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The main elements
of any good educational program do not essentially
change when differentiated for the highly able learner.
All students need to reflect upon and respond to good
literature, to write for a variety of audiences using
many different intents, to perform research effectively,
to be able to analyze and solve mathematics problems,
and to understand the processes and content of social
studies and science.
However, four differences must exist
if curriculum is to be appropriate for the highly able.
- The level must be advanced
to ensure challenge.
- The pace must be adjusted
to accommodate faster learning rates.
- The complexity of the curriculum
should reflect the capacity of the gifted learner
to process many
ideas
simultaneously.
- The depth of the curriculum
should allow the learner to continue exploring
a topic to the level of expert.
Students
with high abilities in the verbal areas should be
encouraged to read widely and choose reading material
that represents
many genre: novels, poetry, biographies, short narratives,
and exposition. The material should be complex, rich,
and fairly rigorous. The process of learning how
to write should not essentially differ for these students,
although there should be higher expectations for
the
final product. The classroom reading instructional program should
include use of:
- Junior Great Books
- William and Mary units (one per year at grades
2-8)
- At least
2-3 above grade level corebooks per marking period
- A list of books read independently
- Reading Response Logs employed in response
to questions that are analytic and interpretive
- Vocabulary Study
- Literature that is multicultural and global
in its outlook
- Exposure to many nonfiction works related to
the social studies and science units
- Instructional planning using the
Draft Reading Standards for the highly able reader,
Grades K–2, 3–5 or 6–8
The classroom writing program should reflect and include:
- A process approach that teaches students to
engage in prewriting activities, as well as editing
and revision.
Typically, a piece should go through more than
one draft
- Many forms of writing should be taught: narration,
essay, biography, and poetry
- Student Writing Portfolios that include preassessment,
baseline pieces, works in progress, and exemplary
pieces that illustrate student progress
- 6 Traits applied to writing instruction
and assessment
It is essential that all children
should learn to perform research, and this process should
include:
- Independent skill development that enables
a student to work successfully with minimal adult
support
- The generation of questions and problems to
be explored through a research process
- The selection of topics that are significant
and real world issues about which different stakeholder
groups
have different perspectives
Mathematics A program in mathematics for the highly able should
be fast-paced, emphasize concepts as well as procedures
and engage the student in solving multi-step problems.
The clustering of these students is critical if teachers
are to find the time necessary to develop and deliver
sound program to them.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is
an excellent resource for the updated standards upon
which MCPS has based its standards for highly able
students.
Such a program should include:
- Preassessment so that a minimum of time is spent
in review, drill, and practice
- Many opportunities for acceleration and enrichment
- Pacing that allows for one to three years of acceleration
- Objectives learned in a meaningful context with
much problem-solving and application
- Early access to probability, statistics, algebraic
structures and analysis, spatial awareness and
geometric considerations
- Instructional planning using the suggestions in
the curriculum guides for acceleration and extension
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