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A Mind Beyond Her Years

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 01:52:52 GMT

By Mary Grace Maquiniana Santos

She walks through the world with wonder in her eyes,

A mind that dances where imagination flies,

At four, yet deeper than the years she’s lived,

A soul so bright, with so much to give.

Her questions bloom like stars in endless skies,

Each thought a spark of sweet surprise,

She reads with ease, as if she’s always known,

In every word, her brilliance is shown.

She moves to music with a graceful art,

Each step and rhythm from her heart,

She plays her songs so pure and true,

A melody only she can do.

With brush and colour, she creates her view,

A world of beauty in every hue,

Her art speaks softly, bold yet free,

A glimpse of who she’s meant to be.

Though time says four, my heart feels something more,

Like I have known her long before,

A bond that stretches past what we can see,

A thread of love through eternity.

Unmasking missed identification

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:40:31 GMT

Amanda Larkin

My mum was told in the 1980s that girls do not get ADHD.

She did not believe them. Instead, she kept every medical report and school report. Thirty years later, those documents became the evidence I needed for a diagnosis that should have been recognised decades earlier.

Reading those reports now, they practically scream twice-exceptional.

Does not answer the question.
Distracted.
Could achieve so much more if she just paid attention.
Wasting her potential.
Wasting her parents' money on tutors and still only scraping through.
Attendance dropping.

There was no "school can't" back then. It was just called wagging.

I spent most of my life believing I simply was not very smart.

My ATAR equivalent was not high enough for university. I entered teaching through a side door, a non-direct pathway after a gap year, already convinced I was less capable than everyone around me.

My brain did not work the way school expected.

I could research for hours. Fall down rabbit holes of curiosity. Read endlessly. Learn constantly. But essays stayed unfinished. Deadlines slipped past. The Masters that began in 2003 never quite made it to the end. Crafts and projects piled in a shed with the moniker, “The Mausoleum of Lost Crafts.” Jobs lasted a few years before frustration and itchy feet set in and I moved on.

For fifteen years of teaching, I masked. Every day felt like I was an imposter who was getting away with something. Like someone would eventually realise I did not really belong there.

Then my children were identified as twice-exceptional.

I did what I did best when I needed answers. I hyper-focused. I read everything. I researched late into the night. I learned how to advocate for them in systems that were not built to see them clearly.

After fifteen years working with teenagers, I had already seen the pattern. I knew intelligence and school results were not the same thing. The research simply gave a name to what I had been seeing all along, along with the language and evidence to advocate for it.

As I learned, I quickly started seeing my students differently too. The quiet ones. The frustrated ones. The ones who were bright but somehow never quite fit the expectation of reaching their potential.

Then the advocacy part came quickly. It was not a lightbulb moment. It was a fierce need for justice. Justice for my children, justice for the students I had missed, and justice for future students so that they would never fall through the gaps on my watch.

When someone mentioned that giftedness could be genetic, I laughed. Not a shy knowing giggle, but a deep-seated ironic chortle.

The ADHD maybe.
But giftedness? Not a chance.

After the tireless nagging from supportive friends with kids like mine, I eventually agreed to an IQ assessment.

When the results came back, I stared at the numbers in disbelief.

How could that possibly be true?

How could someone with those results have spent decades struggling to pass almost every formal learning experience she had ever had?

Accepting that intelligence and school results are not the same thing was easy when I was advocating for children.

Accepting that the same truth applied to me has taken far longer. It is still ongoing.

Now I am learning something new.

How to unmask.
How to speak to myself with compassion.
How to be authentically myself.

My friends jokingly call me The Velvet Sledgehammer. An advocate who pushes back against systems that overlook the very learners they are meant to serve.

My voice is varied, but it is far from rare.

A girl who was unseen as a learner.
A perfectionist.
A people pleaser.
A self gas lighter who believed she was below average on the smarts scale.

This is why the theme of Gifted Awareness Week, Varied Voices, Shared Future, matters.

Because giftedness does not always look the way we expect. Sometimes it looks like unfinished assignments. Falling attendance. Bright ideas that never make it onto the page. Sometimes it looks like a girl whose potential is written about in every report but never quite understood, supported and allowed to grow wings and fly.

My future now is dedicated to amplifying those varied voices. The voices of our asynchronous, neurodivergent, gifted children so that they do not need to use their voices in order to be seen. That being seen is a given, not a privilege of luck or context.

So that their varied voices are part of a shared future that is supported and understood long before they reach their forties and realise they were never the problem. A future where the narrow expectation of what giftedness is supposed to look like is a distant memory, replaced by recognition of the beautiful variety of gifted expression.

Back to school: From both sides of the desk

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:17:42 GMT

Part 1: For Families

Supporting the Back-to-School Transition for Young Gifted Children

For many families, the final weeks of the school holidays can feel long, with parents counting down the days until routines return. And yet, for some children, the first weeks back at school can feel surprisingly hard, even for those who generally enjoy school.

This is more common than many parents expect. For young gifted and twice-exceptional children in particular, the adjustment back to school can take a little more time. Below are some practical ideas to support this transition, along with reassurance that you are not alone in finding it tricky.

Why this transition can feel big

Gifted children often experience change more intensely. While they may understand what is happening, their emotional adjustment does not always move at the same pace. New routines, expectations, social dynamics, and a shift away from holiday freedom can all contribute to feelings bubbling up at home.

This might look like:

Big emotions that seem out of proportion
Morning routines becoming harder than usual
Emotional exhaustion or meltdowns after school

These responses are not a sign of poor coping. More often, they are a sign of adjustment. It does not mean something is wrong. It simply means your child’s nervous system is working extra hard to recalibrate.

A few gentle ways to support the transition

Expect a settling-in period: Even when school is positive, transitions take time. A wobbly start does not mean the year will not go well.

Bring routines back slowly: Focus first on a few key anchors such as wake time, meals, and bedtime. Other expectations, including screen time, can be reintroduced gradually with clear and communicated boundaries.

Keep expectations realistic: The early weeks are about helping children feel regulated and safe again. If everyone gets out the door on time, that is a win.

Stay connected with school: Where possible, keep communication open and simple. Shared language between home and school can really help. For example:

“We are all still settling back into routines.”

“It is okay if this takes a little time.”

A final thought...

For many children, things do settle within a few weeks. And if they do not, that is okay too. It may simply mean that this transition needs a little more time and care. Staying connected with your child’s school, and leaning on professionals who understand your child and your family, can help you work out what support might be useful next. This may include your paediatrician, psychologist, or reaching out to me to talk through ways to support a smoother and more gentle transition.

Part 2: For Teachers

Supporting Gifted Learners in the First Weeks Back

This time last year, while working as a teacher in a school, I remember the familiar feeling that comes with new class lists, handover notes, and early curriculum planning. The first few days are often filled with professional learning, and there never seems to be quite enough time to plan those initial lessons, let alone pause and think about students with higher or more complex needs.

Looking beyond the class list

Class lists and handover notes can be helpful, but they rarely tell the full story, and sometimes they do not exist at all. Some gifted learners may be flagged for high ability, behaviour challenges, or learning support. Others may not be flagged at all, particularly students who are new to your school.

As you look over your class list, it can be helpful to keep a few early observations in mind, such as:

Finishing classwork much faster than others
Appearing bored or disengaged
Asking out-of-the-box questions
Struggling to get started despite strong verbal ideas

For twice-exceptional learners, strengths and difficulties often sit side by side. A student may demonstrate advanced reasoning while finding organisation, emotional regulation, or task initiation more challenging.

Early curriculum planning ideas

In the first weeks, curriculum choices can help reveal strengths and support engagement without adding extra workload. One approach I often recommend is the Depth and Complexity framework, developed by leading figure in gifted education Sandra Kaplan. This framework encourages students to think more deeply about content through ideas such as patterns, perspectives, and big concepts, rather than simply moving faster or doing more work.

Planning tasks with built-in depth allows gifted learners to extend their thinking naturally while still working alongside peers. Offering choice in how learning is demonstrated, such as written, verbal, visual, or creative responses, can also support students with uneven profiles to show what they know in different ways.

A final thought...

The first few weeks of the year are an exciting time to get to know your students and start noticing patterns as they emerge. Taking a little time to understand how your students think, what sparks their interest, and where they might need support can make a real difference.

Touching base early with colleagues such as learning support staff, gifted education teachers, wellbeing teams, or school leadership can also help build shared understanding and clearer pathways of support as the year unfolds.

By Hayley Kuperholz

A search for happiness

Fri, 30 May 2025 22:55:22 GMT

The constant search for wellbeing and happiness is one that might be familiar to many gifted families.

Here is the story of one gifted child, and all that it took to find happiness.

"We knew really early that they were gifted,” said their mother Deb. They actually taught themself to read at two and a half. But back then, I still didn’t actually know anything about giftedness.”

"We had them tested before starting school and it came back that they were profoundly gifted," said Deb. "And that’s when the struggle started." Adding, “I think I called every school in our area. A few even admitted that they would not be able to cater for them”.

The family decided on a school that said they could support gifted children. "We chose one that said, 'Yes, we can do this, we can do that.’ “We did have a lot of separation issues at preschool, and that was just an indication of what was to come. We didn’t realise at the time it was because they were so bored," said Deb. "They just didn’t want to go."

To help with the separation anxiety, in term 4 of the year before they were due to start school, Deb's child went to school just a few mornings a week to help with the transition. After two weeks however, the inclusion teacher told Deb that they would need to go to grade 1 instead of prep as they were just so far ahead. So they commenced getting them enrolled in Prep full time for the remainder of term 4.

Deb said, “The big problems began once they’d started grade 1. The teacher didn’t understand about their level of giftedness at all.”

“We had kicking and screaming trying to get them to school because they were so disappointed that it wasn’t what they thought it was going to be,” she said

“Even when they were doing the transition days in Prep, I remember they came home one day saying “I’m so stupid. I’m so dumb. I’m trying to talk to the kids about the periodic table, and they don’t want to have anything to do with it anymore because they’re past that now.” I had to explain that the other kids probably didn’t know what the periodic table even was’, Deb recalled.

Throughout grade 1 Deb tried advocating for another grade skip. Further testing revealed they were working at a grade 3 level, so it was no wonder they didn’t want to go to grade 1, but the school didn’t want to do another skip, said Deb. “I was trying to work with them, offering to help any way I could, but it was like every meeting I went into they were straight on the defensive,” she said. “By the end of grade 1 we knew we weren’t getting anywhere, so we moved schools to an independent school with a philosophy that children’s class levels shouldn’t be dictated by their age,” said Deb.

Deb explained that year two started out great at the new school. The teacher understood and she was a high school trained teacher so was able to extend them. At lunch times they were hanging out with year 10, 11 and 12 students (supervised in the library) so they were able to have conversations with older kids about their favourite subject - chemistry.

However, half-way through year three the problems started again. “They got a new classroom teacher, who just did not get them, so it was back to refusing to go to school.” “I was standing outside the classroom for two hours trying to get them to go into the classroom,” Deb said.

“At this point we had a discussion with Michele Juratowich, a gifted education consultant, who basically told me that I’m not going to find a perfect school for them because they don’t exist.” “The biggest thing Michele told me that I really took on board was that we needed a school with flexibility,” said Deb. “Michelle said that when you get to the kids that have IQs over the 140s they really need a school that’s flexible and willing to work with the family.” “So the school search started again!”

“That’s when I had discussions with Capalaba State College. They allowed us to have a flexible arrangement where our child would attend school four days per week and then attend an external one-day program for gifted children.” Deb told us. It was then that Deb introduced their school principal to the lead educator of the one-day program. “The program eventually relocated to our school, and seeing the need and increasing numbers it eventually morphed into the current High Capacity program”.

Once our child was in this gifted program they really started to take off. They were radically accelerated several years ahead in maths and science and were even able to do subjects with the high school classes. The timetabling was complicated, but the school always did what they could to make it work, and didn’t shy away from allowing them to accelerate through the subjects they needed much more challenge in.

Then at the end of year 8, at 13 years old, they decided they wanted to sit the American College Board SATs for fun, where they essentially scored the equivalent to about an ATAR 89. This allowed them to actually enter some university courses. So at this point they applied to study a Bachelor of Science in Physics at the University of Southern Queensland and was accepted. They did a couple of subjects and did well, but unfortunately they didn’t like the online study, so at the age of 14 they transferred across to Griffith University, where they could study on campus. This they love! They still go to high school for the social development and having the opportunity to do elective subjects, and they go to university for their love of learning in their passion area, and they are enjoying the social interactions as well.

For anyone reading this, thinking this all sounds so complicated! We asked Deb, why? What are the benefits? Her answer? – mental health.

“The benefit is mental health – and that’s all we’ve always strived for,” said Deb. “They aren't bored by what they're doing now, whereas if they were still back in their year level we’d have that boredom, the behaviour and the school refusal. They would be miserable,” she said.

“Our biggest goal is always happiness – are they happy?,” Deb said. Adding, “schools do have their own duty of care as well, to create well rounded students, and for gifted kids this isn’t going to be possible if their intellectual health isn’t being developed alongside their emotional health.”

“These kids have this advanced cognitive ability, and most of the time their social / emotional ability is either age appropriate or years above as well,” said Deb. “We might not think it sometimes because they can come across as younger, but I realised they understand and take on so much more than we might realise and generally appear younger or more immature when they are trying to self-normalise or fit in with their age peers’, Deb explained.

“That’s why allowing them to connect with both intellectual peers and social / emotional peers is so important,” Deb concluded.

From Policy to Practice: The Teacher Who Changed Everything

Thu, 29 May 2025 11:39:08 GMT

By Dr Kate Aster (Burton)

Gifted Awareness Week always makes me reflect on the long road we’ve travelled. It’s been a 22-year journey for me, both personally and professionally, shaped entirely by my child’s experience of being twice-exceptional in a world that didn’t know what to make of them.

Like so many 2e kids, mine didn’t present the way schools expected. Yes, they were gifted. That part was obvious. But they were also anxious, highly sensitive, perfectionistic, and completely disconnected from their peers. In a classroom surrounded by same-age students and held to grade-level expectations, they were bored, overwhelmed, and starting to shut down. At home, we watched their spark dim.

And yet, when I tried to advocate, not only as a parent but also as a PhD candidate specialising in giftedness at the time, no-one would listen. Not really. Every conversation felt like a dead end. Every meeting felt like it was designed to 'contain' rather than support. I was advocating relentlessly, but it was exhausting and isolating. The system just wasn’t built to respond.

Then one teacher changed everything.

We were lucky. Really lucky. We had all but given up. We were home schooling, when a chance phone call I made while looking for a mentor, resulted in finding someone who saw our child clearly and who was brave enough to do something about it. This teacher didn’t wait for permission. They advocated internally, organised the right assessments, and helped facilitate radical acceleration into a gifted and talented program.

That decision shifted everything.

Finally, our child was with peers who thought more similarly to them. They were more intellectually engaged. They received more challenging work. They entered competitions. And that challenge helped reduce their perfectionism, while the social connection improved their mental health - immeasurably. They began to feel seen and safe, and their confidence grew.

They went on to graduate high school three years early - with distinction. They completed university three years early, and then received First Class Honours. Not because we pushed them, but because they were finally allowed to work in a way that suited their developmental readiness. They joined clubs, sat on committees, found their voice. All of these things that once felt completely out of reach when they were stuck at grade level and drowning emotionally. In primary school, the focus was on surviving the day. On keeping our child in one piece.

This experience didn’t just change their life. It changed mine too.

At the time, I wasn’t yet working in mental health. I was just desperately trying to get the system to see my child. The trauma of that experience became the catalyst for everything that followed. I completed a PhD, began publishing in the areas of giftedness and neurodiversity, and eventually became the Clinical Director of a specialist clinic supporting these children and their families.

I also founded Gifted WA, nearly ten years ago now, because I didn’t want other families to go through what we did. I wanted to build a community. I wanted parents to be equipped to advocate effectively. And I wanted educators and professionals to truly understand the complexity and potential of these children.

But here’s the thing: we should never have had to fight that hard.

In Western Australia, we do technically have a Gifted and Talented in Public Schools Policy, but it is primarily made up of guidelines. Implementation varies widely across schools. The outcome often comes down to whether a particular teacher is willing to listen, to learn, and to act.

This is why this year’s Gifted Awareness Week theme, “From Policy to Practice”, matters so much. Because even when a policy exists, if it is optional or inconsistently applied, it fails to protect the very students it’s meant to support, and families will continue to burn out trying to secure the most basic accommodations.

What happened for my child should not be the exception. It should be the standard.

When we get it right, when teachers and parents and professionals come together with shared understanding and a willingness to act, these students don’t just survive. They thrive.

And it’s time we made that the norm.

About the Author:

Dr Kate Aster is the Clinical Director of Alchemy Therapy and founder of Gifted WA and My Neurodivergent Child. With almost 20 years of research experience and a decade working as a mental health professional, Kate combines clinical expertise with lived experience. She is dedicated to advocating for systemic change in gifted education and helping families and professionals meet the complex needs of twice-exceptional children.

An Interview with Lachlan Thatcher, Principal of Capalaba State College, Queensland

Wed, 28 May 2025 23:01:41 GMT

“Gifted education doesn’t have to begin with a big budget or a new department—it starts with curiosity, conversation, and courage.”

Capalaba State College have a unique program for children who are gifted with additional learning needs or complexities that render them unable to flourish in a mainstream classroom. This includes children who are twice exceptional (gifted with additional learning needs like autism or ADHD), or children who have complex learning profiles or anxiety. Lachlan shared some of the challenges and successes of this unique program for our Gifted Awareness Week audience, in the hope more schools might explore programs of a similar nature.

Q. Could you tell me a bit about your school?

We are a State School, Prep to twelve.

Q. How are you catering to gifted learners at your school?

At Capalaba State College, we’ve embraced a flexible, strengths-based approach to meeting the needs of our gifted and twice-exceptional learners. Our flagship initiative is a blended learning model tailored to students with advanced abilities and additional needs. It features a carefully balanced mix of on-site and off-site learning, guided by a dedicated team of specialists.

The off-site component is particularly powerful for students who experience school-based anxiety or who thrive in self-directed environments. It enables them to pursue deep inquiry at their own pace. Meanwhile, the on-site sessions are purposefully designed for connection, peer collaboration, access to practical resources, or engagement in mentorship-based instruction.

We’ve found that this model supports academic excellence and honours each student's holistic development. It’s scalable and adaptable—something we’d love to see more schools explore and tailor to their unique communities.

Q. Do you have a gifted policy at Capalaba?

We are co-developing a gifted education policy, with our burning priority being an acceleration policy reflecting gifted learners' complexity and diversity that steps a somewhat unfamiliar leadership team through the process of accelerating students and accommodating a flexible learning journey that may also include tertiary studies. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, we aim to build a framework that supports inclusive identification, personalised programming, and classroom-level application.

