What is Gifted Education?

Educators have known for a long time that not every child learns in the same way. This is especially true for students with an advanced ability to grasp concepts and excel in core subjects and in other ways. In a regular classroom setting, they may find themselves not challenged which can lead to disinterest and even acting out in younger children. Giving these students with a higher learning capacity the chance to learn at their pace is why gifted education was created and continues to be a popular alternative to traditional education.

Education Methods

While there is no one way to classify what makes gifted education different, there are some methods that may not be explored in regular classes. Here is a brief description of some of these approaches:

·         Streamlining-compacting the curriculum to reduce the amount of repetition for material that is understood.

·         Grouping-organizing children according to ability so they may learn at a similar pace.

·         Acceleration-presenting material and concepts faster for students have the capacity to master it quickly.

·         Identification- realizing children learn in different ways and incorporating a variety of approaches that may target individual learning styles.

Pull-Out Versus All-day

Gifted programs may be implemented through a pull-out method, where students are removed from their regular classrooms for additional or specialized instruction, or by an all-day program, where students receive gifted education exclusively. Parents and educators may work together to determine the best approach on a case-by-case basis.

Making Choices

Identifying students who are gifted and talented is imperative to boosting their learning ability so they can reach their full potential.  Ultimately, parents should decide how they would like their children to be educated, and knowing they have options that fit their children’s needs can make a world of difference to growth and development.  While public school does offer programming for advanced students, some families may prefer a private education which may be better designed for educating children who have advanced learning ability.