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The field of gifted education is based on the notion that some children and students either with demonstrated outstanding or very high potential can achieve at the highest levels of accomplishment in academic, creative, leadership, or artistic areas or domains, when compared with their peers. Research in gifted education has found that gifted and high-potential students require services or opportunities that are not always delivered in classrooms or schools across the country. A comprehensive review related to the need for and types of interventions required by gifted and talented students suggests that their needs are generally not met in American classrooms, where the focus is most often on struggling learners, and that many, if not most, classroom teachers have not had the training necessary to meet the needs of gifted students. Interventions for this population are based on an extremely strong research base that consistently demonstrates that the use of acceleration results in higher achievement for gifted and talented learners. Similarly, research on the use of enrichment and curriculum enhancement has found higher achievement benefits as well as other benefits such as opportunities for creative productivity and critical thinking. During the first decade of the 21st century, research has revealed that the differentiation of curriculum and instruction for gifted and talented students in regular classrooms seldom happens, due to lack of training, resources, and support, and so it is extremely important to initiate gifted programs for as much of this population of students as possible.
Article. 6343 words.
Subjects: Education ; Organization and Management of Education ; Philosophy and Theory of Education ; Schools Studies ; Teaching Skills and Techniques
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