The process has included input from leadership, support staff, gifted educators, and increasingly, mainstream classroom teachers. We aim to ensure the policy doesn't sit on a shelf—it should live and breathe in the everyday rhythms of school life.

Q. What have been some of the challenges in meeting the needs of your gifted students?

Some of our key challenges have stemmed from systemic constraints, such as timetabling or curriculum pacing. For example, integrating students into mainstream subjects while accommodating their accelerated learning paths requires creative negotiation and trust. Understandably, teachers sometimes worry that partial attendance might disrupt outcomes. However, we’ve consistently found that gifted students often excel, even with modified attendance, due to their capacity for rapid comprehension and independent application.

Acceleration, too, has been a learning journey for our staff. Initial concerns around social dynamics or text suitability, for example, are real and valid. However, once students are supported to thrive at their readiness level, their enthusiasm and deep engagement tend to dissolve doubts.

Q. What might you say to other schools who don’t currently have a dedicated gifted program, but might be thinking about how they could incorporate this into their school?

I suggest a long lead-in window with a lot of listening.

Building a gifted program isn’t just about identifying high achievers—it’s about co-constructing a learning culture that sees difference as potential. If I were starting again, I would spend more time engaging with parents and mainstream staff upfront. Their insights, concerns, and hopes are invaluable in designing something that can grow roots in the broader school ecosystem.

Gifted education doesn’t have to begin with a big budget or a new department—it starts with curiosity, conversation, and courage.

Q. How is giftedness perceived at your school? Some worry that it’s unfair to provide programming to students who are already seen to be ‘smart’ or that other parents will be upset if their child isn’t in the gifted program. Have these feelings been a problem for your school?

We’re on a journey toward greater integration. Right now, gifted education is sometimes perceived as a ‘separate stream,’ particularly by staff or families unfamiliar with the needs of twice-exceptional learners. This is a standard tension when introducing something new, especially when it challenges traditional models of uniformity and fairness. Six years after its introduction, we still see it in our Montessori program.

Our response has been to lean into transparency and collaboration, inviting staff to observe, participate, and even co-teach. One awesome, accelerated student in one mainstream class at a time will slowly reshape the narrative from “those kids over there” to “all of our kids, with different learning needs.”

Q. Do you have anything else you’d like to share in terms of how to take gifted policy into day-to-day practice in the classroom?

Policy only works when it's written with, not just for, the people implementing it. In our experience, the most effective strategy has been involving a diverse group in the drafting process, especially in mainstream classrooms. Their practical insights help ensure the policy is realistic, responsive, and empowering rather than prescriptive.

It’s also essential to keep the policy alive post-launch. We aim to treat it as a working document that evolves with our understanding and learners, and is used to monitor development progress and the well-being of our students and staff involved in the learning program.

You can learn more about Lachlan’s program here: https://capalabasc.eq.edu.au/curriculum/high-capacity

Think of a students mind as a garden...

Tue, 27 May 2025 23:25:56 GMT

Rhiannon Lowrey

Ever tried explaining “twice exceptional” (2e)? Think of a student’s mind as a garden. For a neurotypical brain, it’s like a beautifully organised, formal garden—paths are clear, easy to navigate, garden beds are separate yet harmonious, everything flows. In contrast, a 2e mind - one that is both gifted and disabled, it is like a wild garden: overgrown in places and seemingly unkempt, not always a clear path, but full of surprising treasures once you venture inside. Though it may not look perfectly pruned, it’s just as rich in growth and wonder—just a bit more challenging to navigate. Both gardens are equally beautiful in their own unique way!

What is twice exceptionality?

Tue, 27 May 2025 23:21:23 GMT

Making Twice-Exceptional Students Visible in Policy and Practice

Tue, 27 May 2025 23:16:50 GMT

“Can you see Brian, the invisible boy?

Even Mrs. Carlotti has trouble noticing him in her classroom.”

- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

Kim Denholm

Twice-exceptional students, rendered invisible by their contradictory nature, are disproportionately overlooked and underserved in Australian schools and education policy (Ronksley-Pavia, 2020; Commonwealth of Australia, 1988; 2001). The paradox of strength and

difficulty experienced by twice-exceptional students causes them to remain invisible, leading to under-identification for either their giftedness, their disability or both (Assouline & Fosenburg, 2014; Missett, 2017; Clark & Wormald, 2018; Reis et al., 2014; Ronksley-Pavia, 2015). The misconception that a gifted student cannot have a disability has a significant impact on teaching practice as well as school and government policy, causing the needs of twice-exceptional students to remain unrecognised in Australian schools.

Twice-exceptional students must be identified to have their educational needs met (Jung & Hay, 2018). Identification relies on the consensus of an agreed-upon definition of twice-exceptionality; however, there is a lack of consensus on the definition of twice-exceptionality within the literature (Ronksley-Pavia, 2020). Furthermore, neither areas of gifted education nor disability have a widely

agreed-upon definition, yet definitions of twice-exceptionality attempt to connect understandings of the two (Ronksley-Pavia, 2015). Whilst there is no consistent definition of twice-exceptionality that exists within the research, researchers agree that it includes a combination of a domain of giftedness and one or more disabilities (Foley Nicpon et al, 2011; Reis et al., 2014; Ronksley-Pavia, 2015; Missett, 2017; Clark & Wormald, 2018).

Twice-exceptional students are often not identified in classrooms as they appear 'average' and remain unidentified for either their giftedness, their disability or both (Foley Nicpon et al, 2011; Missett, 2017). This is due to the phenomenon known as masking. Masking blurs the presentation of a disability and/or area of giftedness (Foley Nicpon et al., 2011; Missett, 2017; Jolly & Barnard-Brak, 2024). Baldwin et al. (2015), cited in Missett (2017), outline three forms of masking. First, a student with high intellectual ability may compensate for their disability. Second, a student may have their disability recognised, but this may mask the expression of their high ability and

intervention for deficit-based services is prioritised over academic strengths. Third, the combination of exceptionalities masks both the giftedness and the disability, making the student appear average; thus, they remain unidentified for either exceptionality. If teachers do not see twice-exceptional students, they cannot adequately teach them.

Additionally, the very fact that twice-exceptional students remain invisible due to masking and underidentification in our classrooms means that they are often not considered in our school andgovernment policies. Whilst there are national policies to ensure the rights of students with disabilities, and state policies to ensure that gifted students are recognised, there is no national policy that explicitly acknowledges or provides guidance for the needs of twice-exceptional students, furthermore state policies are limited and inconsistent (Clark & Wormald, 2018; Ronksley-Pavia et al., 2019).

It is not known exactly how many twice-exceptional students there are in Australian schools; however, Ronksley-Pavia (2020) published an empirical study utilising data from the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with a Disability (NCCD) and Australian Bureau of Statistics to estimate that 2% - 7% of students in Australian schools could be twice-exceptional. She noted that this would be an underestimation as this data only reflected students with identified disabilities, and research shows that twice-exceptional students can remain unidentified due to masking (McCoach et al, 2001). As there is no consistent definition of twice-exceptionality, the

number of twice-exceptional students is difficult to quantify, meaning that there is no data for governments to develop policy from (Ronksley-Pavia, 2020).

It is recommended that schools and governments develop and implement gifted education policies that explicitly acknowledge twice-exceptionality to address the invisibility of this vulnerable population. Policy needs to define twice-exceptionality as well as outline strategies for identification and inclusive teaching practice (Rowan & Townend, 2016; Jung & Hay, 2018; Townend, et al., 2024) including recommendations for a strength based, dual programming approach whereby gifts and disabilities are considered simultaneously to prevent underachievement (Rowan & Townend, 2016; Clark & Wormald, 2018).

Our twice-exceptional students need to be seen to have their educational needs met. Let's make these students visible.

Reference List

Assouline, S., & Fosenburg, S. (2014). The paradox of twice-exceptionality: Packet of information for professionals (2nd ed). https://belinblank.education.uiowa.edu/research/docs/pip2.pdf

Commonwealth of Australia. (1988). The Education of Gifted and Talented Children: Report by the Senate Select Committee on the Education of Gifted and Talented Children. Australian Government Publishing Service. https://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/wopapub/senate/committee/eet_ctte/completed_inquiries/1999_02/gifted/report/c01_pdf.ashx

Commonwealth of Australia. (2001). The Education of Gifted and Talented Children. Australian Government Publishing Service. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_Employment_and_Workplace_Relations/

Completed_inquiries1999-02/gifted/report/index

Clark, T., & Wormald, C. (2018). Gifted students with disability: Twice-exceptional learners. In J. L. Jolly & J. M. Jarvis (Eds). Exploring Gifted Education. Australian and New Zealand Perspectives. (pp. 50-65) Routledge UK.

Foley Nicpon, M., Allmon, A. M., Sieck, R. & Stinson, R. D. (2011). Empirical investigation of twice-exceptionality: Where have we been and where are we going? Gifted Child Quarterly, 55(1), 3-17. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0016986210382575

Jolly, J. L., Barnard-Brak, L. (2024). Special education status and underidentification of Twice-Exceptional Students: Insights from ECLS-K data. Education Sciences, 14, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101048Jung, J. Y., & Hay, P. (2018). Identification of gifted and twice-exceptional students. In J. L. Jolly & J. M. Jarvis (Eds.), Exploring gifted education: Australian and New Zealand perspectives

(pp. 12-31). Routledge.

Ludwig, T. (2013). The invisible boy. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

McCoach, D. B., Kehle, T. J., Bray, M. A., & Siegle, D. (2001). Best practices in the identification of gifted students with learning disabilities. Psychology in School, 38(5), 403-411. Https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.1029

Missett, T, C. (2017). Twice-exceptional students: Gifted students with disabilities impacting learning. In C. M. Callahan & H. L. Hertberg-Davis (Eds). Fundamentals of Gifted Education: Considering Multiple Perspectives (pp. 361-371). Routledge.

Reis, S. M., Baum, S. M., & Burke, E. (2014). An operational definition of twice-exceptional learners: Implications and applications. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(3), 217-230. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0016986214534976

Ronksley-Pavia, M. (2015). A model of twice-exceptionality: Explaining and defining the apparent paradoxical combination of disability and giftedness in childhood. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 38(3), 318–340. DOI: 10.1177/0162353215592499

Ronksley-Pavia, M. (2020). Twice-exceptionality in Australia: Prevalence estimates. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education. 29(2) 17-29.Rowan, L., & Townend, G. (2016). Early career teachers’ beliefs about their preparedness to teach: Implications for the professional development of teachers working with gifted and twice-exceptional students. Cogent Education, 3(1), 1-25. doi:10.1080/2331186X.2016.1242458

Townend, G., McGregor, M., Alonzo, D., Nguyen, H. T. M. (2024) What would it take? Enhancing

outcomes for high-ability students with disability. Frontiers in Education, 9, doi:10.3389/

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How the system became muddled

Tue, 27 May 2025 01:42:59 GMT

A parent / gifted parenting coach's perspective

Devon Harris

When my son first started school, I was already worried. Not because he wasn’t keeping up—but because he was speeding ahead, and no one seemed to notice.

He’d just received a formal recommendation for a double-grade skip. Immediate. Necessary. But it was ignored. So I did what any concerned parent might do—I called a policy officer at the Student Excellence Unit in the Department of Education and Training. I wanted to understand the support available for kids like mine. What I found was… not what I expected.

The gifted program, I was told, didn’t begin until Grade 5. Further, the tangible parts of it were really only available to children in metropolitan areas (we lived rurally). And even then, it offered extra work to be done alongside their usual classroom load—which, for many gifted children, is already repetitive, unstimulating, and at times emotionally distressing.

Worse still, I discovered that the program had originally been designed for the top 2% of students—those identified as gifted through psychometric assessment. But under pressure from families of high-achieving children who didn’t meet the gifted criteria, the program was quietly expanded to include the top 10%, without any increase in funding—just more kids to serve. The policy officer was as exasperated as I was.

It made me wonder: do we collectively understand what giftedness is?

I always start with the caveat that giftedness doesn’t discriminate. It shows up across all genders, socioeconomic groups, ethnicities, and cultures. But it often goes unrecognised in communities that don’t have access to testing, advocacy, or visibility—and that’s a failure of our

systems, not of the children. When we treat giftedness as a privilege instead of a neurodevelopmental difference, we miss it in the very places it most needs to be seen.

Giftedness isn’t about being ahead in class. It’s not about getting the right answers quickly. It’s a brain-based difference—something you’re born with, not something you earn. You can nurture it, yes. But you can’t create it, coach it, teach it, train it, or hothouse it into being. It either is, or it isn’t.

I believe all children can become talented. Not all children are gifted. And I say that not to elevate some and diminish others—but to finally, gently, lovingly, tell the truth.

I wish we had a different word for it. Because the word “gifted” gets so tangled up in achievement, status, and access that we forget: this was never about being better. It was about being different. And different, when misunderstood, often becomes isolated.

And isolated children do not thrive.

The Core Confusion

Let's start here: Giftedness is not the same as talent.

Giftedness is a developmental difference. It shows up in the brain. It shows up in how a child processes information, senses the world, and makes meaning. It often comes with emotional intensity, development that doesn’t follow the common trajectory, and a drive for depth that isn’t easily switched off. It’s not something you create through coaching, immersion, or repetition—it’s something you’re born with.

With hindsight, I could see it in my son from the moment he was born, and many of the parents I work with come to say the same thing.

This is an undeniable element of who they are. For better and for worse.

Talent, on the other hand, is cultivated. You can practice it, refine it, and develop it over time. And I truly believe that all children—given the right environment—have the capacity to become talented in something. That’s the beauty of talent: it grows wherever it’s watered, given sunlight, and access to nutrients.

But giftedness? It isn’t earned or worked for. And it isn’t a reward for being a good student or having involved parents.

Here’s why the distinction matters: when we confuse talent with giftedness, we build programs and systems that reward polish rather than respond to wiring. We overlook the child who’s struggling emotionally or masking their abilities—because they don’t look like a “high achiever”.

And we pressure kids to perform at a level that matches someone else’s cognitive wiring, not their own. It’s not that one group is better. It’s that they have different needs. And when we try to serve both with the same tools, we fail both.

Misunderstandings That Harm Everyone

When we confuse giftedness with achievement, everyone loses.

Gifted children lose the chance to be understood for who they are—not just what they can do. High-achieving children lose the chance to thrive in environments truly tailored to their needs, without being asked to carry a label that doesn’t fit. And educators lose the clarity required to create programs that actually work.

I’ve seen this play out time and again—with my own child and with the families I support.

Gifted kids who aren't appropriately supported to achieve at their level are often left to flounder, written off as lazy, disruptive, or emotionally immature. Meanwhile, high-achieving kids who’ve been coached to shine on tests are praised, rewarded, and placed into programs that were never designed for them. And who could blame them? They’ve done what the system asked of them.

But here’s the quiet tragedy: the gifted child who can’t—or won’t—jump through the hoop on cue doesn’t get seen at all.

Gifted children are developmental anomalies. They may read like a teenager, argue like a philosopher, and meltdown like a preschooler—all in the same afternoon. They might refuse to show their work, get stuck in perfectionism, or disengage entirely when their inner world is

continually mirrored inaccurately by the environment around them. Imagine living in a funhouse mirror maze where every surface shows you a distorted reflection of yourself?

And when we confuse talent for giftedness, we build programs around output—not around cognitive experience. That means the quiet ones, the ones with deep feelings or slow handwriting, the ones who ask “why?” more than “how?” —they get passed over.

This isn’t just about it being unfair. It’s about it being harmful. Not because gifted kids deserve more, but because they often need something different—something schools are rarely equipped to offer when giftedness is reduced to test scores.

So let’s get clear. Giftedness isn’t about being better. And performance isn’t proof. We have to stop pretending we can identify giftedness through polished outputs alone—because the kids who don’t sparkle on command are the ones most in need of our attention.

The Equity Conversation—Let’s Get It Right

One of the loudest arguments against using psychometric testing to identify giftedness is that it’s “elitist” —that it privileges wealthy families who can afford assessments and coaching, while excluding children from low-income households.

As someone who was raising my child on a low income when I began this journey, I want to say clearly: that hasn’t been my experience.

There are avenues of access that many families simply don’t know exist. Mensa offers free testing in schools across Australia, runs multiple community testing days each year, and has a dedicated Gifted Children’s Fund to support families in accessing full psychometric assessments when needed. Monash University’s Krongold Clinic also provides high-quality, more affordable testing services, with payment plans.

I don’t deny that our systems are inequitable in many ways. They absolutely are. But in this case, the barrier isn’t always cost—it’s awareness and willingness.

And here’s the deeper irony: when we reject psychometric testing out of fear of elitism, we often replace it with performance-based selection—tests that can be endlessly coached for, paid for, and drilled. These selective exams often reflect opportunity more than ability.

And they’re far more vulnerable to socioeconomic bias. Psychometric testing isn’t about labelling kids or sorting them into hierarchies—it’s about understanding how a child’s mind works. It’s a diagnostic tool, not a verdict. When used wisely, it can open doors to real support.

Because when we rely only on surface performance, the gifted child who’s struggling quietly in the corner—too bored, anxious, or perfectionistic to show what they know—gets completely overlooked. And isn’t that the greater injustice?

Why You Won’t Hear Me Say Much About “Neurodivergence” or “2e”

You might have noticed that I haven’t used terms like “neurodivergent” or “twice exceptional” in this piece. That’s intentional.

While I know those words are widely used—and often with good intentions—I’ve found they don’t always tell the whole truth. In fact, they can sometimes obscure it. Many of the challenges we see in gifted kids today—meltdowns, sensitivity, inattention, sensory overload, executive function issues—are real. But that doesn’t mean they’re fixed, lifelong disorders.

Through my training in Aware Parenting, I’ve come to see many of these behaviours as responses: to environmental contaminants, to chronic stress, to unresolved trauma, and to developmental needs that have gone unmet for too long. I do believe giftedness is a

brain-based difference. But I prefer to describe it in developmental terms, not through the broader (and increasingly politicised) lens of “neurodivergence". For some families, that term is helpful. For mine, and for many of the families I work with, it isn’t.

And while I believe psychometric testing can be a powerful tool for identifying giftedness, I don’t believe children should be defined by labels. I’m more interested in what’s underneath the behaviours—the unmet needs, the emotional truth, and the context they arise from.

I’m not at all saying that diagnoses are invalid. But I am saying that many fade into the background—or become entirely manageable with far less medicalised interventions—once we create the right relational environment. One where children can release pent-up tension, feel

safe enough to express their emotions, and be truly seen for who they are—not just how they perform or behave.

That’s why I resist the idea of “twice exceptionality” as a fixed label. Because for many families I’ve worked with, the exceptionality isn’t a separate condition layered on top of giftedness—it’s a cry for help from a nervous system that hasn’t yet found its way back to balance.

