Project Assessment Tool for Year-long Service Learning Projects
- Self-Assessment with Interest Sheets for Gifted Students
Other Tips and Ideas
Methods and strategies for teaching vary across the curriculum, within the school district and around the world. No one way is best. Therefore, learning various ways to teach and prepare lessons is extremely helpful to educators, especially when teaching advanced learners. Here are a variety of different tips and ideas to add to your “bag of tricks.”
- Strategies for Teaching Gifted Students: The Project Approach
- Encourage Critical Thinking in Gifted Students
- Using Multiple Intelligences to Teach Gifted Students
- Advanced Placement Classes for Gifted Students
- Strategies for Developing Critical Thinking in Gifted Students
- Differentiation in the Classroom for Gifted Students
Successful Teaching = Successful Students
Gifted and talented teaching resources are valuable tools for educators in today’s diverse and inclusive classrooms. You need to be able to differentiate instruction to keep these learners engaged. You’ll want to take into consideration each student’s gifts and talents. It’s important to create a classroom setting in which students become excited about learning. Keep these resources handy, because they are full of ideas to make your classroom for gifted children a truly dynamic place.