Experiences of a gifted and talented enrichment cluster for pupils aged five to seven

There has been an increased commitment to gifted and talented education in the UK in recent years, with a national strategy of grant-funded programmes. However, research into the effective-ness of gifted programmes is relatively limited. This paper, written by Anne Morgan of the Centre for Education and Inclusion Research at Sheffield Hallam University, investigates parents', teachers' and children's experiences and views of the impact of an enrichment programme for gifted and talented pupils aged five to seven. Methods included a survey of mainstream teachers (n = 15), interviews with parents (n = 17) and activities with pupils (between 16 and 24 children). Results showed that children and parents rated the cluster highly, particularly the varied teaching styles and interaction with other gifted children. There were few concerns regarding withdrawal of children from school in order to attend. All parents felt that their children had benefited from attending and around half said there had been an impact on their social and academic development. Similarly, around half of mainstream teachers said that attending the cluster had benefited children socially and academically.     

Cornerstones and keystones: Humanities for the gifted and talented

The Humanities as a curriculum provide a natural learning environment where gifted students have opportunities to make intellectual inquiries in every realm of human endeavors.     

Appropriate experiences for the gifted science student

Gifted/talented education is slowly expanding as more funds for programs are provided by states and more universities off er graduate programs.     

Creating ownership in gifted and talented programs

The author explains how classroom teachers can participate in the gifted program and come to regard efforts to meet the special needs of the gifted as a shared responsibility.     

Enrichment programming for gifted and talented high school students

The author describes a special program for gifted and talented high school students that is based on Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model. In the Seminar I class for freshmen, enrichment activities emphasize training in research and computer skills. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the Seminar II class spend more time on Type III projects.     

The least restrictive environment for gifted and talented students

An instructional model for teaching creative thinking techniques and strategies is described based on the theory that teaching for creative development requires a systematic organization.     

Distance education for the gifted and talented: An interactive design model

In 1994, the New South Wales Board of Studies, Australia, introduced three high level Distinction Courses for gifted and talented students: comparative literature, cosmology, and philosophy. All are offered by distance education but the cosmology course employs an interactive design model and an extensive communication system that differentiates it from the other two. This article explains the model and the way it is used in practice to organize, sequence and deliver the course. Discussion addresses ways in which the model might be used to design a wider range of courses for gifted and talented students.     

The enrichment triad model for the very young gifted

The article describes why the Enrichment Triad Model needs to be adapted for a preschool/primary setting and provides suggestions for educators on how to do this. A real‐life example of a five‐year‐old who successfully completed a Type III project is presented. The role of the teacher in understanding how a young child's differences in social, physical, academic, and emotional development can influence appropriate programming is emphasized.     

The language arts gifted student

Parents who want appropriate educational experiences for their children should provide differential education opportunities for their children at home.     

Five stages parents go through in gifted/talented education

Conferences for parents of gifted children help parents be better understand the world of the gifted child and how to be a less frustrated participant in that world.     

Reflection and assessment for learning in science enrichment courses for the gifted

This study was conducted in enrichment programs for the gifted. It aimed to address the relative absence of suitable assessments in such programs. Although enrichment programs for students with special talents expose them to various areas of knowledge and to science ideas that are usually not taught at their regular school (e.g., Pitts, Vebville, Blair, & Zadnik, 2014), they lack consistent and thoughtful assessments. Despite calls for including suitable modes of assessment in programs for the gifted in order to respond to their unique capabilities (Van Tassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2006; Gagné, 2011) and to enhance the students' self-regulation and metacognitive abilities (Taber, 2007), most of the programs include only summative assessment.     

Becoming and being a talented undergraduate student

This article reports on a case study of one New Zealand university faculty involved in the second phase of a three-phase study investigating the experiences of talented undergraduate students. Talented undergraduate students are a largely forgotten group in research. The current study sought to investigate who the talented students were, and then what their lived experiences as talented undergraduate students were. The study involved 128 undergraduate students who provided information about their experiences as high achieving students in an undergraduate degree program. Approximately 10% of all students enrolled across five different undergraduate degree programs in the faculty were defined as talented undergraduate students. These students were ethnically diverse and largely older than we had anticipated. The majority had not previously been identified as talented and many had been largely unsuccessful educationally, prior to embarking on their undergraduate studies. Several students experienced challenging personal circumstances, such as financial hardship and extensive family responsibilities. The grit or resilience demonstrated by these students seemed to explain the essence of the phenomenon of being a talented undergraduate student in this faculty.     

REAL: A philosophy of gifted/talented education to live by

Universal considerations should be included in every program for the gifted, using the special needs of the students as the basics for the program. In striving to ascertain the needs of these students, the author isolates responsibility, expectation, acceptance, and love of learning as necessary components.