When we see the whole child—not just the symptoms—we stop trying to fix them. We start listening. We start partnering.

And that changes everything.

How the System Became Muddled

When I first contacted the Student Excellence Unit, I expected clarity and support. Instead, I stumbled into a quiet policy compromise that explained so much of what wasn’t working.

The original intention of the program was clear: to meet the needs of the top 2% of children identified as gifted through psychometric testing. But over time, and under sustained pressure from families of high-achieving—but not gifted—students, the eligibility quietly expanded to include the top 10%.

This shift wasn’t loudly announced. It happened subtly. But the impact was profound.

In trying to appease everyone, the program began serving no one particularly well. It pivoted toward performance-based selection—favouring those who tested well, often due to coaching—rather than tailoring support for children with fundamentally different cognitive wiring.

And still, the program didn’t begin until Grade 5. It blatantly excluded rural families. It added more academic work, instead of offering curriculum replacement and favoured differentiated instruction at the expense of necessary grade skips. In other words, it was designed for the talented, not the gifted.

Ironically, this same program was created in response to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry, which found gifted children to be among the most educationally disadvantaged in the state. Yet we built a system that measures performance, not potential—and continues to sideline the very children it was supposed to help.

This isn’t just a policy issue. It’s a profound misunderstanding of what giftedness actually is—and what happens when we force children to squeeze themselves into programs that were never built with them in mind.

Toward Real Fit, Real Support

What gifted children need isn’t more. It’s not more pressure. More work. More expectation. What they need is fit.

A fit between how their brain is wired and how they are taught.

A fit between their depth of feeling and the emotional tone of the classroom.

A fit between the questions they are asking and the curriculum they’re given.

They need early recognition—not delayed intervention.

They need a curriculum that allows them to work at their own rate and pace—and replaces the repetitive, rather than piling on top of it.

They need adults who understand that boredom isn’t laziness, intensity isn’t defiance, and perfectionism isn’t ambition—it’s fear in clever disguise.

They need to be mirrored. Not just seen as “bright” but understood in the fullness of their difference. This isn’t about gatekeeping. It’s about tailoring. It’s about recognising that high-performing children and gifted children often need different kinds of environments to

thrive—and pretending otherwise does a disservice to both.

In a recent blog post, I echoed the sentiment that gifted children are canaries in the coal mine—showing the earliest, most pronounced signs of strain in an education system that, in truth, isn’t serving any child particularly well. Their intense responses aren’t the problem; they’re signals. And when we learn to listen, we gain insights that can uplift not just gifted children, but the entire ecosystem they’re part of.

Imagine a world where children are met for who they are—not how they perform.

Where support isn’t earned through output but offered in recognition of wiring, sensitivity, and possibility. Where every child—gifted, talented, or still uncovering their strengths—feels their inner world reflected, respected, and responded to.

We don’t have to settle for programs that miss the mark. We can build something better. It starts with telling the truth—about what giftedness really is, what it’s not, and why getting it right matters more than ever.

While some families will choose to remain within the school system and advocate from within, others may find their children thrive best outside it altogether. Gifted-specific micro schools, parent-led learning hubs, and flexible hybrid models are no longer fringe—they’re fast becoming the future for families seeking real fit.

For many of the parents I work with, the first question we ask isn’t “How do we fix the school?” It’s “Do we actually need to stay?”

Let’s Begin Telling the Truth—Together

If there’s one thing I want you to take from this, it’s this: Giftedness is not an advantage. It’s a difference. And when misunderstood, it becomes a burden. When we confuse talent with giftedness, when we chase performance instead of understanding, when we design programs around output instead of fit—we don’t just fail the gifted kids. We fail all of them.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We can start designing support that actually supports. Curriculum that actually connects. Relationships that reflect, not just reward. We can stop asking kids to adapt to systems that don’t see them, and start building environments that meet them—emotionally, intellectually, and developmentally.

The path forward doesn’t require a revolution. It requires a shift in lens.

If you’re a parent, start by telling your child the truth about who they are. Reflect them. Don’t wait for an external system to do it.

If you’re an educator, learn to look beyond output. Ask better questions. Create space.

If you’re a policymaker, revisit the Inquiry that told you these children were already being left behind.

And if you’re not sure where to begin—begin here: Believe that giftedness is real, and that misunderstanding it is doing real harm.

Let’s stop debating whether a child is gifted enough to deserve support. Let’s start building a world where their differences are seen early, honoured wisely, and responded to with love and courage.

That world is possible and it starts with one simple shift: Seeing giftedness for what it truly is.

Devon Harris is a child advocate, parent of a gifted youngster and a coach for parents with gifted children. She holds a degree in Child and Adolescent Development and worked directly with young people for over 2 decades before realising the earliest and most powerful point of intervention was working with their parents. Devon currently offers 1:1 and small group coaching packages for parents with gifted kids. She continues to be immersed in the parenting journey with her radically accelerated 11 year old, whilst writing for her blog and swimming in Lake Daylesford most mornings, regardless of the season.

Sorry Miss, I know I'm Different, but...

Mon, 26 May 2025 07:36:46 GMT

Will you understand?

Allegra reached out to the AAEGT, asking if we would share her monologue to help advocate for other kids like her.

"I thought I might share a monologue I wrote and performed in 2022 (when I was 10). I suspect a lot of other gifted kids (and maybe even their families!) have experienced the scenario I penned. It certainly was a lived experience for myself for a number of years."

Watch Allegra's monologue below.

From Policy to Practice

Sun, 25 May 2025 22:49:07 GMT

Developing the I AM Program at Cornish College

By Rhiannon Lowrey

The journey from a gifted policy to a flourishing gifted program requires thoughtful planning, gradual implementation, and a commitment to addressing the diverse needs of gifted learners. This article examines the development of the I A.M. Program at Cornish college, a school where, in 2024, no formal gifted program existed. Students were undertaking extension competition programs with interschool debating, public speaking and book of the day activities. By adapting policy recommendations from the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) and implementing incremental steps, the I A.M. Program became a thriving initiative by 2025.

This case study provides a practical guide for schools aiming to transform gifted education policies into impactful classroom practices and specialist programs.

I AM Program - Week-by-Week Break-Down

References

Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT). (2023). Gifted education policy guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.aaegt.net.au

Braggett, E. J. (1993). Programs and strategies for gifted education. Hawker Brownlow Education.

Callahan, C. M., & Hertberg-Davis, H. L. (2012). Fundamentals of gifted education: Considering multiple perspectives. Routledge.

Gagné, F. (2008). Building gifts into talents: Overview of the DMGT. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 20(2), 65–85. https://doi.org/10.4219/jsge-2008-869

Maker, C. J. (2005). Teaching models in education of the gifted (3rd ed.). PRO-ED.

Nikakis, S., & Lowrey, R. (2025). Too quirky, too quick, 2e: Twice-exceptional gifted students. Amba Press.

Reis, S. M., & Renzulli, J. S. (2010). Is there still a need for gifted education? An examination of current research. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(4), 308–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2009.10.012

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms (2nd ed.). ASCD.

Vialle, W., & Rogers, K. (2009). Educating gifted students in the 21st century. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 18(1), 5–13.

Victorian Department of Education and Training. (2020). High ability toolkit for schools. Retrieved from https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/learningneeds/Pages/highability

Winebrenner, S., & Brulles, D. (2012). Teaching gifted kids in today's classroom: Strategies and techniques every teacher can use (3rd ed.). Free Spirit Publishing.

Is it still a cheetah?

Sun, 25 May 2025 05:25:01 GMT

Why do we even need gifted policy in schools? Aren’t gifted kids already ahead? These young people explain that without policy, gifted students can feel restrained, trapped, unable to grow, with “Boredom overwhelming and deep as the sea”. These students also share Stephanie Tolan’s analogy between giftedness and a cheetah. If the cheetah is not behaving and performing in ways we expect… is it still a cheetah? "If the cheetah is only 6 weeks old and cannot yet run, it is only a 'potential cheetah?" Please take a look.

(You can also learn more about Stephanie Tolan's cheetah analogy here https://www.stephanietolan.com/is_it_a_cheetah.htm )

10 Myths of High Potential and Gifted Education: Let’s Set the Record Straight

Fri, 23 May 2025 23:01:16 GMT

To mark Gifted Awareness Week, Maree Karaka, Leader of High Potential Gifted Education explores the common myths surrounding high potential and gifted education.

Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a coach?

Then why do we expect gifted students to thrive without support?

Too often, myths surrounding high potential and gifted education lead to missed opportunities, untapped potential, and overlooked brilliance in our schools. Let’s bust some of the most persistent misconceptions holding our children back.

Myth #1: “High Potential and Gifted students will do fine on their own.”

Truth: Like elite athletes, high potential and gifted learners need specialised coaching and support to develop their talents. Without challenge, many high potential and gifted students experience boredom, disengagement, and even underachievement.

Myth #2: ” High Potential and Gifted kids will be challenged in the regular classroom.”

Truth: Despite teachers’ best efforts, many haven’t received training in gifted education. Research shows 58% of teachers have had no professional development in meeting the needs of advanced learners. In the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle we have professional learning for all schools and teachers, and we have dedicated Gifted Education Mentors (GEMs) in every school.

Myth #3: “Gifted students help raise the bar for others.”

Truth: High Potential and Gifted students don’t automatically uplift their classmates – in fact, they often feel isolated. They thrive best among peers who share their cognitive pace and depth of thought. We have extension and enrichment opportunities where students get to learn alongside like-minded peers. This includes selection into our Virtual Academy.

Myth #4: “All children are gifted.”

Truth: All children have strengths, but “gifted” in education refers to those with advanced capacity for learning who require curriculum modifications to thrive.

Myth #5: “Acceleration harms high potential and gifted students socially.”

Truth: High Potential and Gifted kids often prefer the company of older peers who match them intellectually. Studies show they are happier and more engaged when appropriately accelerated.

Myth #6: ” High Potential and Gifted education is elitist.”

Truth: Giftedness exists in every culture and income level. The real injustice is when talented students are denied opportunities due to flawed identification practices or lack of resources. In the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle we apply a universal screener and multi-criteria approach that pays respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, EAL/D students, and rural and remote students.

Myth #7: “They can’t be gifted – they’re getting poor grades.”

Truth: Gifted underachievement is real. Many gifted students disengage in unchallenging environments or mask their ability due to social pressure or undiagnosed learning disabilities. In the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle we engage in a discrepancy analysis to recognise whether or not a student’s potential is being realised.

Myth #8: ” High Potential and Gifted students are well-adjusted and popular.”

Truth: While some thrive, many face intense emotions, perfectionism, and feelings of isolation. Their inner world is often far more complex than we realise. A network of key stakeholders support students’ holistic development in our diocesan schools.

Myth #9: “Students with disabilities can’t be gifted.”

Truth: Welcome to the world of “twice-exceptional” learners – those with both gifts and learning challenges. These students need dual support to truly shine.

Myth #10: “Gifted programs cost too much.”

Truth: Supporting gifted learners starts with commitment, not cash. Teacher training and appropriate instruction go a long way in nurturing high potential and our diocese is committed to all learners.

The bottom line: High Potential and Gifted Education isn’t about privilege – it’s about equity. It’s about meeting every learner where they are, including those whose abilities soar beyond the norm.

Let’s start conversations, ask better questions, and advocate boldly. Because brilliance shouldn’t be left to chance.

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) has created this frequently cited list of the most prevalent myths in gifted education, with rebutting evidence for educators, advocates, and families to use in their advocacy efforts. This list was developed from a longer list of myths explored in the Fall 2009 issue of Gifted Child Quarterly (GCQ).

This blog was created for Gifted Awareness Week 2025 by Maree Karaka, Leader of High Potential Gifted Education, Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle. You can view Maree’s blog here:

 https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/news/10-myths-of-high-potential-and-gifted-education-lets-set-the-record-straight/

Celebrating Gifted Awareness Week

Fri, 23 May 2025 22:39:54 GMT

We are excited to share a special podcast episode featuring Jacqueline Wilkinson, Director of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, in conversation with Maree Karaka, Leader of High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE).

Together, Jacqui and Maree delve into how the Diocese’s HPGE Strategy is being brought to life across our schools — moving beyond policy documents to create dynamic learning environments where high potential is identified early, nurtured intentionally, and celebrated holistically. The episode shines a light on the Virtual Academy, a flagship initiative that extends and enriches the learning of gifted students through personalisation, challenge, and creativity.

Developing School Gifted Education Policy

Fri, 23 May 2025 04:49:44 GMT

The AAEGT has a Gifted Education Policy that is available for use and adaptation in Australian schools.

The AAEGT Gifted Education Policy i s an exemplar developed by the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) to support Australian schools to provide for gifted students. It should be used in conjunction with other policies, legislation and guidelines in gifted education that are applicable to individual schools and school systems. You can learn more in the slideshow below and download the AAEGT Gifted Education Policy . Please reach out if you have further questions or need support.

What can teachers do to ensure gifted students are engaged and learning?

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 06:47:07 GMT

There is a vast amount of literature related to gifted students and their education. Decades of research has culminated in clear and consistent information about identification, characteristics, underachievement, strategies in the classroom, accelerative options, social/emotional needs, and how to plan appropriately challenging learning programs. Despite this, gifted students remain widely under-served, under-stimulated and demonstrate limited academic growth on school-based, standardised and national testing.

Karen Rogers, in her meta-analysis of decades of research in the field of gifted and talented education, identifies five key “lessons” that describe what is consistently known and understood to be key strategies for gifted students.

1. Gifted learners need daily challenge in their specific areas of talent.

2. Opportunities should be provided on a regular basis for gifted learners to be unique and to work independently in their areas of passion and talent.

3. Provide various forms of subject-based & grade-based acceleration to gifted learners as their educational needs require.

4. Provide opportunities for gifted learners to socialise and to learn with like-ability peers (most likely not same-age peers).

5. For specific curriculum areas, instructional delivery must be differentiated in pace, amount of review and practice, and organisation of content presentation.

(Rogers, 2007)

The “daily challenge” message makes it clear that classroom teachers are the critical ingredient in ensuring gifted students are learning every day, and this message is reiterated within the AITSL Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Standards. Teachers of ability grouped, streamed or mixed-ability classes have strategies available to them as they are planning and implementing differentiated learning for gifted and talented students within their class.

Engagement

In order to maintain engagement in their education, it is important that gifted students are actually learning when they come to school each day, and see school as a place where their prior learning is recognised and new learning occurs. To ensure this happens on a daily basis, we must:

Pre- and formatively assess students to determine prior knowledge and avoid students practicing and repeating skills, knowledge and understandings they have already mastered. Gifted students often experience school as a place where week after week, topic after topic, and year after year, they are asked to unnecessarily practice and repeat skills. It is important to find quick and efficient ways to find out what students know and have mastered, and to plan class and homework that introduces and builds upon new learning.

Make sure students are not asked to complete ‘core’ work before they can access the work that is genuinely at their level and will offer challenge. Extension and challenge tasks that are given out after students have finished, fall into this category. A core principle of differentiation is that all students are working at their level from the beginning of a class, rather than having to ‘earn’ the work that they should be able to access from the beginning of a lesson. Gifted students often experience years of being ‘rewarded’ for completing their work by being given more, and over time they become demoralised or learn to avoid the extra work by finding ways to waste time.

Avoid asking the strongest students to mentor, coach or teach other students. Teachers often do this with the rationale that this helps both students. In reality, neither the weak nor the strong student benefits from this arrangement. It is important to remember that our brightest students deserve to be learning new material rather than being a substitute teacher, just as other students expect to do every day. Gifted students enjoy and should be able to work with intellectual peers on a daily basis, in order to feel accepted, express their ideas without fear of criticism and to be appropriately challenged.

Avoid asking students to catch-up on missed work if they are out of the classroom to access extension work or gifted programming. This is especially true if the missed work includes unnecessary practice and repetition! Whenever students are involved in withdrawal or pull-out programs, it is important to look for ways to assess knowledge and credit learning between the classroom and pull-out program.

Gifted students enjoy learning when they can see the big picture and whole-to-part teaching works well to achieve this. Strategies such as introducing an ‘essential question’ or ‘big idea’ at the beginning of a unit of work, can increase student motivation to learn the necessary underlying skills and knowledge, and serve as a reminder to teachers to keep a focus on the high order aspects of the learning. Essential questions or big ideas must be higher order and interest can be increased by making them provocative, ambiguous and/or thought-provoking.

Daily challenge

There are a number of ways that teachers can offer daily challenge to students as they plan their differentiated success criteria, learning goals, resources, lessons, activities, assessments and programs.

Level of abstractness – consider extending the thinking that students do, by increasing the level of abstractness. This can be done through questioning and task design, and can be a simple way to ensure students are thinking about and engaging with learning at a higher level without necessarily changing the activity or resource. Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) is a good resource to assist with this planning, and research done by Davis and Rimm (2004) found that it is important for gifted and talented students to be working in the top three high order areas (Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation) the majority of the time.

Pace – differentiating the pace at which gifted and talented students are able to access and move through new material is vital to ensuring students are engaged and experiencing daily challenge. In order for teachers to differentiate pace, they need to be pre and formatively assessing to determine what students already know and how quickly they are grasping new knowledge, skills and conceptual understanding, with an aim to reduce the amount of unnecessary repetition and practice.

Degree of complexity – making a task more interconnected with other ideas can increase the rigour of the thinking required from students. We extend students when we ask them to think about multiple ideas and the connections between these ideas, rather than asking them to engage with one idea at a time. The SOLO Taxonomy (1982) is a good resource to assist with planning this type of learning, questioning and assessment, and teachers should aim for gifted and talented students to be consistently working in the top two areas (“Relational” and “Extended Abstract”).

Accelerative options – Extension, enrichment and the strategies listed above are important ways to plan appropriately challenging learning experiences for gifted and talented students, however accelerative options are equally important, if not more so. Accelerative options are any learning material that offers above-grade material or access to this material. For many gifted and talented students, there is only so much differentiation, extension and enrichment that is possible before they genuinely need to explore and learn above-level material. VanTassel-Baska and Stambaugh (2006) argue that accelerating content must be considered as a priority by teachers when planning learning experiences for gifted and talented students.

Learning gain

As teachers we need to ask if we have the information we need to measure the learning gain of our gifted students. If we can’t measure learning gain, it is unlikely we are offering them daily challenge and may mean they are not learning at all, even if they seem to be achieving. To ensure we can measure learning gain, we need to design our pre assessments so that we can find out the point at which students do not know material. If a preassessment is too easy and students get every aspect correct, then we have not discovered a baseline from which to plan our teaching and we will not be able to measure learning gain if it occurs. We also need to ensure our summative assessments offer enough difficulty to assess the advanced learning that students have been accessing.

