Check out the Links section for more information.........
- What is the difference between a bright child and a gifted learner?
- What is the difference between a high achiever, gifted learner, and a creative thinker?
- What is EXTEND?
- What is the criteria for screening students for EXTEND?
- What is the criteria for participation in EXTEND?
- What about assignments missed while the student is in EXTEND?
- What is CUB CLUB?
- How are students chosen for CUB CLUB?
- What is K-2 Enrichment?
- How are students chosen for Enrichment?
What is the difference between a bright child and a gifted learner?
Bright Child vs. Gifted Learner
Knows the answers Asks the questions
Is interested Is highly curious
Is attentive Is mentally and physically involved
Has good ideas Has wild, silly ideas
Works hard Plays around, yet tests well
Answers the questions Discusses in detail, elaborates
Top group Beyond the group
Listens with interest Shows strong feelings and opinions
Learns with ease Already knows
6-8 repetitions for mastery 1-2 repetitions for mastery
Understands ideas Constructs abstractions
Enjoys peers Prefers adults
Grasps the meaning Draws inferences
Completes assignments Initiates projects
Is receptive Is intense
Copies accurately Creates a new design
Enjoys school Enjoys learning
Absorbs information Manipulates information
Technician Inventor
Good at memorization Good guesser
Enjoys straightforward Thrives on complexity
sequential presentation
Is alert Is keenly observant
Is pleased with own learning Is highly self-critical
What is the difference between a high achiever, gifted learner, and a creative thinker?
High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Thinker
Bertie Kingore, Ph.D.
Identification of gifted students is clouded when concerned adults misinterpret
high achievement
as giftedness. High-achieving students are noticed for their on-time, neat, well-
developed, and
correct learning products. Adults comment on these students' consistent high
grades and note
how well they acclimate to class procedures and discussions. Some adults assume
these students
are gifted because their school-appropriate behaviors and products surface
above the typical
responses of grade-level students.
Educators with expertise in gifted education are frustrated trying to help other
educators and
parents understand that while high achievers are valuable participants whose
high-level
modeling is welcomed in classes, they learn differently from gifted learners. In
situations in which
they are respected and encouraged, gifted students' thinking is more complex
with abstract
inferences and more diverse perceptions than is typical of high achievers.
Articulating those
differences to educators and parents can be difficult.
In 1989, Janice Szabos published a comparison of the bright child and the gifted
learner. Her
comparison helps to delineate differences between the two groups and provides a
useful format
for discussions. However, some of the items listed in the comparison are
questionable. For
example, the gifted learner is credited with having wild, silly ideas. In reality, it is
creative
thinkers who exhibit the ideas often called wild or silly; not all gifted learners
demonstrate that
aspect of the creative process. As a second example of concern, Szabos lists
bright children as
enjoying straightforward, sequential presentations. This behavior seems more
associated with
learning preferences than with ability. Arguably, some gifted learners also enjoy
straightforward,
sequential presentations, but their questions and responses to such a
presentation may
dramatically differ from the questions and responses of bright children. As a final
example,
Szabos' comparison states that gifted learners prefer adults while bright children
enjoy peers.
This statement has negative connotations leading to the stereotype that gifted
learners are so
out of sync with society and have such poor social skills that they can only
communicate with
adults. In reality, gifted learners seek idea-mates rather than age-mates. They
enjoy the
company of peers when the peer group understands the shared ideas.
Responding to those concerns, a three-way comparison of a high achiever, a
gifted learner, and a
creative thinker is proposed for you to consider and ponder. No column is
intended to be
mutually exclusive. For example, a high achiever might also be a creative thinker,
and a gifted
learner might also be a creative thinker; a creative thinker might also be a high
achiever, and a
gifted learner might also be a high achiever. This three-column comparison
emerged over
several years while working with students representing all three of these groups.
Hundreds of
teachers and students reviewed and discussed the items as the comparison
developed.
