GT Curriculum
These strategies may be used to meet the gifted students' unique needs:
Characteristics of the Gifted
Gifted and Talented children exhibit many varied traits. According to Dr. Linda Silverman's, "Characteristics of the Gifted", these are some of the more important, observable traits of the gifted child.
- Has unique learning styles
- Is a faster learner
- Is developmentally advanced
- Is very curious; asks complex questions
- Gives complicated, detailed explanations
- Is quick to grasp relationships
- Organizes information in new ways
- Often has varied interests
- Has more abstract thought processes
- Sees ambiguity in "factual" information
- Usually has a good memory
- Enjoys working independently
- Has a strong moral character - May be natural leader
- Tends to be expressive
- Is often a perfectionist
- Has a highly developed sense of humor
- Often sees many solutions to a problem
- Has a longer attention span
- May be very intense, sensitive
- Is highly energetic
- Likes to be best in everything
- May prefer company of older children
- Is not necessarily gifted in all areas
- Is committed to many areas of interest
Areas of Need for the Gifted
Parent Involvement
Parents share with the school an important responsibility in helping their children achieve their maximum potential. In ways such as these, you as a parent can supplement and extend the school program:
- Permit time for thinking and reflecting
- Join the local parent group at your school and/or local gifted support group to acquire up-to-date information.
- Enhance your children's talents in areas other than intellectual giftedness by finding activities that encourage strengths in creativity, leadership, physical abilities, and/or visual/performing arts.
- Stimulate creative thinking and problem solving. Encourage children to formulate solutions without fear of making mistakes. Help them value their own thinking and learn from their mistakes.
- Foster good work habits. Encourage children to be organized and use their time well.
- Avoid comparing children.
- Be sure your children have a library card and have the opportunity to use it often.
- Encourage originality. Encourage your children to make their own toys, games, projects, or models from available materials.
- Encourage questions. Help children find books or other sources to be used as tools to find answers.
- Encourage and provide a variety of experiences. Help your children develop hobbies and become interested in many activities.
- Don't expect gifted children to be gifted all of the time in all things.
- Be cautious in editing children's work. Too much criticism can stifle creative energy and feelings of worth.
- Find time for the family to talk together. Help your children work toward better self-expression.
G/T Resources
Catalogs, books, games, puzzles, and kits for gifted children
Books
Adderholt-Elliot, Miriam. Perfectionism: What's Bad About Being Too Good. Free Spirit Publishing, Minneapolis, MN. 1987.
Birely, Marlene and Genshaft, Judy, editors. Understanding the Gifted Adolescent: Educational, Developmental, and Multicultural Issues. Teachers College Press, New York. 1991. (Part of the Educational and Psychology of the Gifted Series, James H. Borland, Editor.)
Clark, Barbara. Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at Home and at School. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York. 1988.
Galbraith, Judy. Gifted Kids Survival Guide. Free Spirit Publishing Company, Minneapolis, MN. 1983.
Rimm, Sylvia. Underachievement Syndrome: Causes and Cures. Apple Publishing Company, Watertown, Wisconsin. 1986. Magazines for Gifted Students
(*Indicates they will publish the work of students)
Creative Kids*
Prufrock Press
P.O. Box 8813
Waco, Texas 76714-8813
(800) 998 - 2208
Imagine
(Opportunities and resources for academically talented youth)
The Johns Hopkins University Press
P.O. Box 19966
Baltimore, Maryland 21211
Cricket*
(Stories and poems by gifted students)
315 5th Street, Box 300
Peru, Illinois 61354
Market Guide for Young Writers
Market Guide for Young Artists and Photographers
Betterway Publications
P.O. Box 219
Crozet, Virginia 22932
Future Problem Solving
St. Andrew's College
Laurenberg, North Carolina 28352
Gifted and Talented Organizations
National Association for Gifted Children concerns themselves with the problems, progress and development of education for the gifted on a nationwide scale. The Gifted Child Quarterly is the official publication. For more information ...
National Association for Gifted Children
1155 Fifteenth St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 785 - 4268
The Association for the Gifted is the division of the Council for Exceptional Children concerned with gifted education. The Journal of the Education of Gifted is the official publication. For more information ...
Council for Exceptional Children
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 22091
(703) 620 - 3660
Texas Education Agency, Division of Gifted and Talented Education
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 463 - 9455
Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented publishes a quarterly journal, Tempo, and newsletter, sponsors professional development, and hosts a yearly conference for professionals and parents. For more information ...
TAGT
406 East 11th Street, Suite 310
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 499 -8248
The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, through a consortium of the University of Connecticut; City University of New York, City College; Stanford University; University of Virginia; and Yale University, focuses on the critical issues in the field of gifted and talented education. It has numerous publications for both educators and parents. For a catalogue and further information, contact them at ...
NRC/GT
362 Fairfield Road
U -7
Storrs, CT 06269 - 2007
(203) 486 - 4676
FAX: (203) 486 - 2900
These strategies may be used to meet the gifted students' unique needs:
- Interdisciplinary units:
These units are often based on one of the gifted models of learning, such as: Bloom's Taxonomy, Renzulli's Enrichment Triad, Barbara Clark's Integrative Education Model, etc. - Open-ended activities:
A problem statement is presented with a minimum of clues as to which strategy is needed to attempt a solution. Problems with multiple answers are often used. - Academic and creative thinking competitions:
Knowledge Master Open, UIL, Destination Imagination,Future City Engineering, and various writing, art, math, and technology contests. - Individual, small group, and class projects
- Community resources, such as guest speakers and mentors who share specialized skills
- Varied evaluation methods, including self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and teacher evaluation
- Affective activities, such as boundary breakers, journal writing and role playing
- Field study/mentorships, where the community provides a unique real world classroom to introduce, reinforce or summarize learning
Characteristics of the Gifted
Gifted and Talented children exhibit many varied traits. According to Dr. Linda Silverman's, "Characteristics of the Gifted", these are some of the more important, observable traits of the gifted child.