Implementing these strategies in no way implies that gifted students deserve more than any other student. Rather, we are endeavouring to level the playing field for these students, to provide the same degree of challenge as other students experience each day at school, to foster the same ability to persevere with tasks that are difficult, to see themselves as learners, and to experience school as a place where learning occurs on a daily basis.

References

Biggs, J., and Collis, K. (1982). The SOLO Taxonomy. New York: Academic Press.

Bloom, B.S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: Longmans, Green.

Davis, G.A., and Rimm, S,B. (2004). Education of the gifted and talented. University of Michigan: Pearson.

Rogers, K.B. (Fall, 2007). Lessons Learned About Educating the Gifted and Talented: A Synthesis of the Research on Educational Practice. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51(4), 382-396.

VanTassel-Baska, J., and Stambaugh, T. (2006) Comprehensive Curriculum for Gifted and Talented Learners, 3rd Edition. College of William and Mary: Pearson.

Engaging gifted students in the early years

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 23:13:14 GMT

You will have students in your group or class who upon entry, will already know how to read, or have an inherent knowledge of numbers and their patterns.

It is vital for you, as a teacher, to understand student mastery of concepts, which is best done through pre-assessment and talking to the student’s parents. This will guide you to plan appropriate adjustments to meet each child’s learning needs.

Every student has the right to learn something new every day. A question, that you, as a teacher, can ask yourself is: Am I meeting the needs of ALL my students, or just some of them?

While it is vital that teachers know their students and how they learn, this response focuses on the overall classroom learning environment. The learning environment must meet the needs of all students in an inclusive, safe, and accepting way. All student contributions should be valued and respected equally by both teachers and classmates. Play based structures are one way of meeting these needs.

Activities, tasks, lessons and enrichment, for this age group, are best done incorporating play, discovery and inquiry. Consider the unit you are currently teaching. Consider the main concept and translate that to ‘big picture’ ideas. Gifted students love ‘big ideas.’

Some examples (F-2) using the Australian Curriculum HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences) units include:

My personal world: Key concept Identity
How my world is different from the past and can change in the future: Key concept Change
Our past and present connections to people and places: Key concept Connections

Science-based tasks and activities where creativity abounds, lend themselves beautifully to this ‘key concept’ scenario. This way all students can access the activity, but the gifted students will take it to a deeper level. Observe these students and create annotations, which can be used as just one identification tool. This will provide data for recommending further identification measures.

You could have several activities grouped under one theme e.g., Change . Provide the activities as part of play-based choices but extend student thinking by providing provocative questions. These could be written on large cards. This provides the students with choices, which is a strategy to meet the needs of gifted students.

Some examples:

1. How can we change plastic bottles so they can grow plants? (Adult supervision will be needed for cutting)

Provide : plastic bottles, pictures, plants and other relevant materials.

Design: Arrange plants and rocks in a way that people will be able to see them all clearly.

Provocative questions: You are making a terrarium. In a terrarium you do not need to water your plants. Where will the plants get their water from? How has changing the bottle to a terrarium helping the environment? What other objects could we make out of plastic bottles?

Adjustment to the core curriculum : Complexity

2. How can we change a torch into a communication device?

Provide: torches, a dark space and a Morse code chart

Design: Choose a word to send to a friend in Morse code

Provocative questions : Invent a new method of communication. How will your new method of communication change people’s lives?

Adjustment to the core curriculum: Choice

3. How can we change a paper glider to turn left or right or loop the loop?

Provide: templates to make paper gliders, cardboard, plasticine, paperclips, sticky tape, scissors

Design: Add weight and/or folds to change flight trajectory. Test and modify.

Provocative questions: How is the way my glider flies, similar to that of birds? What makes you say that? (Provide a way to observe bird flight e.g., near a window, you tube clip)

What other changes could be made to an airplane and why?

Adjustment to the core curriculum: Abstraction

4. How have push/pull toys changed over the years?

Provide : old and modern push/pull toys, pictures of old push/pull toys and modern push/pull toys, websites that demonstrate the push/pull action, materials to build a toy that moves

Design : Invent a toy that moves.

Provocative questions: How can your toy be changed to move uphill? How can your toy be changed to carry a load?

Adjustment to the core curriculum: Critical and creative thinking

These differentiated adjustments to the core curriculum will give you an idea of the strategies that can be employed for young, gifted children. They may be inspired by the provocative questions, or they may come up with their own. Providing open-ended activities will allow each student to shine, swap ideas respectfully and discuss collaboratively. Allow students to share their thinking and encourage their classmates to actively listen. Promote respect and awe by praising and encouraging innovation and invention in student-constructed products. These strategies will create whole class cohesion and a safe space for ALL students to thrive.

Through the eyes of an educator

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:43:19 GMT

I wasn’t always a Gifted Education advocate.

In fact, when I was studying my dual undergraduate education and music degrees in NSW in the early 2000’s, subjects surrounding this field weren’t available at my university. Whilst I was repeatedly taught the importance of nurturing the academic and socioemotional wellbeing of students with a disability or learning disorder, gifted learners were never discussed.

Upon entering the teaching profession, my understanding of giftedness was, mistakenly, founded purely on the stereotypes that society had presented me throughout my young life. That all changed in my second year of teaching, however, when I was fortunate to teach Anna (name changed), a seemingly happy and well-adjusted 11-year-old girl. Anna’s IQ exceeded 153, she was a virtuosic musician on two orchestral instruments, had previously been year level accelerated, had a great group of friends and a loving family, and also, told me she self-harming.

Anna was the first time a gifted student had broken the ‘life is easy for gifted students’ adage that I had, until that moment, held dear, and I nor any of her other teachers at the time, ever saw it coming. Anna epitomised the stereotypical gifted profile that many educators continue to resonate with. She was incredibly high achieving, excelling far above year level despite her acceleration, attentive, well-mannered, softly spoken, meticulous and responsible. In the days, weeks and months which followed, we, her teachers, pondered how Anna’s wellbeing had been overlooked to the point whereby she sought release through self-harm? How had we been so blind to the pain she was experiencing? What could we have done, or could do in the future, to support Anna’s wellbeing further? Accordingly, Anna unknowingly set me on a path of deep personal and professional reflection, resulting in the creation of a relentless motivation to advocate for the needs and wellbeing of gifted learners within the school environment.

Fast forward 13 years and I have since completed my Masters in Gifted Education and have worked almost exclusively in this field for the past 6 years. Thanks to Anna I am uncompromisingly driven to help teachers and schools provide for, and nurture, gifted students’ wellbeing. Like anything in education, it is not an easy job. Through my eyes it appears that some schools prefer their G&T Coordinator to be seen and not heard (aside from after events such as the Da Vinci Decathlon, GERRIC programs, Math Olympiad, and ICAS testing.) I continue to have teachers tell me that they don’t understand why student X is feeling frustrated in class, as they are providing extra worksheets at year level for the student to do. Additionally, I also hear ‘student Y can’t be gifted, he’s only getting a C in (insert subject name here)’, thus exemplifying the role gifted stereotypes continue to play within today’s education system.

Other schools, thankfully, are further along on their gifted education journey. These schools are more receptive to the needs of gifted students by way of their gifted education programming, differentiation programmes and views toward acceleration practices. Also, and perhaps even more importantly, their willingness to educate teaching staff as to the needs of this heterogeneous population. One such school instigated a monthly Gifted Girls morning tea, whereby the gifted high school students had a regular unstructured social get together, thus greatly improving the students’ sense of belonging. One parent described these meetings as the single biggest highlight in her daughter’s 10 years of schooling. Another school recently began including aspects of gifted education into their regular staff meeting schedules across Prep-Year 12, as a way of not only upskilling staff, but also having gifted students viewed as priority learners within the school.

What about Anna, you ask? I, together with her team of teachers, worked diligently to modify our teaching practices, curriculum planning and pastoral programs to better cater for her and other gifted students’ academic and socioemotional needs. She also received extensive external support. Unfortunately, thing got worse before they got better, but with the right support, Anna has since grown to become a happy, healthy, highly educated and successful young lady. Little does she realise, but she also changed my life.

by: Kellie Clarke

The Guilt of Parenting Gifted Children - Kate Burton

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 06:42:51 GMT

As well-being is the theme of Gifted Awareness Week 2020, it seemed prudent to not only focus on gifted children but also the parents of these curious and often intense little people! As a friend said to me many years ago, when I felt overwhelmed with the challenges that lay ahead in relation to navigating the psychosocial and academic needs of my own children, “Don’t forget to put your own oxygen mask on first.” Sage advice indeed.

But what do we do when we feel like if we focus on ourselves, our children’s well-being will slip further out of sight? What if we feel overcome with guilt whenever we think we may get this parenting gig wrong? What if we break our child? What if other parents think we’re elitist or pushy? What if, what if, what if??

Many of the parents I work with are swept away by a tidal wave of guilt. This guilt may be associated with wishing they’d tested their child earlier, they’d advocated or pushed for interventions sooner, or even with feeling like a failure as a parent if their response to their little human’s epic meltdown was not imbued with calmness and rooted in empathy. Queue many late nights, trawling the internet to establish how to best meet the needs of your child, and desperately trying to learn how to better respond during the times that you too are at the end of your rope!

But what if we view this guilt as generative? As having the potential to act as a catalyst for change? Like anger, guilt is a feeling. How we choose to respond to it is up to us. When we learn to deconstruct our guilt and lean into its uncomfortableness, we may have to face some confronting truths, but oh how we grow! A commitment to working through our own ‘stuff’ allows us to forge closer connections with others, both at an individual and community level, and this is essential to enable us to support our children.

R.D. Laing reminds us how “True guilt is guilt at the obligation one owes to oneself to be oneself. False guilt is guilt felt at not being what other people feel one ought to be or assume that one is.” What Laing highlights is our tendency towards trying to please others, to aspire to what they want us to be, instead of staying focused on our own needs. This dualistic thinking model is one that often causes difficulties when we need to act in the best interest of our children. Giftedness isn’t an easy subject to be open about: the label itself drives parents the world over to hastily explain its many misconceptions, and that’s if they feel comfortable enough to discuss the subject at all. Similarly, this duality is reminiscent of the dilemma gifted young people feel in relation to their academic performance and identity development. Should they mask their abilities in order to fit in? If their passions are quirky, should they also mask these in order be accepted by others?

Values are at the core of our well-being, and many of the gifted individuals I work with strive towards self-actualisation. However, if our actions are not in alignment with our values then unhappiness, anxiety and even depression generally ensue. When we need to advocate for our child and risk upsetting the educational applecart, outlining our values can help clarify the best path forward without getting caught up in the swirling ‘what ifs’. We may not be able to change the past but we can use our guilt to forge a groundswell movement to better identify our core values. These values then provide a baseline for every action thereafter. We can advocate with diplomacy and humility, for example, softening the fear of causing conflict. We can identify composure as an aspirational value, and simultaneously develop the value of persistence as we work towards maintaining a sense of calmness.

By committing to working towards living in alignment with our own values we develop protective factors to support our well-being. And, of course, the natural consequence of this is if we share this journey with our children, they too learn to act from a place of self-awareness and authenticity. The well-being of our children is tightly interwoven with the well-being of ourselves. So, take the time to identify what you need and demonstrate self-compassion as you navigate your own journey and fears. Children are unable to learn what they cannot see, so model how and why living in alignment with your values is so important. And then hold your child’s hand as you help guide them through developing their own values-based framework. A framework that will enable them to flourish and grow into their true selves.

Giftedness is not what I thought it was

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 03:00:29 GMT

Giftedness is not what I thought it was. I want to preface this by saying that I know parenting is hard for all of us. And I know there are many big problems in the world today. But I think there are some unique challenges and joys of being gifted that might not be widely known. Why do I think this? Because there was a time when I didn't know gifted so well. A time when I didn't have three gifted kids in my life. There was a time when I'd only vaguely heard of Mensa. A time when gifted children to me were quiet and studious. They had perfect behaviour at school and got straight As. Life was probably super easy for them. They invented things and read big books and spoke well, and probably grew into scientists. But now that I live gifted, I know the truth.

I imagine most families with young kids can relate to many parts of life with my lot. Our life is messy and crazy, and loud. It's kids running around the lounge room and jumping on the couch. It's giggles and laughter and constant talking and not listening to mum and dad. It's stubbornness and cheekiness and arguing and never-ending questions. It is siblings who play for hours in amazing worlds that exist only in their imaginations. It's three kids running around the museum with the same enthusiasm as a theme park. It's the fascination with a ladybug on a leaf. It's a great sense of humour, and it's so much clowning around.

But gifted is also a house full of big emotions. It is needing fairness and justice like it's oxygen. It's 5-year-olds sobbing about climate change. Because they understand everything they see and hear about it at the level of a much older person, but they only have the emotional skills of a 5-year-old to deal with this. It's 6-year-olds stressing in silence for weeks that overfishing and warming seas mean their grandchildren won't get to see fish in the ocean. It's pre-schoolers having nightmares about being sucked into black holes or an extinction-level asteroid hitting the earth. Pre-schoolers who are genuinely terrified of these things because they can't fathom the unlikeliness of that ever happening to them. As a psychologist once explained, gifted is your 5-year-old wondering whether death is permanent, while everyone else is wondering what's in their lunchbox that day. And just because parenting these little people is not stressful enough, research shows that if the learning needs of gifted children are not met, they're more likely to experience anxiety, social problems, and depression (National Association for Gifted and Talented (NAGC)).

Gifted is also not really being understood a lot of the time. Core to the definition of gifted is 'asynchrony'. This is where some of your child's skills are advanced while some are typical for their age, or lagging. So they might be able to think up amazing stories in their mind but be completely unable to write them down. They might be three years ahead in maths but one year behind in English. They might be a young child who can do algebra but not tie their shoelaces. Sometimes gifted means not caring one scrap about what they're learning in school. Sometimes it's the stress of knowing they're smart but getting poor grades. Gifted is being made to learn things in their first year of school that they knew when they were two – and being totally confused and frustrated about why. Often it's a seemingly endless repetition of work they already know, that as one of my kids at seven put it, "makes me want to shut my ears and scream". Research shows gifted learners not only learn faster but are more likely to unlearn maths, science and foreign languages when made to revise the content more than 2-3 times after mastery (as is done in a typical classroom) (NAGC). All of these things can lead to disengagement from school and kids losing their love of learning. Research also shows that between 18% and 25% of gifted students drop out of school early (NAGC). And when parents go to teachers for help, often the understanding is just not there.

As a parent, gifted is not wanting to utter the 'G' word for fear of being judged. It's worry that teachers think we're 'those' pushy parents who have had the flashcards on rotation since our kids were babies. It's always watching what we say about our kids in front of other parents because they might think we're boasting or trying to prove we're somehow better than they are. When someone notices your baby knows all their colours, it's avoiding the questions about how you got them to do that because you yourself have literally no idea. In fact it's very rarely knowing how these kids learn all the incredible things they learn. Gifted is also constantly wondering whether our kids are getting enough mental stimulation versus enough time to just be kids. It's wondering which of the kids have a second exceptionality, which often goes hand-in-hand with high IQs. This means being gifted plus having another diagnosis that affects learning, such as ADHD, autism, anxiety, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia… the list of terms I had literally not heard of until recently, goes on. It's wondering which of your kids needs a psychologist right now, or an OT, and knowing it'll be at least a 6 month wait to see anyone anyway. Gifted is constant worrying and wondering with limited support.

But gifted is also being amazed by your own kids on a constant basis. Saying to your partner… ummm I'm pretty sure talking at 8 months isn't normal!? Should she be able to do her older brother's homework while she's still in Kindy? It's your 2-year-old making words with one of the 5 billion alphabet sets you've had to buy from Kmart because it's one of the only things that will keep them occupied right now. It's not knowing enough about the space-time continuum when Santa discussions come up… And, well, not knowing enough about anything really. It's saying 'Hey Siri'. A lot. And then asking weird questions like, 'if there was no air resistance, would raindrops kill us?'. It's your kids having cool favourite animals like tardigrades, and it's learning what tardigrades even are (they can survive in SPACE mummy!). It's knowing way more than you ever thought you would know about the Oort cloud or Rube Goldberg machines or the physics of how geckos climb walls. Having gifted kids teaches you to see the world in new and amazing ways. It allows you to see the beauty and excitement in even the smallest of things. And it is so much joy.

I guess what I want to say here is that being gifted isn't a free ticket to an easy life. Gifted people aren't made by flashcards, or Mozart or second languages or any other kind of early education. These people are found across all races, cultures, and socioeconomic groups, globally. Essentially, giftedness is a brain-based difference that impacts development, thinking and learning. It is highly genetic, meaning that while early experiences are influential, gifted people are essentially just born the way they are. These kids didn't ask to be born this way! And they aren't always the stereotypes that many believe.

Gifted. It seems to me this word has different meanings for different people. I feel so lucky to be sharing life with these amazing little people. To me, gifted means excitement about the world, deep thinking, worry, love and endless laughter. Though sometimes, gifted can just be really hard.

NB: Please note that this article only represents the views of the author(s), and is not necessarily representative of the views of the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented.

Long Odds Sabotage our Brightest

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 01:19:19 GMT

The challenge of identification and appropriate provision for gifted students is compounded for socio-economically disadvantaged students. Contrary to popular belief, giftedness is found across all sectors of society regardless of socio-economic status, ethnicity, geographic location or physical ability.

In many states, the 10% of students who are academically gifted struggle to be recognized and catered for within their schools.

Even where there are programs for gifted students, those from low socioeconomic backgrounds are underrepresented.

In Australian states where the socioeconomic average is particularly low, this presents a real problem!

We all recognize that, for young people in the developing world, education is a pathway out of poverty. Applying that to our own society, and particularly to the gifted from low socioeconomic backgrounds, is more challenging.

I have taught in a developing country, in an area that was poor even by that country’s standards, yet there were gifted students from amongst the poorest of those families who, as first-generation learners, valued the opportunity for education and had the moral support of their families and the practical support of the country’s system in pursuing education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

My own family was effectively economic refugees. We came to Australia as “£10 poms”. My father perceived that Australia would provide opportunities that were not available to him; he had passed his Cambridge entrance exam but at 16 his family needed him to go to work to help support the rest of them.

My family supported school achievement but living in a housing commission area, I learned to keep a low profile to avoid bullying and to keep publicly quiet about my academic progress, which I instinctively felt was not totally acceptable in that suburb.

Gifted students from low socioeconomic areas experience challenges. Their families or communities may not value education and may perceive that academic success is a demonstration that the young person thinks themselves better than the rest of the community.

In lower socioeconomic areas, homes may not have resources to assist development of intellect that other communities might take for granted: books, strategy games, creative construction toys, etc. A young person’s earning capacity at a less-skilled job might be seen as preferable to aspirations for a career pathway that requires further education. Multigenerational unemployment is unlikely to provide an environment supportive to a gifted child.

