Gifted Scholars Need Support
Gifted scholars need supports just like musicians and athletes. They need to be guided by teachers who are trained and supported in providing gifted education. The gifted scholars need to be continually challenged and supported to fully develop their talents. In a survey of teachers, it was found that 73% of teachers believe that the brightest scholars are bored and under-challenged in school (Fordham Institute Study). Gifted scholars are not always A+ scholars and it is not unusual to find that a given scholar may have a gift in just one area.
Not All Teachers Are Able to Recognize or Support Gifted Scholars
Most teachers are unfamiliar with the needs of gifted scholars and do not know how to best accommodate them in their classrooms. Identifying the gifted scholar is not intuitive. Yet 58% of teachers have had no professional instruction addressing academically advanced scholar identification or instruction. (Fordham Institute Study) This makes it very difficult to maintain a challenging atmosphere for the gifted scholar.
Gifted Scholars Can Lack Motivation
Education theory says that you have to pay attention to new information 7 times before you have learned it and it is in long term memory. Gifted scholars may not always need that much repetition and that repetition can lead to a display of disinterest and a lack of motivation. It is the daily challenges that keep the gifted scholars from becoming bored and fidgety. When they lose hope and motivation for participating in the classroom they may drop out.
Gifted Scholars Benefit from Appropriate Classroom Grouping
Interactions with peers at similar performance levels prevents boredom, frustration, and lack of motivation that occurs when placed with low or average-ability scholars. A gifted scholar’s advanced capacity requires modifications to the regular curriculum or learning environment to ensure that they are challenged and learn novel material with the support of individualized services that meet their unique learning needs.
Gifted Education Programs Must Address Individualized Needs
Gifted education programs address unique and individualized needs and there are no differences related to identification from IEPs for scholars with disabilities.
Underachievement Can Be A Sign of Giftedness
Low achievement occurs in gifted scholars despite many gifted scholars being one half or more grade-levels ahead of their same-aged peers. This results in boredom and frustration from sitting in an un-challenging classroom, resulting in a loss of interest or motivation to achieve. This environment leads to the development of bad study habits, development of low self-esteem, and distrust of the school environment, or even depression resulting in low achievement. They need motivation, nurturing of talents, and development of good work habits. It is not uncommon to have a discrepancy between a scholar’s performance and their actual ability due to boredom. Despite having above-average cognitive abilities, when the educational needs are not met appropriately, a gifted scholar may not show exceptional achievement in school. Many gifted scholars underachieve in school and often drop out.
Gifted Scholars May Not Adjust Well to Regular Education Environments
It is not uncommon for gifted scholars to have asynchronous development. This results in talents in one area and low functioning in another and often low emotional intelligence. Many gifted scholars have emotional needs, and sensitive feelings that result in isolation or being labeled weird. They are vulnerable to bullying and do not have positive school experiences. They often find it hard to find like-minded friends.
Gifted Scholars Can Also Have Disabilities
Twice-exceptional scholars go undetected in regular classrooms because their disability masks their gifts. Often twice-exceptional scholars are identified as having a learning disability and are then not evaluated for gifted education.
Communication Can Be Challenging for Gifted Scholars
Verbal communication can be difficult because gifted scholars want to express the complex ideas in their heads into language that others can understand. They may hesitate to respond, stutter, or show low levels of frustration tolerance.
AP Classes Are Not A Gifted Program
AP classes offer rigorous, advanced course work, but they are not a gifted education program. AP classes include a limited number of subjects at a college-level and are taught by high school teachers. AP programming is offered in high school only. Gifted programming and services are something different and include appropriate curriculum, use of research-based instructional supports, and teacher training in the identification of gifted scholars and gifted education strategies.
Gifted Identification Should Occur Early
Early high performance in a domain predicts later educational, occupational, and creative accomplishments in that domain. People strong in math or verbal domains at an early age tend to achieve extraordinary accomplishments in their domain of strength. If we are not trying to meet the needs of the gifted until high school, how many gifted scholars have lost their motivation and interest? How many of them never get the opportunity to flourish because no one encourages their talents?
Gifted Scholars Represent A Significant Part of The School Population
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights estimates that 6% or 3.2 million school-aged scholars in public schools participate in gifted programs. Yet, American scholars score lower on achievement tests compared with scholars in most other developed countries.
It Is Common for Gifted Scholars to Have Low Self Esteem
They recognize that they are different from most scholars and may isolate themselves from their peers. It is often easier for these scholars to relate to adults than their peers.
Gifted Scholars May Find Interpersonal Relationships Challenging.
They may lack emotional intelligence and pragmatic language skills necessary for interpersonal relationships.
Gifted Scholars Are Often Misdiagnosed with ADD /ADHD
They have trouble paying attention in class if under-challenged and this mimics the same symptoms as attention-deficit.
Gifted Scholars May Have Performance Anxiety
Gifted scholars quickly become used to excelling in school but may over-identify with their performance. They may avoid taking risks and refuse to do any activity they perceive as too challenging. They can be perfectionists and struggle to perform to their unrealistic standards. This can result in behaviors due to anger and upset, which can lead to depression since they take academic failure personally and a perceived sense of or real failure damages their self-esteem. They may lack the skills of persistence and resilience.
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