January Newsletter Main Article
Several years ago, I overheard a conversation between two students. The
first student asked, “What does AEP stand for?” The second student replied,
“Add Extra Papers.” After I finished chuckling, I started thinking. What
does enrichment and acceleration work really constitute? I thought about the
success of gifted programs I have experienced in the past and what the
research says about appropriate gifted education. I came to the conclusion
that I wanted both AEP and PACE to emphasize quality over quantity and depth
over breadth. Simply assigning more work and lots of papers is not a
motivator for engagement in learning for elementary school children. However,
working on tasks that require deeper thinking, a little effort, creativity,
and creating a product are very motivating to children. Some examples of work
that require depth of thinking include…
The 4th grade project called IRP required students to read a novel, but they
did much more than just a book report. They had to look at the book from
several different angles and worked on studying the book for several weeks.
The third grade math homework in December and January has comprised story
problems that are not about basic computation. They are about logic and
analysis. I have seen students spend 20-30 minutes on one problem. They beam
with pride upon successful completion.
The PACE program emphasizes thinking, non-verbal reasoning and creativity. I
have seen some students playing a game called Freeze Frame, where they will
spend several minutes analyzing a set of images and playing out tactical moves
in their head.
These examples illustrate that the best “extra work” involves a mental
challenge and some fun, not just papers.