If gifted students from families with higher socio-economic status don’t have their needs met in schools, their families may access after school activities or tutoring. Other families cannot afford this.

Some parents from professional backgrounds may not have knowledge and confidence to negotiate with schools for appropriate educational pathways for their children; parents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, with even less knowledge and less sense of empowerment, stand little chance.

Identification of gifted students is a widespread problem; for parents who cannot afford private testing the waiting time for school-based testing can be a couple of years, or more. Some education systems require that particular tests be used to identify giftedness. While there exist a variety of tests that are not culturally biased and do not rely on the existing vocabulary or prior experiences of a child, the preferred tests tend to favour those from more affluent backgrounds. International research shows us that there are significantly fairer outcomes when less biased tests are used.

Despite large amounts of money having been invested in schools in lower socioeconomic areas these still tend to be lower performing and incidental conversations with staff at these schools may suggest that there are no gifted children enrolled. Gifted students in these schools may easily go unrecognized while their teachers cope with more demanding daily problems.

Dumbing down to fit in is not uncommon behaviour in gifted students; the “social acceptability” status of gifted students amongst their peers is very low – unless they are particularly good at sport, which might somewhat mitigate their academic giftedness in the eyes of their peers! This is even more prevalent amongst those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Overseas experience shows that gifted students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who have access to gifted specialists are more likely to develop the knowledge and skills to source funding opportunities and scholarships to take their education further.

We need to act now to start to remedy this inequality.

This article is adapted from one written for Talking Point in The Mercury in August 2019.

Lynne Maher is past president of TAG www.tasgifted.com , a qualified teacher and the mother of a gifted son who is now an adult.

The Revenge of the Poof! Papers: Perfectionism and AI in Student Writing

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 08:18:32 GMT

A funny thing happened in Florida in the late-2000s. In response to the state’s high-stakes and rigidly marked FCAT Writing exam, large swaths of elementary and middle school students generated nearly indistinguishable papers, all beginning with (often a literal) “BANG!” or “POOF!”. Like fields of dandelions springing up after a summer storm, these papers emerged at a unique point in education history, nearly a decade after the passage of No Child Left Behind, en mass. Florida Education Department officials at the time attributed this to teachers having students memorise evocative language aligned to the scoring of the assessment, calling it “rote memorization trying to masquerade as creativity”(“Creativity Goes Poof! on FCATs, Officials Say”, Orlando Sentinel, 2008). Read individually, these papers could seem creative, well-written and even witty. Read one after another, they are a depressing statement on the industrial legacy of American public schooling.

Education systems have continued to invest in professional learning for teachers, assessment, curriculum and curriculum aids which have purported to help students develop their “voice” within the box of rigid writing structures. The Jane Schaffer Method provided weary teachers of writing with a simple yet effective formula beginning in 1995. PEEL paragraphs (point, evidence, explanation, link), ACE (answer, cite, explain), APE (answer, prove, explain) and RAGE (restate, answer, give example, explain) are all examples of formulaic writing supports that many teachers of writing have used in the past decades. These methods have had the positive impact of helping many students achieve greater success on essential writing tasks and assessments, particularly those which are externally marked. There is a social good inherent in the intent of using these structures; they are meant to empower young writers, especially struggling writers, with the means to express themselves clearly.

However, many gifted and high-achieving students, especially those who manifest perfectionistic and teacher-pleasing attitudes and behaviours, may have absorbed these structures so totally that they are now a fundamental part of their writing process, their own “voice” ironically indistinguishable from the training wheels they were meant to have used and shed. We have taught these students to write perfectly according to a formula; their writing is therefore more akin to computer code than the beautiful, often-messy prose of an authentic voice.

Do you know who else writes like a computer?

A computer.

With the rise of ChatGPT and AI, these students may be at heightened risk of false or exaggerated accusations of “cheating” based on imperfect and nascent AI detection software. Parents and teachers should provide all students with a clear understanding of their state, system and school policies around ChatGPT, AI, detection software and (urgently!) the appropriate and ethical use of these tools, in context. Most of all, we must truly empower our young people to develop their own voices- as messy, creative and unique as they may be.

Dr Sarah Bond

Social acceptability of Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Students

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:02:35 GMT

Miraca Gross, Emeritus Professor of Gifted Education and the founder of the Gifted Education Research, Resource and information Centre (GERRIC) at UNSW, wrote about the ‘Forced Choice Dilemma’. The Roper Review (11:4) mentioned that the ‘intellectually gifted differ from their age peers in their social and emotional development as much as in their intellectual and academic characteristics.’ Likewise, writing about ‘Me Behind the Mask’ in The Roper Review (20:3), Gross refers to the importance of the gifted having ‘the opportunity to work and socialise with others of similar abilities and interests.’

Research conducted by Gross noted it was important that students were much less likely to underachieve in order to gain peer acceptance, where they felt “much less pressure to moderate their vocabularies, conceal interests that their classmates would not understand, and make deliberate errors in schoolwork.” Students have described similar experiences and indicated it is a relief not having to ‘dumb down’ language. Students are excited when other students understand and appreciate their jokes.

American researchers Abraham Tannenbaum; followed by Bonnie Crammond and Charles Martin; subsequently supported by Australian Neil Carrington’s research, found, through an examination of the characteristics of athleticism, diligence , and academic brilliance , placed randomly in hypothetical profiles, found that certain characteristics are culturally valued. Athleticism is highly valued, but there is less value placed on diligence and academic brilliance – which impacts gifted students’ naturally craving social acceptability.

Students in schools with positively skewed populations developed more friendships and closer relationships than they had previously experienced. Gross noted students developed more positive perceptions of their own social acceptability as a result. Students have mentioned that they made real friends for the first time; that these were friends who accepted them for who they really are, not for who they had previously pretended to be.

Student experiences support the findings of these studies; however, it can depend upon an individual’s expectations and experiences. Students generally valued the opportunity to be with students who shared similar abilities and interests, including the enjoyment of a challenge and a love of learning. Some students had experienced social isolation in previous settings and rejoiced in a school climate where they did not feel different.

According to Laurence Steinberg (quoted in Miraca Gross: In Her Own Write: A Lifetime in Gifted Education, 2010), socialisation of students’ achievement motivation occurs during early childhood. For gifted youth to achieve academically, it is important that they are placed in environments where there is a ‘meeting of minds’ and shared interests; where they don’t have to ‘dumb down’ to gain social acceptability and where they are acknowledged for their intellectual capabilities. Social acceptability has a significant impact on students’ academic achievement.

Gifted Girl

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:52:23 GMT

My name is Chloe and I’m nine and three quarters. I would say I’m fairly normal (for someone who is much more different). It’s just that some people would think I’m weird, crazy or pushed too hard. You see, I’m one of the people classified as ‘gifted’.

When I was little (approx. ten months old), my mum took me to a mothers’ group outing. There were not many toys available to play with, so I started ‘reading’ through book after book after book.

I was quite happy in preschool and kindergarten, even though the work was too easy for me, because no one really noticed that I was different. Although once, I wrote in pen and the teacher was very angry even it was quite neat because she wanted us to write in pencil only. Then when I was in year one I started diverting away from the other kids in the school. Even though I tried to connect with the other kids, I just was too different or I was the opposite gender or too young.

I often used to feel terribly bored and immensely lonely at school. I would come home every day feeling very depressed. The work was much too easy and I got every question correct but my yearly and half-yearly reports weren’t great. I don’t know why, but I felt the teachers hated me. One time, my previous school trialed coding class, and let me tell you one thing: it was way too easy (I already had my own website I coded myself). I tried to communicate with the teachers via my mum (I was too scared), but they just thought mum was pushing me too hard when in reality I was the one getting my mother to talk to them.

I played pretend at school because I had no real friends. The girls were all about dance and looking pretty, but I don’t like just gossiping about my hair or how good my jazz moves are. Also, most of the boys liked sport or found it too awkward to play with me because I was a girl.

This year I made it in the gifted class at a more welcoming school. I’m happy now at my current school, but I feel there are other less lucky gifted children out there; ones who cannot reach their full potential because there are no special classes or schools where they live, or any at all. There are also ones who cannot get an education because of the mere fact that they are girls, or kids who stay in hospital or with non-tangible disabilities like dyslexia or Irlen syndrome.

I want those children to be and make themselves heard, and we should try and make a change in the world, starting with our communities. I would like people to recognise and respect gifted children — and, on that case — any other children who are ‘different’: transgender, with a disability etc.

Parental Advocacy for Academic Acceleration - Ayesha Umar

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 06:42:54 GMT

There is a plethora of empirical evidence about academic acceleration as best practice to cater to the needs of the gifted students (Assouline et al., 2015; Colangelo et al., 2010; Colangelo & Wood, 2015; Gagné, 2015, 2020; Gallagher et al., 2011; Gross, 2006) . Yet our educators hold back in implementing best practice.

Those of you who have gone down this road would relate to the following statements by educators in response to whole year academic acceleration: “He is a happy child. I don’t want to stress him.” “I don’t want to separate her from her friends.” “I am concerned about his social emotional health.” “How will she cope socially?” “We are extending her in the current year level. There is no need for whole year acceleration. It will only complicate things.”

While advocating for your child there comes a time when you start doubting yourself. You doubt that if you are doing right by your child by accelerating him a whole year that is making him skip a year at school. To ensure your child’s best interest, you must make an informed decision. The first step is to recognise the need for academic challenge in the classroom. Look for the signs. Is your child complaining of being bored at school? Is he causing trouble? Is he disengaged? If you answered yes to any of these questions then your child needs acceleration in terms of curriculum compacting, ability grouping or whole year acceleration.

Now evaluate your child’s current academic prowess. Check previously conducted tests. The best assessment could be done through off level testing. Off level tests as the name suggests, assess the student’s abilities in mathematics and reading at levels higher than his current year-level. Their results indicate the level of curriculum they are currently at. If the off level or adaptive tests show a whole year advancement in reading and mathematics, then your child probably needs whole year acceleration. Now get the writing assessed. If a student is an academic year ahead in reading, writing and mathematics then he needs a whole year academic acceleration.

Acquire evidence of this whole year academic advancement. This can be done through documenting test results, individual education plans (IEP) or school reports. Before you reach out to the teacher or the leadership of the school for whole year acceleration, strengthen your defences. Do some research around its efficacy for your child. Familiarise yourself with the policies for gifted students on state and national education websites. Collect references that support whole year acceleration.

To strengthen your arguments, find acceleration related information on state, national and international gifted and talented organisations websites. This information will help you understand the process better and also clear your personal doubts around social emotional development.

Lastly, read some literature in support of academic acceleration. You will only find research literature that supports acceleration as to date no research has proven it otherwise.

You are now equipped to advocate for whole year academic acceleration for your child. Reach out to the classroom teacher. Ask her what she can do to cater to your child’s growing academic needs in the classroom. If she doesn’t mention whole year acceleration, then bring her attention to the assessment results that are evidence of your child’s 12-month academic advancement. If she is still not convinced, then communicate with the year level coordinator. Follow the right line of hierarchy till you are heard.

Ask for a meeting with the principal and the classroom teacher. Take all the evidence that you have collected, both related to your child’s whole year academic advancement and that in support of acceleration on websites and in research. Advocate for your child.

If it still doesn’t work, then it’s time to look for a school that has a gifted and talented program. Look for educators who have accelerated their own gifted children. They will empathise with you. They will know where you are coming from. They will support you and facilitate your child in the most conducive way possible.

References

Assouline, S. G., Assouline, S. G., Colangelo, N., Gross, M. U. M., Templeton Foundation, Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, & National Association for Gifted Children (U.S.). (2015). A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps the Excuses Holding Back America’s Brightest Students v.1 and v. 2 v.1 and v. 2. Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, University of Iowa.

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., Marron, M. A., Castellano, J. A., Clinkenbeard, P. R., Rogers, K., Calvert, E., Malek, R., & Smith, D. (2010). Guidelines for Developing an Academic Acceleration Policy. Journal of Advanced Academics, 21(2), 180–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X1002100202

Colangelo, N., & Wood, S. M. (2015). Counseling the Gifted: Past, Present, and Future Directions. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93(2), 133–142. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2015.00189.x

Gagné, F. (2015). Academic talent development programs: A best practices model. Asia Pacific Education Review, 16(2), 281–295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-015-9366-9

Gagné, F. (2020). Differentiating Giftedness from Talent: The DMGT Perspective on Talent Development (1st edition). Routledge.

Gallagher, S., Smith, S. R., & Merrotsy, P. (2011). Teachers’ Perceptions of the Socioemotional Development of Intellectually Gifted Primary Aged Students and Their Attitudes Towards Ability Grouping and Acceleration. Gifted and Talented International, 26(1–2), 11–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332276.2011.11673585

Gross, M. U. M. (2006). Exceptionally Gifted Children: Long-Term Outcomes of Academic Acceleration and Nonacceleration. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 29(4), 404–429. https://doi.org/10.4219/jeg-2006-247

Two Ways of Seeing Maths

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 10:31:01 GMT

Maths has an identity problem.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, until I read these words from researcher, Richard Skemp:

"There are two effectively different subjects being taught under the same name, 'mathematics'."

One common view of maths sees it like this:

dominated by rules & processes
answer-focused
a defined set of skills & concepts to learn
black & white.

This is the Ladder View of maths education. It assumes that, by continuously climbing, learners will eventually reach mathematical enlightenment.

But, look at any rung on that ladder and there's more to it than meets the eye. Knowing steps to follow or definitions of concepts isn't enough. Here's where a different view of maths comes in. It focuses on:

the reasons for rules and processes
the relationships between ideas
answers as the starting point for further (unlimited) learning
the colours of mathematics.

This is the Web View of maths education. It assumes that there are different paths to becoming mathematically satisfied.

Summary of these 2 views-

�� Ladder View: Easy to fall off or fall behind. Self-worth gets tied up in how high up you are. Fragile.

��️ Web View: Understanding develops via different pathways. It gets stronger by going back & forth. Robust.

Bringing the Web View to life

The Maths Teacher Circles PD Hub is a program I run for primary and secondary teachers globally. We bring teachers together, who want to get their students:

thinking like mathematicians and
looking forward to maths, every lesson.

We share engaging lessons and practical teaching techniques. All designed so that teachers have:

a continuous supply of lessons they can rely on, and
the ingredients for building deep understanding and mathematical satisfaction for all students.

What does this look like in practice? Let me introduce you to Jeny.

Why high scores aren’t enough

Jeny’s a teacher and the Director of Learning Extension at a large independent school. At her school, many students do extra maths practice from the textbook in their own time at home. These students typically get good marks on tests and can ‘do the maths’. But, she's noticed that they struggle to think flexibly and conceptually. What’s more, these students often rely on practiced strategies and have difficulty with problem solving. This is the Ladder view in action. Skemp describes this as using rules without reasons .

In contrast, students who adopt the Web view know both what to do and why . Because of this, Jeny’s goal has been to help her students:

actually enjoy thinking - like a mathematician
know how to solve problems independently
be lifelong learners, with skills that last long after classes end.

So, she joined the Maths Teacher Circles PD Hub. We’ve supported her to grow her teaching toolkit.

As a result, Jeny has:

Added new strategies, problems and tools into her existing teaching resources
Used these ideas to support colleagues
Found innovative ways to challenge and extend students
Developed new units of work for the school’s Learning Extension Programme.

From Jeny:

"It's great to share and interact with other people who also teach maths, and have different experiences and ideas.

I find Maths Teacher Circles mentally stimulating for sharing and building ideas. So motivating to see all the new things to explore!"

A task to get students thinking

A key idea to generating new teaching ideas (without overworking) is this: Incredible lessons don’t need to take an incredible amount of time to plan. In fact, some of the best maths lessons come from:

small, ordinary problems
that you’ve played around with, and
given a nip and tuck.

Here’s one example. It’s a task that hundreds of teachers, like Jeny, have used and adapted to K-12 settings.

Fractions are notoriously difficult. Students often see them as meaningless numbers, involving confusing processes. Instead, in this task, students visualise and make sense of fractions using shapes. By comparing shapes, students create and represent the same fraction in different ways. And, they give meaning to an important mathematical idea: ‘equivalence’. Powerfully, this task can be the starting point for many more.

For example:

change the way the square is broken up, or
make the value of the whole square 2 (or ¼ or 10, etc.), or
change the prompt to: “Shade any 3 sections”.

Each tweak brings new possibilities for strategising and thinking about maths differently.

Get 10 more favourite maths tasks

Want more maths tasks that will bring the Web View to life for your students?

I’ve compiled 10 of my favourites. Each task can be used as is, or easily adapted.

You can get them for free here: mathsteachercircles.org/gifted

Michaela Epstein, Founder & Director, Maths Teacher Circles

Unlocking potential

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 09:41:32 GMT

We only attend the campus two or three days a week and also work from home. School has been a wonderful process over the past few years I’ve been doing it. The teachers have been very nice over the whole period.

A normal school wouldn’t have worked for me as I’m a very gifted child in some areas but in others areas I’m very low at as I have dyslexia. Let’s start with reading. Dyslexia makes reading very hard for me and I find it very hard to read big words. The teachers help because they let us use talk to text and iPads rather than handwriting.

Now let’s go to science. Science I’m very gifted and I often work at year 7 science level. But that’s not the most gifted subject at all. There’s one more that stands out the most and that is maths. I’m doing year 10 maths at the age of 8. The other subjects I am at normal level although I have a deep understanding.

I use assistive technology to write this (called my Mum) and she also helped me to aurally learn a script of 69 pages.

Gifted & Talented Action Research

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 23:10:32 GMT

"It gave me the enthusiasm to bring these ideas back to my school and advocate and cater appropriately for our gifted and talented students"

I attended the Gifted and Talented Action Research run by the Melbourne Archdiocese in 2023. The four sessions focused on identifying gifted and talented students and twice-exceptional (2E) students, differentiation, and the development and implementation of inclusive policies. At the end of the year, each member shared their action research project.

The professional learning experience was engaging, collaborative, practical, and innovative. Dr. Susan Nikakis’ passion was truly inspiring and gave me the enthusiasm to bring these ideas back to my school and advocate and cater appropriately for our gifted and talented students. As a new coordinator in the field, I had much to learn, and this professional development provided reassurance and guidance. I was able to write a comprehensive and inclusive policy for our school.

I ensured that a member of staff would attend the course in 2024 and in future years. It’s too valuable to miss, and the more people who have this exposure, the better equipped we are to cater to our gifted and talented students effectively.

Brenda McCullagh - BEAM Program Coordinator - Learning Area Leader – Gifted and Talented

Kids Teaching Teachers

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 02:46:20 GMT

Kids Conference 2024

The Kids' Conference brings together primary and secondary students to share

innovative projects they have designed and developed.

