As a parent of a gifted child, you know the importance of quality gifted children education. Yet, it can be hard to narrow down your options. Today, many public schools offer gifted and talented programs, and you also can choose to send them to a private school or supplement with distance learning. As you explore your options, be on the lookout for these characteristics of a quality program that will give your gifted child the support they need to develop their talents.
Diverse Curriculum
Gifted children have the tendency to delve deeply into a single subject, yet this can hinder their progress in other academic areas. For this reason, quality gifted education programs offer a comprehensive curriculum that includes core subjects such as mathematics and language alongside other courses such as physical education. Each class should also include a combination of individual, small group and whole group instruction that ensures every child’s needs are recognized.
Inquiry Based Learning
In a normal classroom, basic concepts are often taught using factual information that tends to focus on rote memorization. This type of instruction, however, fails to deliver the depth that gifted children need. For this reason gifted children education encourages lively discussions that foster an environment for children to ask those deeper questions that develops understanding. As children work on group projects and experiments, they develop problem-solving skills that can be used in every aspect of their lives.
In-Depth Study Opportunities
Although gifted children need a comprehensive curriculum, that does not mean that their need to dive into their favorite subjects should be neglected. Individual study projects are a major part of gifted children education programs, and they allow children to select and pursue a subject in-depth. Sometimes, this means they spend several weeks researching information to compile into a report, or it could mean that they practice a musical instrument every day after school. Either way, the program you choose should have a component that allows your child to be fully immersed in their favorite subjects for a portion of their day.
Performance Evaluations
Traditional letter grades do not always make sense to gifted children who understand that their performance on a single test does not always accurately portray their understanding. For this reason, programs for gifted children often use what is called a narrative evaluation. This involves providing constructive feedback regarding a child’s engagement and performance that offers far more detail than a single letter grade. Using these evaluations, children have a clear plan for improvement along with positive comments regarding areas in which they excel.
Enrichment Courses
Even for a gifted child, all work and no play is never a good thing. Enrichment courses allow kids a chance to relax and just enjoy learning. The best enrichment courses are fun but also provide valuable lessons. For example, Lego robotics teaches kids science and technology while still incorporating elements of play that are appealing to children. Ideally, these enrichment opportunities should also be available during the summer so that your child never experiences a lapse in their learning.
Finding the right educational program for your gifted child requires careful consideration of their needs alongside the components offered through the school. Once they are enrolled in the program, however, the effort will be worth it as they begin to unfold a wide open world full of the support they need to take their talents to the next level.
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