Should Gifted Children be Educated Differently?
by livewire on May.07, 2009, under Don't Fence Me In: Education and Enrichment
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Some educators believe that “bright children don’t need any special help; after all, they already have so many things going for them. The reality is that gifted children’s educational needs arise directly from their strengths; it is precisely because these children are rapid and advanced learners that they need specialized learning opportunities. They are exceptional children, and they need exceptional services in the same way that children with learning difficulties are exceptional children and need special services and attention. A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children, James T. Webb, et.al. (2007).
It is most often up to the parent to educate themselves and advocate for the best educational alternatives for their gifted children. Each school has different options, from differentiated classrooms, acceleration, grade-skipping, cluster grouping, enrichment in the classroom and in resource rooms, and self-contained full-time gifted programs. Some states allow children to go to school part-time and to homeschool part-time. Some families choose to homeschool full-time.
The research that goes into deciding how to educate your gifted child can be overwhelming. And, you may need to evaluate your choice on an ongoing basis to determine whether your current plan is still working.
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May 16th, 2009 on 9:02 pm
This post explains why we homeschool. By the time our oldest was chronologically ready for kindergarten, he was done with kindergarten. At the same time, he was a very normal little boy in terms of maturity. I might even say he was a bit immature. To put him in a kindergarten class would have bored him to tears and turned him into the class troublemaker because of his boredom. However, placing him in a higher grade would have been unfair. Socially and emotionally, he didn’t belong there. So, we taught him at home at his level and took him out for play dates and activities with children his own age.
And we continue to evaluate how this is working for each of our boys each year. People would like to peg me down as to how long I intend to homeschool. My answer is, “As long as it is working and the boys are thriving, we will continue. When it is not, we will find another avenue.” What matters most is that the boys’ needs are being met.
May 19th, 2009 on 10:52 pm
“To put him in a kindergarten class would have bored him to tears” is a common comment we hear from parents and primary among the reasons to homeschool, you are in good company.