Our slogan 'kids teaching teachers' aims to highlight that we are all co-learners and students have a great contribution to make to further our knowledge.

We work to promote students as researchers and creators of knowledge and

innovation to an audience of their peers, lead educators, policy makers and the teaching community.

The role of teachers is as facilitators of creative, collaborative and student-led projects.

We provide new student-led learning approaches to enquiry, exploring new and emerging technologies and novel presentation tools.

The 12 ^th Kids Conference Australia will be held 25 November, 2024.

Learn more and register your interest https://kidsconference.online/

The Two Faces of Being Gifted

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 05:41:21 GMT

Artwork Title:

Flirting, flying, bursting, burning, yet hugely and hatefully heavy.

An anonymous 10 year old expresses feelings towards our theme, The Diverse Faces of Giftedness, through their own artwork. The artwork sends a powerful message of how so many gifted children are underrepresented, causing mental health issues.

The Challenges of Giftedness

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:59:35 GMT

We asked the AI bot, ChatGPT, about the challenges of giftedness

As an AI language model, I don't have personal experience of the challenges of being intellectually gifted. However, here are some common challenges faced by gifted individuals:

1. Social isolation: Gifted individuals may feel isolated from their peers due to their unique interests and intellectual abilities, making it tough for them to form meaningful social connections.

2. High expectations: Gifted individuals often face unrealistic expectations from their family, friends, and society, leading to pressure and stress.

3. Boredom and under-stimulation: Gifted individuals may feel uninterested or unchallenged in traditional academic settings, leading to boredom and under-stimulation.

4. Perfectionism: Gifted individuals often hold themselves to high standards, which can lead to anxiety and stress when they do not meet their own expectations.

5. Emotional intensity: Gifted individuals may experience intense emotions, leading to difficulty regulating their emotions and forming healthy relationships.

6. Feeling misunderstood: Gifted individuals may feel that others do not understand their perspectives or experiences, leading to frustration and isolation.

The Diverse Faces of Giftedness

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:53:52 GMT

We asked ChatGPX, an AI bot, about the Diverse Faces of Giftedness

Academic giftedness can manifest in different ways and may vary among individuals. Below are some of the diverse faces of academic giftedness:

1. Intellectual giftedness : This type of giftedness is characterised by exceptional cognitive abilities, including high IQ, advanced reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

2. Creative giftedness : Individuals with creative giftedness demonstrate exceptional abilities in various forms of creativity, such as music, art, writing, and drama.

3. Leadership giftedness : Some individuals exhibit strong leadership qualities from a young age, including effective communication skills, decision-making, and strategic thinking.

4. Emotional intelligence giftedness : Emotional intelligence giftedness is characterized by individuals who can recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions and those of others, as well as communicate effectively.

5. Spatial giftedness : Spatially gifted individuals have exceptional abilities in visualizing and solving problems related to spatial relationships and dimensions.

6. Kinaesthetic giftedness : Kinaesthetic giftedness is characterised by individuals who excel in physical activities, including sports, dance, and other movements.

7. Multiple intelligences giftedness : Some individuals possess multiple types of intelligence, which means that they excel in more than one area of academia, art, or physical activity.

Overall, academic giftedness is a complex and multifaceted concept that encompasses a variety of talents and strengths. Understanding and recognising the various faces of academic giftedness is essential in supporting and nurturing the potential of gifted individuals.

Persecuted Silence

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:43:24 GMT

Words from a 15 year old who choses to remain anonymous.

We, the gifted and twice-exceptional youth, are extremely frustrated as to why no one will listen to us. We are not being heard, and our mental health is declining; it is killing us. We do have voices that are heard and help us to a certain extent, but they are not of our age. They are adults who talk from their perspective and not about what it would look like in the future for us. It always has been like this; through the centuries, the gifted youth did not have a voice, and if they tried, they were persecuted (the occasional one got away, such as Einstein, Walt Disney and Stephen Hawking). Consider what happened to 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan when she tried to speak up for educational rights. Yes, that is an extreme example, but there are far more accounts of similar stories to hers where adults decide their fate.

Today we do not want to be persecuted anymore. From today we want to be heard .

· We want to be heard when you make decisions to better our educational system, especially when it involves our learning.

· Listen to us when we tell you that how our system delivers and assesses the curriculum against numbers is not learning. Numbers are a business structure, not an educational one.

· We know that you know that we have evolved rapidly over the last century. However, we are still perplexed about why we still use the industrial-era educational system. Think about the changes that have occurred over the previous 100 years.

Many things have advanced rapidly, but our educational system has not.

Maybe it is because we have yet to see a government that is open, honest, accountable

and better represented in terms of the diversity of viewpoints and the

diversity of people. I suppose the only way to open the eyes of progress is to

plant a seed. There may be teething problems hearing us at first, which may

take a while, but I think that is with most things people pursue. We need our

voices to represent how we feel and what we need to succeed. We are the now, we

are the future, and we know what is needed to survive.

So please be one of the first organisations to open up a committee that includes

representatives of diverse youth around Australia so we can be involved in how

and what we learn.

Myths Associated With Giftedness

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 05:48:32 GMT

The Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) has declared that the week 20-28 May 2023 will be the annual National Gifted Awareness Week. Raising awareness about gifted students and their needs prompts an examination of some of the myths associated with giftedness.

Miraca Gross, past Director of GERRIC at the University of NSW has explained: all children are a gift; all children have relative strengths and weaknesses; however not all children are gifted because the term ‘gifted’ is a psychological and educational term and refers to the top ten percent of the population in any field. All children are unique and each child is valued. Gifted Education isn’t about valuing some students more than others; it is simply related to identification of intellectual and learning differences and meeting a student’s associated educational needs.

Gifted students are not all the same or evenly developed. Birthday gifts are varied, with some neatly boxed, beautifully wrapped, while others are presented haphazardly, with parts protruding beyond plain paper, barely held together with sticky tape. So it is with the gifted. Some students appear to be ‘evenly packaged’ whereas others are existing in an uneven, disorganized state.

Asynchronous development refers to the unevenness often found in gifted students’ profiles. A gifted student may be at a certain chronological age, but simultaneously at different levels in their physical, intellectual social and emotional development. There can be marked discrepancies between various abilities and/or when these are compared with specific skills. Heightened abilities can co-exist with relative deficits in skill areas that have not yet developed. Françoys Gagné, previously of the University of Quebec, explains that gifts or natural abilities will, in a stimulating and nurturing environment, progress to become systematically developed skills or talents, but this doesn’t necessarily occur in a smooth, even or linear manner.

At another level, giftedness can co-exist with a range of disabilities, in physical (e.g. visual or hearing impairments) or cognitive (e.g. learning disabilities or attention) areas. These students are exceptional in two or more areas, have very complex needs and experience significant frustration. There is no doubt that Stephen Hawking, before his recent death, had an extreme physical disability coupled with an extraordinary, brilliant mind; however there are numerous twice-exceptional students who have concurrent advanced abilities and disabilities but their complex needs may not be easily identified or adequately supported within an educational context.

Two bi-partisan Senate Select Committees have identified that gifted students are the most educationally disadvantaged population in this country. Gifted students require identification, understanding and appropriate educational provisions in order for them to develop talents and achieve at a level appropriate to individual potential. Without targeted provisions and relevant support at home and at school, gifted students risk academic underachievement, personal and social difficulties. Schools are increasingly aware that addressing the needs of gifted students is related to educational equity and that school retention, academic achievement, social inclusion and personal well-being depend upon teachers’ awareness and professional skills to address the needs of gifted students.

Where ARE all the Gifted Kids?

treasurer@aaegt.net.au (Lynne Maher) — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 08:52:27 GMT

Mention the phrase “gifted child ” to many people, and they may immediately think of a child prodigy who is composing and publicly performing amazing music at a very young age, or one, like Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory who has achieved an undergraduate degree while barely in his teens.

While children who do this certainly are gifted, most gifted children are not achieving such dizzy heights.

Gagné defines giftedness as: The possession and use of untrained and spontaneously expressed natural abilities (called outstanding aptitudes or gifts), in at least one ability domain, to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10 per cent of age peers.

Many of Australia’s education systems adopt this definition or one that is substantially similar, incorporating the recognition of capacity or potential (as opposed to achievement) and in particular, recognising the figure of 10%.

The actual number of gifted school-aged students in any state or territory is a matter of simple mathematics based on statistics available from the previous census. However, we can say that, on average, there are 2-3 gifted students in every classroom. This is despite the ability of some teachers to look you in the eye and tell you they taught a gifted child once. Most of these gifted students are unidentified by, and not well catered for within, our school systems, except for some selective or partially selective classes and schools – which are limited to certain states.

Why are so many of these students not identified? There are many people who link the concept of giftedness with achievement, and there are certainly some gifted students who are in the group, described by François Gagné, as “intellectually gifted and academically talented”. These are the students who are achieving highly and are generally more likely to come to the attention of their teachers and be identified as gifted. Yet this does not necessarily mean that they will be catered for. Catering for academically gifted students is sometimes viewed as elitist and therefore undesirable, yet there is absolutely no suggestion within our society that catering for those who show signs of being highly talented sportspeople is undesirable.

There is a widely held myth that gifted students will do well no matter what, but if you consider the seedlings in a vegetable patch, they are not going to grow into strong plants, flourish and produce a good crop if the garden is not nurtured, if there is insufficient water, inadequate sunlight, insufficient nutrients in the soil. Likewise, gifted students need the appropriate environment, stimulating, challenging curriculum and intellectual peers to assist them in reaching their potential.

It is important, not only for the individual but for the whole of society, that these students are given the opportunity to reach their potential: they are the leaders of tomorrow, those who are most likely to be able to sort out some of the problems the world is facing: global warming, food and water security, cures for cancer and other diseases.

While the high-achieving students in school may attract attention, they still may not be achieving to their potential. If they are achieving “A’s” without really trying, the education system is doing them a disservice and potentially not equipping them to cope with challenges down the track.

There are many students who have the potential to achieve highly who do not. Some may simply be so bored that they can not be bothered with the simplicity of the work that is on offer to them; they may spend their time daydreaming or may become disruptive. If a gifted child becomes disruptive, they generally do this very well!

Other gifted students may be asynchronous– they are gifted in one area of study, for example, mathematics, but not another, for example, the English language. Other gifted students may also have a learning disability, which can partially mask their giftedness, while their giftedness seems to compensate somewhat for their learning disability. For example, a student who is passionately knowledgeable about everything scientific but whose dyslexia makes reading difficult. These students still need to be provided with extended learning in their areas of strength.

Other gifted students experience sensitivities that impact on their ability to participate in a classroom. Sensitivities to noises cause them physical pain; emotional sensitivities result in them feeling much more deeply about the events of their world than other students their age do. These, together with the way they are perceived by teachers and classmates, can leave a gifted child feeling frustrated, lonely, isolated and knowing they are different, without really understanding why.

Some gifted students hide their giftedness to fit in with their classmates. There are stories of gifted children starting school able to read and/or write, but when they realise that this is not the “norm” for their classroom, they adjust their behaviour accordingly.

There is a belief held by some educators, that young academically gifted students do not need to be encouraged, that others will soon catch up. In some cases, this may seem apparent, but gifted students are gifted for life – they may be hiding their potential, but it is still there, and with the right environment, it can flourish again. Our athletics clubs do not hold back their fastest runners to give the slower runners time to catch up, they encourage all to train to reach their potential, to achieve personal bests and this is how we should treat our academically gifted students.

Most Australian state & territory education authorities have policies and procedures for gifted students, and for those who are identified as gifted, individual learning plans may provide access to a specific extension or enrichment programs and specify differentiated classroom learning or even some accelerated learning options. For some teachers who have identified gifted students in their classes, some professional development may be offered by the system in which they work.

Schools may offer higher achieving students the option of participating in some of the competitive challenges that provide stimulation, and this is great for those students while it lasts.

There are some teachers who are knowledgeable about and passionate about identifying and catering for the gifted students who come into their classes, but there are still many who do not understand enough about gifted students because there is little about giftedness in pre-service teacher education and the focus for ongoing professional learning is often on supporting students of lower ability.

Schools need to better identify all of our gifted students, accommodate any areas of weakness and encourage and support areas of strength. On a daily basis schools need to provide all gifted students with environments where they are challenged yet supported intellectually and in which they can work together with intellectual peers to help them maximise their potential.

Author, Lynne Maher, past president of the Tasmanian Association for the Gifted, www.tasgifted.com is a qualified teacher and the mother of a gifted son who is now an adult. Lynne advocated for appropriate school interventions for her son and he was accelerated in individual subjects as well as radical grade skipping in high school (his suggestion) to go on to achieve dux of year 12 at the age of 16 and graduate from Monash University with a double degree with honours and be the recipient of a prestigious Sir John Monash Medal.

This article is adapted from one written for Talking Point published in The Mercury in July 2019.

Shared Stars

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 10:26:50 GMT

A unit of work designed for a Year 5 class with a gifted cluster

Storytelling - understanding oral traditions using archeoastronomy

Please note: Pre-testing needs to occur because in this case, there may be students who have high potential and high interest in this subject, but who may not be identified through current school procedures or programs. This may particularly apply to Aboriginal students. This is one example of a pre-test, and it is fun.

Pre-assessment scenario

Read: Space travel through the solar system is now common. People have started travelling through the solar system in family sized spacecraft, stopping off at each planet to explore it. So far, no travel brochures have been produced to inform people about the planets. Flight Centre has given Class xx this job. To produce this brochure, we need to travel through the solar system ourselves and use our collective knowledge.

(Provide students with a narrow strip of paper about 30cm long)

You are now leaving from the spaceport on the Sun. Draw the sun at the far left of your paper. Travel 2cm and arrive at the nearest planet to the sun. Draw this planet. Name it and describe it. (Information for all planets could include how long it takes the planet to orbit the sun, is it a terrestrial planet or a gas planet, number of moons, surface temperature and conditions, how long a day/year is, origins of name etc). You are now leaving for the next planet, so fly another 2cm and land on the next planet. Draw this planet. Name it and describe it (as above). The third planet is Earth. Fly another 2cm to Earth. Draw it and label it. Earth has one moon. Draw it and label it. Next to your drawing write how the moon affects the Earth. Nearby write how the earth gets its seasons. After leaving Earth you reach the next planet. Draw, name and describe this planet. Soon after leaving this planet, you come across the asteroid belt. Draw the asteroids. What are they – write a sentence describing asteroids. Nearby write why this would not be a good place to spend a holiday. Continue with rest of solar system (Jupiter 2 cm, Saturn 3 cm, Uranus 3 cm, Neptune 2 cm). Now it is time to return to Earth. Get your spaceship to do a U turn. As you return you see groups of stars. If you can, draw their patterns and name them. Once you have returned to Earth, park your spaceship, and add any further information that you wish to your solar system map. Discuss your journey with your neighbour. Add to map where necessary.

Analyse maps for prior knowledge and use this as an entry point for individual students. Any student that can name and draw three or more constellations would be considered having enough knowledge to do extension work. Grouping these students will be an effective teaching strategy.

Unit designed for a Year 5 class with a gifted cluster

Content description

(General) The Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the sun) (ACSSU078 - Scootle)
(General) Recognise that ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of interpretations and responses (ACELT1610 - Scootle)
(General) Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts (ACSIS093 - Scootle)
(General) Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes incorporating accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements (ACELY1700 - Scootle)
(General) Plan the display of artworks to enhance their meaning for an audience (ACAVAM116 - Scootle)
(Extended) The Earth is part of a system of planets and other space phenomena, including other stars than our sun
(Extended) Compare ideas in literary texts conveyed from cultural viewpoints, which lead to different kinds of interpretations and responses
(Extended) Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for chosen audiences and purposes incorporating accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements, through storytelling (ACELY1700 - Scootle)

Elaborations

Identifying the planets of the solar system and comparing how long they take to orbit the sun
Modelling the relative size of and distance between Earth, other planets in the solar system, the stars seen from our solar system and the sun

Critical and Creative Thinking

Creative thinking enables the development of ideas that are new to the individual, such as shared stars and this is intrinsic to the development of scientific understanding
Scientific inquiry promotes critical and creative thinking by encouraging flexibility and open-mindedness as students speculate about their observations of the world
Links are regularly demonstrated between and within subjects and key learning areas such as science and literacy
Regular engagement in thinking that requires students to organise, reorganise, apply, analyse, synthesise and evaluate knowledge and information and establish the links between different cultural interpretations of constellations
Provocative questioning

Strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learning

Explore how cultural stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples explain the cyclic phenomena involving the sun, moon and stars and how these explanations differ from contemporary science understanding
Research Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s understanding of the night sky and its use for timekeeping, navigation etc
Connect school knowledge with real-life contexts, by taking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mythologies and valuing them as a part of oral traditions. We learn through the stories we share
Employ narrative accounts such as the interpretations of the constellations by different cultural groups to enrich student understanding, as children have a strong identification with narrative

Lesson 1

Content: What is a star? What is the life cycle of a star (incorporating the energy changes that occur)?

Process: Define using a dictionary. Provide multi-modal texts for students to discover: What is a star? Describe the life cycle of a star. Is the sun a star? As students read, view and listen, what further questions are engendered? Discuss. Refer to NASA. Collect a vocabulary list e.g., nuclear, equilibrium, gravity. Start drawing conclusions and providing explanations based on the information gathered.

Introduce ‘star mythology’ in the story of Orihime and Hikiboshi. Show a film on the Tanabata or Star Festival. Alternatively, learn how the Pleiades are represented in so many ways.

Product:

Explanation writing

If learning about Tanabata, develop an art installation through weaving, folding origami, writing on paper strips, and hanging tanzaku wishes for the future.

Differentiation: Use multi-modal sources to discover i.e., video, text, art, podcasts (variety).

Excursion to planetarium or book a mobile planetarium (high mobility)

Read folk tales from two different cultural groups.

Create a new folk tale from the mixture of both.

Present in any form you choose. (Choice and synthesis)

Questioning: What are the relationships between the stars?

What stops the stars from crashing into one another?

What energy does a star produce?

How does the term ‘fusion’ relate to stars?

Create an analogy to explain stars to a friend.

Why does a star twinkle?

What is stardust?

Lesson 2

Content: What is a constellation? What are some of the major constellations? Introduce concept of shared stars, space histories and Aboriginal astronomy.

Process: Introduce the concept of constellations. What are oral traditions? Who uses them? Why are oral traditions important? Break students into ability constructed literacy groups. Provide each group with a diagram and text (with varying rigour) about a well-known constellation: e.g., Taurus, Canis Major, Southern Cross, Gemini, Orion. Target a specific literacy skill identified through formative assessment. Provide each group with a matching text outlining how Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders interpret each constellation.
Product: Using their bodies, each group shows the placement and name of the stars in their constellation, while summarising the text orally. Students must include how important the constellation is to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and why.