These students and teachers found the following cartoons helpful in
understanding the
comparison since high achievers, gifted learners, and creative thinkers co-exist in
many
classrooms. In the first cartoon, the teacher announces an assignment, and the
high achiever
quickly tries to determine what the teacher most wants so he can please and
satisfy the teacher's
intentions: "What do you really want?" The gifted learner ponders what to do that
would most
interest her as she learns: "What I would like to do is..." Simultaneously, the
creative thinker's
mind begins to race with all of the diverse and varied possibilities that could be
explored:
Later, in the second cartoon, the teacher poses a question to the class. The high
achiever is
delighted because he knows the answer and is in control: "Oh, I know that
answer!" The gifted
learner considers multiple nuances and alternative perspectives: "The question
could mean..." or
"It might suggest..." or "Another way to say that is..." or "Yah, but..." The creative
thinker is still
obsessed with the seemingly endless possibilities of the earlier assignment,
concentrating so
much on his ideas that he completely misses the teacher's question:
Consider sharing this three-way comparison with your gifted students to elicit
their perceptions.
If you wish, their responses can be shared with the author at the email listed
below. Stimulating
discussion rather than fostering agreement is the goal. The results might clarify
or extend
understanding among administrators, teachers, parents, and students of the
marvelous
similarities and differences among high achievers, gifted learners, and creative
thinkers.
Gifted learners prefer idea-mates rather than age-mates. They enjoy the
company of peers when
the peer group understands the shared ideas.
___________ References ___________
Szabos, J. (1989). Bright child, gifted learner. Challenge, 34. Good Apple.
Kingore, B. (Spring 2004). High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Learner.
Understanding Our Gifted.
www.bertiekingore.com
What is EXTEND?
EXTEND was established as an enrichment program to serve third through eighth
grade gifted and talented students selected according to specific selection/
participation criteria. The objectives of the program include the provision of
academically challenging work and experiences beyond the scope of the normal
activities provided in the regular classroom.
What is the criteria for screening students for EXTEND?
Students are considered for screening by the following: nomination by classroom
teachers, TCAP scores, classroom grades, creativity, and motivation to learn.
Parental request for testing will be considered.
What is the criteria for participation in EXTEND?
1. Students must maintain a "C" grade in all academic core areas on their report
card to remain in EXTEND. Students who make below a "C" in core classes on
their report card will not be allowed to attend EXTEND classes until either: the
mid-nine week report documents a "C" or above in all core subjects or the
following nine week report card grade is at the acceptable level. If grades remain
below a "C" for the remainder of the year, a parent/teacher/student conference
will determine what is the student's best interest for the next year.
2. Students must maintain an acceptable level of performance during the EXTEND
pull-out sessions in order to remain in the program. They will be expected to
complete assigned projects on time and at an acceptable level of creativity and
overall quality. If students do not maintain EXTEND standards, parents will be
asked to participate in a conference to determine if EXTEND is in the student's
best interest.
3. Students not meeting program guidelines will not be permitted to participate
in any outside EXTEND activities.
4. Students wishing to exit the program must have a signed note from a parent.
What about assignments missed while the student is in EXTEND?
Classroom assignments missed by students during EXTEND classes or activities
will be modified according to the individual child's needs. If time is given in class
for homework assignments, while EXTEND students are out, then their homework
is to be reduced or modified as needed to ensure mastery of lesson skills.
Classroom teachers shall give adequate time for missed tested to be completed.
EXTEND students involved in field trips and academic competitions will not be
counted absent and the same make-up policy applies.
What is CUB CLUB?
CUB CLUB is an intervention program K-2. Students participating in CUB CLUB
receive explicit basic skills instruction in a small group setting.
How are students chosen for CUB CLUB?
Students struggling to master basic skills are chosen to participate in EXTEND?
What is K-2 Enrichment?
Enrichment classes meet 1 to 2 times per week for at least 30 minutes. During
Enrichment time, students receive small group instruction focused on developing
higher-order thinking skills, problem-solving, and creativity.
How are students chosen for Enrichment?
K-2 Enrichment is less formal than the 3rd and 4th grade EXTEND program.
Students are chosen based upon their Reading Level.