• Teaching Resources

    Students with gifts and talents perform—or have the capability to perform—at higher levels compared to others of the same age, experience, and environment in one or more domains. They require modification(s) to their educational experience(s) to learn and realize their potential.
     
    Student with gifts and talents...
    • Come from all racial, ethnic, and cultural populations, as well as all economic strata.
    • Require sufficient access to appropriate learning opportunities to realize their potential.
    • Can have learning and processing disorders that require specialized intervention and accommodation.
    • Need support and guidance to develop socially and emotionally as well as in their areas of talent.

  • Teaching a Gifted Student

    There are many misconceptions about teaching gifted and talented students, and they are often viewed as high-achieving students.

    • A smart/high achiever student is a child who is successful in class and does not need outside help to be an achiever. 
    • A gifted student does not always “look” smart. Instead, the gifted student may not have to put much effort into his/her work and may not do the work at all if he/she does not see a reason for doing it. Gifted students may not have patience with the repeated practice that is usually needed for the average student. A gifted student’s mind may be thinking so rapidly that handwriting is difficult to read which may cause the teacher not to realize what the student is actually able to do. Rarely do we see a gifted student that is good at everything. Usually he/she excels in a certain area like math or writing.

    Here are some overarching differences between these two types of students:

    High Achieving Student

    Gifted and Talented Student

    Asks questions that have clear answers and are curious about many things.

    Asks questions about abstract ideas, concepts, and theories, showing intense curiosity about nearly everything.

    Has age-appropriate emotions and typically maintains good self-esteem.         

    Experiences heightened, sometimes all-consuming emotions, and may struggle with perfectionism and fear of failure.

    Learns new vocabulary easily and uses words typical for their age.

    Possesses an extensive and advanced vocabulary, understanding nuances, wordplay, and puns.

    States firm opinions about fairness related to personal situations.

    Shows concern about fairness and equity on a more global scale.

    Has good ideas and enjoys working on assignments with clear guidelines.

    Has wild and silly ideas, preferring projects that allow for creativity and innovation.

    Requires 6-8 repetitions for mastery and performs well on standardized tests.

    Requires 1-2 repetitions for mastery but may underperform on standardized tests due to boredom or lack of interest.

    Completes assignments and enjoys school with structured learning environments.

    Completes assignments they find meaningful, enjoys learning, and may resist traditional teaching methods, preferring self-directed learning.

    Enjoys straightforward sequential presentations and benefits from clear, step-by-step instructions.   

    Thrives on complexity, benefiting from opportunities to explore and experiment.

    Follows instructions, excelling in traditional classroom settings.

    Challenges or questions instructions if they seem illogical, excelling in creative, less conventional learning settings.

    Usually well-liked by peers and teachers, working well in group settings.

    May experience social isolation due to different interests and abilities, preferring to work alone or with older peers/adults.

    Enjoys being a peer tutor, explaining concepts clearly and providing step-by-step guidance.

    May struggle as a peer tutor due to impatience or difficulty understanding others' learning pace, offering insightful perspectives but potentially overwhelming peers with advanced concepts.

    Cognitive and emotional development are typically synchronous, with skills and maturity levels consistent with their age group.

    Often exhibits asynchronous development, with advanced cognitive abilities but immature emotional regulation, possibly struggling with age-appropriate social interactions.

    Adapts well to traditional teaching methods and balances academics with extracurricular activities.

    May neglect certain subjects or activities to pursue intense interests, preferring less conventional learning approaches.

    Generally performs well across all subjects.

    May excel in specific areas while struggling significantly in others, resulting in inconsistent academic performance.