Research mythology from other cultures pertaining to each constellation. Any connections? Students locate ‘star stories’ from their own heritage to share. Use ‘read aloud ‘strategies (pause, pitch, emphasis, attending to punctuation) to engage the audience.

Differentiation: Use ability grouping to provide more capable readers with challenging t exts

(structured and unstructured activities enable both intellectual and socio-effective goals).

Using the stars in the constellations, join them up to see if the picture of the animal, person etc can be formed.

(Complexity)

Excursion or speaker:

Dreamtime Astronomy or

join the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for an evening of stargazing around a campfire,

listening to dreaming stories about the creation of the stars.

Questions: Name some ways that the stars are important to Aboriginals.

How do different aboriginal peoples interpret the Southern Cross?

How do we know how cultures interpret constellations?

What are the connections between the constellations around the world?

Many of the world’s peoples and cultures see the same constellations.

What are the similarities and differences in their stories?

Why would this have occurred?

Lesson 3

Content: What makes a good storyteller? How can I write and tell a story?

Process: Singly or in pairs, create and name a constellation and name the stars that make up the invented constellation. Invite their classmates’ interpretations. Emphasise the fact that as the students have seen different patterns in their created constellations, so too, have various cultures when looking at stars in the night sky. Where does the student created constellation sit in the night sky? Discuss planning as part of the writing process. Plan a myth for the created constellation. Share plans. Students evaluate how the story connects with the constellation.

Organise and invite a storyteller to visit your school. (There are several storytelling associations around Australia). Students list and discuss characteristics of successful storytelling.

Product: Students draft their story around their created constellation. The publishing process will be a storyboard, which should form a work of art using colour, texture, collage etc. Supported by the storyboard, practice retelling the story. Learn the story by heart and keep practising using the observed storytelling skills. Set up a storytelling café and students invite chosen guests, including family. Students now become ‘human stars’ and using their storyboards, they retell their narrative. Students can self-assess.

Differentiation: Students choose personal working arrangements – singles or pairs. Study of People. Open endedness. Gifted students in the social-emotional domain can plan a storytelling festival – Starfest – for gifted storytellers to present to a larger audience, such as a school assembly.

Questioning: What would the constellations in the night sky look like from Australia?

Compare how they might look from Europe.

What is heliacal rising?

How are the sun and moon represented in oral traditions?

How is the Milky Way represented in oral traditions?

Appendix 1: Further enrichment activities

Reach for the Stars

Create a Radio Station for the Stars. Transmit through the cosmos (playground) at a chosen break time. Students play original ‘star studded’ singles, music from the ‘stars’, talkback sessions with ‘Dr Cosmos’, interplanetary weather reports, solar system traffic reports, cosmic news etc.
Much of cosmology is based on the laws of gravity proposed by Isaac Newton. Conduct an internet search to review these laws. Appraise these laws and demonstrate how they can be applied to objects in your house or classroom.
Research the difference between meteors, meteorites, meteoroids and micrometeorites. Compare the characteristics of each. How are they alike and how do they differ? Present in a visual form, or in an article for a science journal.
Computers now play an important part in generating the visual cosmic web that was once only theorised. Explore internet sites that show some of these visualisations. Can you transfer them to a diagrammatic form? Include an explanation of each.
Research scientists such as Copernicus, Einstein, Aryabhata, the Mayans, Democritus, Hubble, Galileo, Newton, Kepler and Hawking who have made significant contributions to the understanding of the universe. Form a panel with a group of friends and discuss/debate who might be the greatest contributors.
Examine current research that is being conducted in space exploration, particularly by NASA. What types of experiments are being explored onboard the space shuttle and the International Space Station. Create a PowerPoint on this subject.
Watch a science fiction movie that portrays outer space such as ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Star Wars’. Look for the portrayal of the vastness of the universe. Was it portrayed accurately? Did you see any contradictions from what you have read about or researched? Create a critical analysis, in a format of your choice, on your observations.
A Star Wars exhibition a few years ago was marketed with the slogan – Where Science Meets Imagination. Please explain.
What is light pollution and what is its effects on people? Dark Sky organisations are springing up in protection. What do we mean by dark skies? Describe this issue in terms of your neighbourhood. Some say this is – ‘A Global Problem with a Local Solution’. What solutions can you devise?
Measure the perimeter of your home or classroom in millimetres. Using millimetres to measure the size of a room is somewhat like using kilometres to measure distances in space.
The Galilean Moons: Where are they? What are they? What can you find out about them? Why is it important to know about them?
What is a songline in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture? How are the stars and Aboriginal songlines connected? Create your own ‘memory map’ for a journey you take regularly e.g., travelling to school
Investigate the contribution that Australia has made to the exploration of space. Gather and analyse your data. Use a computer application to present the results of your research.
Design and make an alien that could survive on a chosen planet from our solar system. Research this planet to identify its characteristics and surface conditions. You need to consider: the alien’s energy source, ambulation, breathing, body temperature control and any other special adaptations that the alien needs to survive on this planet. Share with a chosen audience.
How could the energy in stars be harnessed to meet our needs on Earth? Create designs and test strategies, which must show deep knowledge of energy conversion processes. Describes how scientific understanding about the sources, transfer and transformation of electricity is related to making decisions about its use.
How does light travel though space, how is it measured and what is the impact on current astronomical studies?

Co-designed by Lynda Lovett and Blake Nuto

Global Environments

aaegtlynda@gmail.com (Lynda Lovett) — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 06:39:54 GMT

An interdisciplinary unit for a Year 6 class with a gifted cluster

Please note: Pre-testing needs to occur as there may be students who have high potential and high interest in this topic, but who may not be identified through current school procedures or programs. Pre-testing requires a response that shows understanding and mastery of one of three questions e.g., How is survival of living things affected by physical conditions of their environment? Describe an example of a sudden geological change or an extreme weather event and how it has affected an environment on Earth? Explain an example of an interaction and connection between people, places and environments.

The focus of the unit is on developing student understanding through a study of the world’s cultural and physical (including that of its indigenous peoples), and how this connected to diverse environments.

A creative and engaging multi-disciplinary group activity is located at the end of this unit and this will extend the learning content, processes and products.

Unit designed for a Year 6 class with a gifted cluster

Content description

(General) A student understands that the growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)

(Extended) A student understands and can describe that the diversity of the growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment, including human interactions .

(General) A student can articulate what sudden geological changes and extreme weather events affect Earth’s surface (ACSSU096)

(Extended) A student can articulate what sudden geological changes and extreme weather events affect Earth’s surface and can investigate and compare major geological events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis in Australia, Asia and around the world.

(General) Identify and explain how analytical images like figures, tables, diagrams, maps and graphs contribute to our understanding of verbal information in factual and persuasive texts (ACELA1524)

(General) Select, navigate and read texts for a range of purposes, applying appropriate text processing strategies and interpreting structural features, for example table of contents, glossary, chapters, headings and subheadings (ACELY1712)

(General) Use a range of software, including word processing programs, learning new functions as required to create texts (ACELY1717)

(General) Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS107)

Elaborations

Scientific understandings can assist in natural disaster management to minimise impacts to restore a balance to environments

Connecting that one natural disaster can lead to another e.g., earthquakes causing tsunamis

The impact that people of diverse cultures have upon the environments in which they live

Critical and Creative Thinking

Pose questions to clarify and interpret information and probe for causes and consequences

Strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learning

Investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s knowledge of the physical conditions necessary for the survival of certain plants and animals in the environment

Story sharing: locating and sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s cultural stories that provide evidence of geological events

Dreamtime stories about the formation of Australia

Creating new knowledge by understanding the diversity and connections to the environment of different cultures and how they compare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s connection to country

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may wish to investigate their own culture’s approach to the survival of living things more deeply and bring new knowledge to their mob

Guest speakers/experts from various professions and countries with expertise related to living things and their environments, and/or through personal experience with sudden geological changes and extreme weather events. These people can share their stories.

Sustainable land practices in Aboriginal culture

Key Concept: Interdependence

Lesson 1

Content: Familiarisation with world geography and the location of countries in relation to Australia. An exploration of mapping and its symbols.

Process: Assess prior knowledge – in groups (gifted cluster grouped together), students complete a blank map of the world adding major features e.g., capitals, river systems, equator, tropics etc. Once prior knowledge is exhausted, use computers or atlases to check accuracy and add remaining countries. Identify the mapping symbols that are the common requirements of a map – title, key, labelling, border, directional arrow, scale etc. Why and how did these develop?

Discuss location of countries in relation to Australia using compass directions.

Product: Students (in self-selected groups – no size limit) use atlases to draw a huge outline of a country of choice on asphalt. Using drama and body skills, students become the main features inside the map outline e.g., body shaped like a building for cities, bodies in a line for a river. Students should be able to name features. Give students a sheet with half of a country (using different countries) drawn on it. Students use computers to find the other half and draw it. Add landforms and major features.

Differentiation: Generating – collaboration to share knowledge and ideas

Attribute listing – geographical features and mapping tools

Explore countries and features on Google Earth - explain how it works.

Extending concepts from Australia to the world

Questioning: What features shown on our maps can change and how might they change

e.g., cities grow, rivers flood or change course.

What if we had no maps?

What other types of maps are there and how do they work

e.g., treasure maps, topographical maps, astronomical charts, GPS’s, geo-caching.

Lesson 2

Content: How the position of a country impacts on climate/weather and how that in turn, impacts on the environment and on the culture of population.

Process: Discuss factors that create weather conditions. Show pictures, video clips etc. of extreme weather events., Discuss where this currently might be happening. How is this weather event affecting the living and non-living things? Why do different countries have different climates? Lessons in latitude and longitude, contour (how to show height), proximity to oceans. Play a modified game of ‘Battleships’ on paper using degrees of longitude and latitude to consolidate concept.

Product: Interdependence Boxes: each student chooses a specific region of a country e.g., Daintree Rainforest, volcanic regions in NZ, Sahara Desert. Students put six clues in a box from their chosen geographical region without stating the location of region. Students share their clues with the class, from hardest to easiest. After each clue, the class can attempt to guess where the region might be. Suggestions for inclusion: map showing country and area where region is located, short information text on how the climate impacts the environment e.g., rainfall in the rainforest, pictures and description of the human inhabitants of the region, a description and/or images of the culture of the inhabitants and how the weather impacts that culture and living things. Further suggestions include clothing of the Inuit, a model or video clip of an insect, reptile or animal from the region and how it has adapted to the climate, a sample of an artwork showing region and climate, food of the region and why that food is dependent on weather and location, a description of the religion and how it intertwines with the weather and landforms, a short PowerPoint showing features of the environment of the region, a short text on the economic circumstances of the inhabitants and how the weather has impacted on these, architecture or dwellings of the inhabitants and how climate has been taken into consideration in the design, longitude and latitude of the region, a natural disaster that has occurred in the region and how the inhabitants are mitigating for future events and finally, any other examples of the interdependence of the people, land and climate.

Differentiation: Student choice

Integration across disciplines

Transfer of knowledge

Open-endedness

Questioning: deep questioning and deep thinking will be engendered by the

Interdependence Boxes

Lesson 3

Content: The diversity of global environments. Some examples of global environments include geo-thermal, deserts, polar, tundra, reefs, altiplano, mountains, plains, atolls & islands, canyons, foreshore, rainforest, wetlands, forests, harbours, grasslands, rivers, food bowls, rock formations, lakes, marine, (rift) valleys etc.

Process: Brainstorm and describe different global environments. Use the global environments from the Interdependence Box activity as a springboard.

Product: In pairs or singly, locate and name an example of each global environment from the list on a world map. Introduce the word ‘biome’. Map Australian landforms – rivers of all states, seas & oceans, capes, mountains, deserts, reefs, lakes, valleys, rainforests, wetlands, rock formations, bays, islands, national parks etc. Using varied technologies, such as Mapmaker, students research an environmental issue associated with some of these biomes. Study the scientific understandings that could assist in environmental management to minimise impacts and restore a balance to these environments. Probe for causes and consequences.

Differentiation: Analogy

Using controversy and provocations to problem solve

Generating – brainstorming

Questioning: What is an ecosystem?

What does an ecological balance look like in the various environments?

Can one be harmed by an environmental management action even if one benefits overall.

Why is the Simpson Desert (or landform of choice) located where it is? Why isn’t it located elsewhere?

What biome are you most like and why (analogy)?

Lesson 4

Content: The impact of geological changes and extreme weather events on global environments and how these events are measured.

Process: Brainstorm the types of disasters that result in changes to the environment (e.g., tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquakes, cyclones, fire, flood, drought, global warming). How are these events measured (e.g., Richter scale, Beaufort scale, coastal tide gauges, Volcanic Explosivity Index). What inventions have increased scientific knowledge about natural events that cause rapid changes at the Earth's surface? Investigate a natural disaster or environmental tragedy. What global environments were affected and how? Invite a member from the emergency services to speak on the strategies for dealing with a specific natural disaster. Invite a geologist to discuss landforms, tectonic plates or geological events.

Product: Choose a global environment or biome that has experienced a natural disaster. Students can work singly, in pairs or in groups to create a news broadcast describing what happened, the impact on the environment and on the people, the response by emergency services and others and the long-term consequences and changes. Various perspectives can be considered: emergency crews, TV news team, victims etc.

Differentiation: Scrutinising underlying ideas

Connections to real-life purposes and contexts

Skills of search

Questioning: How could this disaster have been prevented?

What detection systems already exist and how can they be improved?

(STEM task) How could people work with nature to help restore environments after disasters?

Lesson 5

Content: Investigate the cultural diversity of the local area

Process: Break students into 4 groups (mixed ability) and investigate the cultural diversity of the class, school, local area and state. Use student generated surveys and data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to locate this information. Invite a statistician to make this subject child-friendly with reference to the ABS.

Product: Representatives from each group report their findings to the class using computer-generated graphs and tables. Ensure everyone has a role. The gifted cluster then compares and analyses the results from the class, school and local area with the state data, and answers the question: Do results from the class, school and local area mirror the state’s cultural diversity and if so, how? While the gifted cluster is working on the analysis, the rest of the class can be identifying the natural and built environments that help the survival of the community. How might each cultural group interact with the places in the local environment? Both groups report back to the class.

Differentiation: Applying new skills and knowledge to a different context e.g., constructing and analysing

surveys, statistics

Using real world problems from the local community

Providing opportunities for students to learn advanced level content through mentoring

(guest speakers) and enrichment provision

Questioning: How does population growth affect environments?

How can diversity in populations improve environments?

What kinds of specific changes could occur in our class, school and local area? Elaborate.

Lesson 6

Content: Building deep understanding of cultural knowledge by investigating a group of indigenous peoples, including their unique customs and beliefs related to their environment.

Process: Help students develop an open-ended geographic question that provides the class with direction for an investigation or research regarding indigenous people. Negotiate clear criteria to guide students in their research. The question should promote analysis of the interdependency between the human world and the natural world.

Product: Students create a multimodal ‘tour’ of the lived experience of an indigenous group, (using a sequence of images and other multimedia such as music, voice-over, text, sound effects, film, interviews etc). Share with the class. At the conclusion of the presentations discuss how people around the world differ in their interactions with their environment.

Differentiation: Compare and contrast two indigenous cultures instead of one.

Expectation that some students will choose a lesser known indigenous culture to extend

themselves e.g., Sami over Inuit, Orang Asli, Hmong, Dayak, Okinawans, a specific

Aboriginal group e.g., Kamilaroi over all Aboriginal people

Choice – increases engagement

Questioning: How have indigenous peoples adapted to their environment?

Consider some of the challenges indigenous peoples face in maintaining:-

their traditions, their way of life and their ability to look after their environment.

Give some examples e.g., Dayak.

What interconnections do we, as Australians, have with the indigenous peoples that have been studied?

Appendix 1

BIOME BAZAAR

Groups of four students will work through the activities below to create a biome, which will form a total learning environment in the classroom. Each group will choose a biome and set up a display in the classroom. Invite parents and other classes to share the learning, providing an authentic audience. Adequate time will be needed for students to set up their biome display. As work is handed in at the end of each two-week period, evaluate and store the work for the ‘Bazaar’.

Due end of Week 2

Identification and a detailed written description of the biome

A map of the biome showing latitude and longitude, physical and political boundaries, built and natural environments, and other landmarks

An example of change that has occurred in the biome – presented as a series of art works or a flow chart

How human interaction has shaped the biome – presented as an infographic or timeline

Due end of Week 4

A report on what the biome needs to be ecologically sustainable including a section on the effects of climate change and the implications of this. Include possible resolutions

Identify the plant species that exist within the biome – to be presented as a book with a glossary or a chart with labels

Identify the animal species, both vertebrate and invertebrate, that exist within the biome. Describe them and evaluate the interdependency. Present as a diorama or a series of cards or a food web

Due end of Week 6

A mobile of a cultural group living in the biome with aspects of culture, including traditional clothing. On the reverse of each image state how this culture interacts with their environment

A letter to the editor, or signs for a protest march, from a fictional or real organisation that exists to protect this biome, arguing about a relevant issue

A cross sectional diagram of part of the biome

How this landform was formed presented as a poem or poster

Due end of Week 8

A plan of the biome setup for the display day – a drawing, setting-up procedures (who will bring what, who will do what, a plan for running the biome throughout the day)

An interactive activity designed to teach your audience about your biome

Any other aspects and inclusions you wish to add e.g., videos, photos, advertisements, collages, charts, sound effects, documentaries, models, pamphlets, book display, to create a total learning sensory environment

Post - event

With the students evaluate the plan and management of the biome, the information products and processes for themselves and for the needs of the particular audiences. Evaluate the learning.

Extension and enrichment / Homework Tasks

Rainforest

Make a chart that classifies creatures of the rainforest into omnivores, herbivores and carnivores.
Investigate the role and nature of detritivores.
Design a board game using fact cards on animals in the rainforest.
Examine the crucial role played by bats or birds in the rainforest.
Research the early explorers of the Amazon Basin.
Investigate a career to do with rainforests. Prepare a one-minute talk.
Who are Chico Mendes or Marina Silva and how have they contributed to protecting rainforests?

