Over the past 50 years, our understanding of the gifted mind has evolved substantially. Today, researchers and educators know that gifted children aren’t just profoundly intelligent; they think – and learn – differently than neurotypical children. As such, extra work alone won’t keep them engaged in the classroom or inspire them to reach their full potential. Instead, these children require targeted learning strategies that tap into their natural curiosity, creativity, abstract thinking ability, and advanced problem-solving skills.
In this article, we’ll discuss the defining qualities of successful gifted learning programs. We'll also explain the value of several popular educational strategies for gifted children: inquiry, problem-based learning, and bibliotherapy.
What Are the Hallmarks of an Effective Gifted Learning Program?
All successful gifted learning programs begin with the guidance of capable instructors who possess an advanced understanding of the gifted learning style. Notably, teachers of gifted children should avoid rote learning (when possible) in favour of dynamic, carefully planned lessons that stimulate creative and critical thinking. They should also cultivate a classroom environment where independent learning, open inquiry, and lively group discussions are actively encouraged.
Other hallmarks of effective gifted learning programs include:
Diverse instructional methods
Gifted and talented children crave variety. Instructors should therefore incorporate a mix of small and large group activities into the curriculum, in addition to providing opportunities for independent and extracurricular learning. The idea that gifted kids always work better alone is a myth: In reality, they thrive on interacting with like-minded peers, so cooperative learning strategies are fundamental to their success. Too much independent learning carries the risk of inundating gifted kids with passive information, rather than stimulating their minds with active learning.
Appropriate pacing is another crucial component of gifted learning programs. Teachers should vary the pace of lessons, providing both fast-paced instruction (to challenge the mental agility of gifted kids) and more relaxed educational settings that emphasize deep, contemplative thought. Alternating between these paces will prevent children from becoming either bored or overwhelmed.
A focus on generative learning
Generative learning (the process of actively integrating new information with previously learned concepts) allows gifted children to derive a sense of meaning from lessons, which is essential to keeping them engaged. Teachers should focus on active learning techniques that involve gifted children in generating new ideas and solutions to existing problems. This is accomplished through several key strategies, including inquiry, problem-solving, and group discussion.
Personalization
Like all kids, gifted children demonstrate a broad range of different learning styles. According to the theory of multiple intelligences, there may be as many as eight forms of intelligence, including verbal, mathematical, musical, kinesthetic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existentialist intelligence. A gifted child may exhibit strong ability in several of these areas or specialize heavily in one area. As such, effective teachers of the gifted will strive to select learning strategies that match the cognitive style of each child while still challenging children to improve their areas of weakness.
Gifted kids should also be allowed to specialize in the subjects they’re most passionate about. Being offered opportunities to learn advanced content, connect with mentors, enroll in competitions, or take on leadership roles, for instance, can all enrich a gifted child’s learning in his or her domains of interest. Having these opportunities will also encourage the gifted child to take measured risks by exposing him to novel challenges and learning situations. This experience is necessary to prevent complacency and perfectionism, both of which are prominent issues among gifted kids. (i.e., the belief that learning should always be easy, and if a task is difficult, it indicates a failure on the part of the student.)
A clear sense of purpose.
Learning strategies are only as valuable as the purpose they serve. To keep students focused and engaged, teachers must avoid becoming overly preoccupied with instructional processes and techniques. When creating gifted learning programs, it’s essential to put content first and foremost and ensure the learning strategies chosen facilitate exploring that content. Each lesson should have a clear goal to reach, or a problem to solve, even if students are encouraged to think creatively when approaching said goal or problem.
Inquiry, Problem-Based Learning, and Bibliotherapy: 3 Effective Educational Strategies for Gifted Children
Gifted learning programs typically incorporate several core educational strategies: Inquiry, problem-based learning, and bibliotherapy. When employed using the instructional techniques outlined above, these techniques offer a proven way to encourage active learning and critical thinking. Multiple studies have linked inquiry and problem-based learning to improved intrinsic motivation and reasoning skills among gifted students, along with higher levels of academic achievement.
Inquiry
Inquiry-based learning prompts students to use their critical thinking skills to identify patterns, concepts, solutions, and underlying principles when presented with new information. Students will generally be provided with learning material (such as text, photographs, objects, or data), then they will be asked to interpret the material.
Inquiry-based learning differs from traditional learning in that the student is an active participant in deciphering the information provided. Rather than being asked to memorize information provided by a teacher, students must organize information and derive meaning from it using their cognitive skills. For example, in a traditional learning environment, a student might be asked to label a diagram of a flower using information provided by his teacher or textbook. Under the inquiry-based learning model, by contrast, the student might be asked to examine four different living flowers, then answer multiple open-ended questions based on his or her observations. (E.g., how is each flower different? How are they alike? Can you guess what purpose is served by the parts common to each flower?) Students may tackle these questions independently, or they may collaborate with their peers to develop satisfactory answers.
Inquiry-based learning isn’t always recommended for non-gifted learners because it can be prohibitively time-consuming. However, most gifted children develop a strong capacity for formal operational thought early in life, which allows them to excel at discovery and interpretation. Moreover, gifted kids typically enjoy having the opportunity to connect seemingly disparate ideas, organize chaotic information, and relate concepts back to themselves. This learning style allows them to freely exercise their natural curiosity and desire for exploration.
Problem-Based Learning
Problem-based learning is a process of guided inquiry where students are presented with a complex, unresolved real-world problem to solve. Examples of applicable problems include climate change, ongoing conflicts in the middle east, and global overpopulation, among other issues.
Working in small groups (typically consisting of 4-5 students), gifted children are asked to brainstorm potential solutions to the issue at hand. Teachers assist in structuring the process by asking questions to clarify what students already know about the problem, what else they might need to learn before attempting to solve it, and where they can find reliable information about the issue. As the discussion progresses, the teacher will pose more nuanced questions to students to further deepen their understanding of the problem or inspire them to re-think their posited solutions.
Students will generally work on these problems for a significant length of time (weeks, months, or an entire semester). At the end of the project period, they will be asked to present their solution and explain, in detail, how and why they chose it.
Problem-based learning is effective for gifted students because it gives them a chance to explore major world issues in a constructive, empowering manner. Without careful guidance, gifted children often ruminate on (and become overwhelmed by) significant global problems, so problem-based learning is an essential tool for developing a healthy understanding of how to manage these issues.
Bibliotherapy
Many gifted children are avid readers, and for good reason: Through books, highly intelligent children can gain insight into themselves, others, and society at large. Educators can leverage this natural love of reading to enhance gifted kids’ psychosocial skills, thereby mitigating some of the challenges posed by asynchronous development. (Most gifted kids have age-appropriate emotional and social needs, despite possessing advanced intellectual abilities.)
During bibliotherapy, students are provided with books chosen to stimulate the exploration of key issues related to the gifted experience. Examples of relevant themes to examine include perfectionism, overcoming social isolation, and learning how to relate to (and value) people who are very different from one’s self. Teachers will use open-ended questions to encourage children to identify the main issues the story’s protagonist faced, relate them to their own experiences, and think of ways to apply what the protagonist learned to problems in their own lives.
How Parents Can Optimize Their Gifted Child’s Educational Experience
Because the effectiveness of gifted programs relies substantially on personalization, it’s crucial to ensure your child’s education is a good match for his (or her) cognitive style. After you receive the results of your child’s psychoeducational assessment, review them with a child psychologist who has experience working with gifted learners. A qualified mental health professional will be able to give you feedback about your child’s strengths and weaknesses, along with describing his general learning style. You can then relay this information to your child’s educators and discuss the best ways to maximize his academic potential.