- Has unique learning styles
- Is a faster learner
- Is developmentally advanced
- Is very curious; asks complex questions
- Gives complicated, detailed explanations
- Is quick to grasp relationships
- Organizes information in new ways
- Often has varied interests
- Has more abstract thought processes
- Sees ambiguity in "factual" information
- Usually has a good memory
- Enjoys working independently
- Has a strong moral character - May be natural leader
- Tends to be expressive
- Is often a perfectionist
- Has a highly developed sense of humor
- Often sees many solutions to a problem
- Has a longer attention span
- May be very intense, sensitive
- Is highly energetic
- Likes to be best in everything
- May prefer company of older children
- Is not necessarily gifted in all areas
- Is committed to many areas of interest
Areas of Need for the Gifted
Parent Involvement
Parents share with the school an important responsibility in helping their children achieve their maximum potential. In ways such as these, you as a parent can supplement and extend the school program:
- Permit time for thinking and reflecting
- Join the local parent group at your school and/or local gifted support group to acquire up-to-date information.
- Enhance your children's talents in areas other than intellectual giftedness by finding activities that encourage strengths in creativity, leadership, physical abilities, and/or visual/performing arts.
- Stimulate creative thinking and problem solving. Encourage children to formulate solutions without fear of making mistakes. Help them value their own thinking and learn from their mistakes.
- Foster good work habits. Encourage children to be organized and use their time well.
- Avoid comparing children.
- Be sure your children have a library card and have the opportunity to use it often.
- Encourage originality. Encourage your children to make their own toys, games, projects, or models from available materials.
- Encourage questions. Help children find books or other sources to be used as tools to find answers.
- Encourage and provide a variety of experiences. Help your children develop hobbies and become interested in many activities.
- Don't expect gifted children to be gifted all of the time in all things.
- Be cautious in editing children's work. Too much criticism can stifle creative energy and feelings of worth.
- Find time for the family to talk together. Help your children work toward better self-expression.
G/T Resources
Catalogs, books, games, puzzles, and kits for gifted children
- Bright Ideas - 800-451-7450 (Hawthorne, NJ)
- Creative Learning Systems - 619-675-7700 (San Diego, CA)
- Good Apple - 800-321-3106 (Columbus, OH)
- Interact - 619-448-1474 (San Diego, CA)
- Trillium Press - 914-783-2999 (Monroe, NY)
- Zephyr Press - 520-322-5090 (Tucson, AZ)
Books
Adderholt-Elliot, Miriam. Perfectionism: What's Bad About Being Too Good. Free Spirit Publishing, Minneapolis, MN. 1987.
Birely, Marlene and Genshaft, Judy, editors. Understanding the Gifted Adolescent: Educational, Developmental, and Multicultural Issues. Teachers College Press, New York. 1991. (Part of the Educational and Psychology of the Gifted Series, James H. Borland, Editor.)
Clark, Barbara. Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at Home and at School. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York. 1988.
Galbraith, Judy. Gifted Kids Survival Guide. Free Spirit Publishing Company, Minneapolis, MN. 1983.
Rimm, Sylvia. Underachievement Syndrome: Causes and Cures. Apple Publishing Company, Watertown, Wisconsin. 1986. Magazines for Gifted Students
(*Indicates they will publish the work of students)
Creative Kids*
Prufrock Press
P.O. Box 8813
Waco, Texas 76714-8813
(800) 998 - 2208
Imagine
(Opportunities and resources for academically talented youth)
The Johns Hopkins University Press
P.O. Box 19966
Baltimore, Maryland 21211
Cricket*
(Stories and poems by gifted students)
315 5th Street, Box 300
Peru, Illinois 61354
Market Guide for Young Writers
Market Guide for Young Artists and Photographers
Betterway Publications
P.O. Box 219
Crozet, Virginia 22932
Future Problem Solving
St. Andrew's College
Laurenberg, North Carolina 28352
Gifted and Talented Organizations
National Association for Gifted Children concerns themselves with the problems, progress and development of education for the gifted on a nationwide scale. The Gifted Child Quarterly is the official publication. For more information ...
National Association for Gifted Children
1155 Fifteenth St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 785 - 4268
The Association for the Gifted is the division of the Council for Exceptional Children concerned with gifted education. The Journal of the Education of Gifted is the official publication. For more information ...
Council for Exceptional Children
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 22091
(703) 620 - 3660
Texas Education Agency, Division of Gifted and Talented Education
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 463 - 9455
Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented publishes a quarterly journal, Tempo, and newsletter, sponsors professional development, and hosts a yearly conference for professionals and parents. For more information ...
TAGT
406 East 11th Street, Suite 310
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 499 -8248
The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, through a consortium of the University of Connecticut; City University of New York, City College; Stanford University; University of Virginia; and Yale University, focuses on the critical issues in the field of gifted and talented education. It has numerous publications for both educators and parents. For a catalogue and further information, contact them at ...
NRC/GT
362 Fairfield Road
U -7
Storrs, CT 06269 - 2007
(203) 486 - 4676
FAX: (203) 486 - 2900