Polar

What is a food web? Draw a food web for the Southern Ocean.
Report writing – How are the Antarctic and Arctic regions the same and how are they different? Include maps, diagrams of landforms, graphs, tables etc. A large Venn diagram is an alternative product.
What makes Antarctica a unique continent?
People working alone in Antarctica enjoy the isolation. Do you think there is a difference between solitude and loneliness? Can you be on your own without being lonely? Explain.
Research one of the following people under the following headings: Birth & Early Life, Adult Life & Achievements

Robert Byrd. Asimov, Perry, Sir James Clark Ross, Douglas Mawson, Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott, Ernest Shackleton, Sir Edmund Hillary, Will Stegar, Ann Bancroft, Tim Bowden, Captain John Davis, George Hubert Wilkins, John Rymill,Philip Law, Edgeworth David, Dick Smith

There are no natural smells or sounds in the Antarctic (except for the wind). Write a poem to convey the feelings of isolation and the effect on the senses. (Can relate to isolation in general e.g., even in the middle of a city.
Why are the polar ice caps only at the poles?
Chart information from the Mawson weather station.
Describe the changes necessary to cover your location with an ice cap.
List five reasons the polar ice caps are important.
Why is Antarctica so cold?
What is the only direction you can travel when you are at the South Pole? Please explain.
How will the ozone hole affect the Antarctic food chain and you?
If Antarctica is a desert where does all the ice come from?
What is the Antarctic Convergence?
Create a map of how the world would look if the polar ice caps melted. Describe life using this scenario.
Why do icebergs float? Demonstrate and explain how this happens.
Since Antarctica is a perfect example of 'terra nullis', it doesn’t have a flag. Design a flag for Antarctica. Write why your design would be a good representation for the continent.
Design a travel brochure to make an Antarctic holiday irresistible to tourists.

Created by Lynda Lovett

Flying to New Horizons

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 08:28:35 GMT

A Unit of work for a Year 2 class with a gifted cluster

Please note: Pre-testing needs to occur because in this case, there may be students who have high potential and high interest in this subject, but who may not be identified through current school procedures or programs. Pre-testing only needs one of two questions e.g., draw a picture representing someone pushing something and someone pulling something. Draw an arrow to show direction of movement. The second question could ask how planes fly.

A ’contract’ located at the end of this unit will extend the learning content, processes and products. This could be embedded into the classroom literacy program.

Unit designed for a Year 2 class with a gifted cluster

Content description

(General) A push or a pull affects how an object moves (ACSSU033 - Scootle)
(Extended) A push or a pull, as well as gravity, thrust, lift and drag affects how an object moves

Elaboration

Exploring objects that move in the air

Critical and Creative Thinking

Inquiring – identifying, exploring, organising, processing and clarifying information and ideas

Strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learning

Inclusion of Aboriginal games to identify the push/pull force
Community links: How will this information benefit me, my family, my community -my mob?
Story-sharing
Kites in Aboriginal culture
Principles of flight using boomerangs and spears
The design of an airport as a learning map for Aboriginal students

Lesson 1

Content: What is meant by Push? Pull? Motion? Force? Using ‘push/pull’ as a force, how does an object move on land and in the water?

Process: Define using a dictionary. Discuss.

Product: Set up (choice) science stations so students can play and explore using these forces

e.g., skittles, in pairs pushing and pulling large cardboard boxes at the same time, balls using push passing, toy cars, toy wheelbarrows, pushing & pulling up/down, using ropes to tow objects, crane toys, relevant water play. Include Aboriginal games -https://www.sportaus.gov.au/yulunga

Differentiation : Choice.

Questioning: What direction do objects move when pushed or pulled?

Discuss push, pull, motion and force from their play explorations?

What objects do you push and pull during the day? (Making connections)

Lesson 2

Content: Properties of air

Process: Pre-test class on the properties of air. (Air takes up space, is made of gases, has mass and weight, exerts pressure, can be compressed, and is affected by altitude and temperature). Students who gain 50% or more in the pre-test would have an understanding of the properties of air work, so they can work in a separate (extension) group. Students conduct a variety of experiments, which can be found in many resources. The extension group work on self-designed experiments to compare the mass and strength of different materials (student selected) and how they may be moved in the wind. Predict first.
Product: Students write up conclusions to their experiment using questions: Which property of air did you demonstrate? How did your experiment explain this property? Extension group report back to the class using the same questions as well as explaining their findings regarding the various materials.

Differentiation: Grouping

Problem solving

Questioning: How is the air different on the top of a mountain than at ground level?

Using ‘push/pull’ as a force, how does an object move in the air?

What if one of the properties of air was missing? How would that change our world?

How could the knowledge of the properties of air benefit me, my family and my community?

Lesson 3

Content: Wind is moving air and can blow from different directions and at different speeds.

Process: Students share stories about their experiences with wind – why it happened, what happened and what was the result? Design a way to record the direction of wind. Draw design and list materials.

Product: Provide materials that were deemed suitable during the last lesson e.g., paper and paper products, dowel, light fabric, lace, ribbon, feathers etc. Design and make an instrument that measures wind direction. Test and modify if necessary. Use compasses to determine wind direction over a period of weeks and record.

Differentiation: Students choose personal working arrangements – singly, pairs or small groups

Inquiry-based learning

Questioning: Why is it important to measure wind direction and speed?

How might weather be affected by wind direction and wind speed?

Why might this information important for pilots?

Lesson 4

Content: Why is air necessary to fly a kite?

Process: Investigate different kite designs from different cultures – Aboriginal, Japan, Afghanistan, China etc. Use books, Internet, real kites. Investigate cultures, which practise kite flying for festivals and for leisure. Remembering previous studies and experiments on air and materials, students establish the assessment criteria for a successful kite.

Product: Design and make a kite. Fly kite and modify as necessary. ¨

Differentiation: Gifted cluster students add list of specifications to their design.

Encourage them to use accurate measurements and quantities.

Evaluate design and product using negotiated criteria.

Questioning: Describe how your kite is the same and is different from kites from different cultures - or your friend’s kite.

What properties of air enable your kite to fly?

How does a kite use a push/pull force?

Introduce the terms thrust, lift, gravity and drag. How does a kite use thrust, lift, gravity and drag?

Lesson 5

Content: How do planes fly? How do planes use push/pull? How do other flying objects fly e.g., boomerangs, Aboriginal spears, birds, insects, hot air balloons, helicopters? How do flying objects use push/pull as well as thrust, lift, drag and gravity.

Process: Study aeroplane parts and their functions. Investigate how each of the parts contribute to flight? Using mnemonics, the students work out a way to teach the parts of a plane and functions to their classmates. The gifted cluster group, with their peers, investigate the push/pull force in jet engines and propellor planes using computers or other devices. Discuss search terms. Share findings with class.

Product: Design own flying craft in singles or pairs. Diagram should show how the flying craft utilises the four - six forces and other principles of flight. Make a selection of flying craft from various materials (paper, card, polystyrene, straws, balloons, blu-tac, paper clips etc). Test by setting up obstacle courses for flying craft e.g., under desk, over chair etc. Time aloft with a stopwatch.

Differentiation: Allowing alternative choices.

Open-endedness

Depth and complexity

Questioning: Revisit the questions in the content section.

Lesson 6

Content: What is the purpose of airports? How are they designed and why are they designed that way?

Process: Guided excursion to nearest airport (Alternatively complete a virtual tour of two airports and compare and contrast). Discuss why the airport is in that location. Explore the relevant features of an airport. Where are the runways and what directions do they travel? Why? What do the numbers on runways mean?

Product: Build a model airport in pairs on tabletops. Decide whether airport is to be large or small. Include relevant features. Using a map of the local area students should be able to state location of airport and why it is in that place.

Differentiation: Depth and complexity

Gifted cluster group assign runway numbers determined by magnetic direction of runway

Questioning: How is an airport like a map?

How are airports connected to each other?

What examples of push/pull did you see in action at the airport(s) and

What roles did you see that relate to science?

Lesson 7

Content: Aeroplanes always try to take off and land into the wind.

Process: Use a compass to draw a wind rose at the student’s airport site. Using model from Lesson 3 as a windsock, set up a small electric fan to represent wind direction. Use the information from the windsock to decide which student runway to use. Choose a ‘student pilot’ to simulate the inaugural take-off and landing from the new airport using a model aeroplane (either the flying craft from Lesson 5 or a model aeroplane from a kitset). Choose another student to fly their flying craft at the same time. What are the dangers? What happens in real life to prevent these dangers e.g., radio communications, flight paths.

Product: Students fly their aircraft after establishing how they will communicate and how they will establish flight paths. Experiment with the student constructed aircraft flying from one ‘airport’ to another. (At any point where further discussion is needed, bring class back together).

Differentiation: Real world applications

Evaluate the experience

Guest speakers – pilot (private or commercial), air traffic controller etc

Questioning: Why do you think you need to be learning about forces/aircraft and airports?

If you could do a project on this subject, what area would you choose and why?

Aircraft contribute to greenhouse gases in quite a large way.

What could be some creative solutions to this problem?

Appendix 1

FLYING TO NEW HORIZONS

CONTRACT USING BLOOMS TAXONOMY

Students are to complete two activities of own choice from list below. Students must only choose one from each section. The students from the gifted cluster must select their activities from the Blue, Yellow and Green sections.

Red (Knowledge and Comprehension)

Locate and explain three news items to do with aviation.
Make an aviation timeline showing the development of aircraft this century.
Describe the Beaufort Scale.
Make a chart showing the symbols airlines use to represent themselves.

Purple (Application)

Show how seeds use flight to reproduce themselves.
Using a series of diagrams show how birds fly.
Investigate futuristic aircraft on various websites. Note designs and any use of specifications. Choose one to reproduce and include fun facts.
Construct a model airplane from a kitset by following the instructions.

Blue (Analysis)

Compare and contrast an A380 jet with a Piper Chieftain. (You can do this as a report or by using diagrams).
Read the Greek myth of Daedalus and write a paragraph discussing what events in this story would not have happened and why.
What other people are involved in flight – past and present? e.g., da Vinci, Wright brothers, Lindbergh, Dick Smith, Amy Johnson, Jean Batten, Bernoulli. Choose an ‘aviator’ and research. Dress up as this aviator and prepare a talk on how you have used your gifts and skills to help humans progress.
What is estimation? Prepare a maths sheet showing how you could use estimation to gauge how high a kite is flying.

Yellow (Synthesis)

Examine the shapes of the boomerangs on the display table. Design and make a boomerang of your own. Test for flight.
Investigate the work of the Careflight or Westpac helicopter, then design a fundraising campaign explaining to others why this service warrants their support. Implement your campaign.
Create a toy that uses a push/pull motion.
What is gravity? Design a science experiment that demonstrates gravity, Share with the class.

Green (Evaluation)

Design an airport using Minecraft. Why is this a good design?
Read the safety instructions from passenger airliners. Decide if they are adequate. Give reasons for your answers. What new safety instructions would you suggest?
The Enola Gay, a B52 bomber was used as an instrument for death and destruction when it dropped the world’s first atom bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Should the Wright brothers have predicted that aeroplanes could be used for evil purposes and kept their invention a secret? Clarify facts and identify issues. Lead a group discussion and as individuals identify their position that the Wright brothers should have taken, they write 1-2 reasons why. Organise each group to share.
How has the history of flight affected our world? Judge whether these changes are for the better or for the worse. Write an information report.

Created by Lynda Lovett

Strange Plants

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 00:34:58 GMT

A GAW event at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens run by GTCASA

Gumboots and Umbrellas

GTCASA’s (Gifted and Talented Children’s Association, South Australia) response to the GAW theme was to meet as a like-minded group of children and parents at Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens to participate in a self-guided trail entitled ‘Strange Plants’. Right until the last minute it was not known if this event would proceed due to weeks of rain. Dawn broke to leaden skies and heavy rain. Despite the gloom, it was decided to go ahead with the event and lo and behold, at 2pm the clouds cleared. For the couple of hours while groups of children and their parents were map reading, racing to be the first to find the next strange plant or exclaiming with their like-minded buddies over the weirdness of it all, the sun shone. To conclude the afternoon, a dry gazebo was located for the sharing of afternoon tea and conversation.

Take these children out of this context and place them in the classroom. Many are thriving, but just as many are underachieving. The reasons for this underachievement can be complex. Sometimes it comes down to the fact that they are lacking educational provisions or they wish to ‘dumb down’ for peer acceptance or they cannot find kindred spirits or like-minded classmates; classmates who share their interests and understand how they think.

At GTCASA we understand the dilemma of children finding like minds. The Saturday Club provides opportunities for gifted South Australian children to connect. Expanding on the concept further, parents of gifted children need to find their like minds too; the other adults with whom they can share the joys and frustrations of raising a gifted child.

Guiding the Rocket Ship: Why Gifted Learners Should Not Have to Learn Alone

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 02:21:08 GMT

Abstract

While gifted learners are often driven by their interests and can appear to be highly independent, this does not mean that they ought to be left to pursue their learning independently. The importance of significant persons and intrapersonal traits and attributes as catalysts of talent development in Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent show gifted learners must be thoughtfully guided by teachers who have been trained in the field of gifted education.

Keywords:

Gifted students; Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent; DMGT; classroom teacher; teacher attitudes; perfectionism; goal-valuation; motivation; talent development

Introduction

I remember the moment clearly. I had rushed through the set exercises in my grammar textbook, fumbling my work on clauses and punctuation, keen to have it done so I could move on to more interesting things. I finished the chapter and looked around. The rest of my class were taking their time. The person next to me was only halfway through the task. I pulled out my second exercise book, the one that contained my novel manuscript, and picked up the pen. Then the teacher called my name and asked me what I was doing.

“Oh, I’ve finished the work, Sir,” I said, in that presumptuous, assuring tone of voice which talented students learn early. Don’t worry about me. Worry about the other kids who are falling behind.

“I can see that,” he said. “But who said that means you get to decide what you go onto next?”

I was a rocket ship, but there needed to be a bit more work done on the ship and the navigation system before it went hurtling off into the far reaches of the universe.

In the Kierkegaardian sense that life makes sense when looking backwards but must be lived looking forwards, this was my first encounter with the myth that is the subject of this paper. The myth is that gifted learners can, or should, be left to learn alone. Such a statement assumes that learning is binary dichotomy – either someone learned, or they did not, and there is no interim degree – and it also groups gifted learners into a single homogenous group. It assumes that all gifted learners have this capability to work independently and self-regulate effectively, and that it is an appropriate intervention to allow every gifted learner to proceed through typical classwork at a rapid speed and then be master of their own (cognitive) domain.

This leads me to my present mission: to evaluate the myth that gifted learners can and should learn alone or by themselves. In order to do that I will refer to Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (hence DMGT), focusing on the influence of environmental and intrapersonal factors on the development of talent, and the known problem of underachievement among gifted learners. I’ll recommend some strategies for working effectively to support rocket ships (read: gifted learners) based around improving environmental factors, building intrapersonal skills and attributes, and reversing or reducing underachievement.

The Myth and Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent

Overview

Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent provides a diagrammatic overview of the procedure of talent development – that is, the process of translating gifts as natural abilities in physical and mental domains (Gagné, 2009, p. 64) through catalysts into competencies or talents (ibid). Gagné divides the catalysts into environmental factors (milieu, individuals and provisions), and intrapersonal factors (physical and mental traits, and awareness, motivation and volition as aspects of goal-motivation). In this section, I’ll focus on the environmental factors of individuals (namely the classroom teacher) and provisions (the educational opportunities afforded to the student, especially ones offered as unique differentiated adjustments) in debunking the idea that gifted learners should learn by themselves.

Classroom Teacher as Environmental Factor

A range of research established the profound influence of a classroom teacher on their students, including their gifted learners (Baudson & Preckel, 2016). Research into so-called ‘self-fulfilling prophecies’ has shown the significant impact which teachers’ expectations will have on outcomes for their students (Jussim & Harber, 2005), and Lassig summarises Clark’s finding that the classroom teacher “significantly affects the development of gifted students” (Lassig, 2009, p.40). If the gifted learner was able to learn by themselves, then the classroom teacher would have to have little to no measurable influence on a student’s acquisition of learning. Instead, the opposite is true. The influence of a teacher’s attitudes and beliefs on their practice (Lassig, 2009; Jung, 2014) heavily impacts student achievement.

Provisions (or lack thereof) as Environmental Factor

The typical classroom is not perfectly effective as a space of adjustment (that is, provision) for the needs of gifted learners, including their need to be intellectually stimulated (Siegle & McCoach, 2018, p. 565). Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubulius & Worrell note that “opportunities provided by society are crucial at every point in the talent development process” and also note “the need for all students to be challenged in their schoolwork…. Appropriate educational programming, training and support are required” (Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius & Worrell, 2011, p.3-4). The fact that there is a clear need for external opportunities, appropriate programming, training and support further discredits the notion that gifted learners can be left to their own self-determined devices.

Evaluation

Overall, important persons and provisions are both catalysts which play a significant role in translating gifts into talents in Gagne’s DMGT (Gagné, 2009). A teacher’s attitudes and beliefs will greatly impact their students, and a lack of appropriate provisions or adjustments will prevent a gifted learner from being given appropriately challenging work, or appropriate support. As such, the myth that gifted learners can or should learn by themselves is disproven.

The Myth and the Fact of Underachievement

Overview

McCoach and Siegle have defined underachievement as “the discrepancy between expected achievement based on one’s intellectual potential/ability and observed academic performance” (McCoach & Siegle, 2014; Steenbergen-Hu et al, 2020). Underachievement is rampant among the gifted population, particularly among male students (Hatley and Townend, 2020). As such, it will be demonstrated that students’ attitudes (including their conceptions of intelligence) and both their goal-valuation and motivation significantly influence their learning. In this context, while some gifted learners may be capable of extended independent work, the heterogeneity of learners’ motivation, self-regulation skills, and adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism means not all students can do this.

Fixed Mindsets and Perfectionism

Perfectionism is not unique to gifted learners, and both gifted and non-gifted learners can exhibit adaptive or maladaptive perfectionism; it is still true that “many gifted students do display concerning qualities of unhealthy perfectionism” (Mofield et al, 2019, p. 1). Maladaptive perfectionism can lead to behaviours such as delaying classwork, compulsive action, a fear of failure, and task/challenge-avoidance (ibid). Researchers have drawn a division between Evaluative Concerns, or maladaptive attributes, and Positive Strivings (Speirs Neumeister, 2016). In this framework, the former includes factors such as Concern Over Mistakes, Parent Criticism, and Parental Expectations (Mofield et al, 2019). If learners have a fixed conception of intelligence then they may feel that their sense of self or their identity as ‘bright’ or possibly ‘gifted’ learners is at risk when a difficult task is presented to them, and they may then avoid the task completely in order to avoid the failure in the one task compromising their whole identify and self-efficacy (Mofield et al, 2019). As summarised by Siegle and McCoach, “for [these learners], not performing is less risky than performing and failing” (Siegle & McCoach, 2018, p.566).

As such, if a gifted learner is motivated by Positive Strivings, then there may be a degree to which they can learn by themselves, insofar as they possess the initiative and determination to commence and continue learning activities alone. However, students who exhibit maladaptive perfectionism need appropriate intervention and coaching from teachers and mentors in order to develop the intrapersonal traits required to come autonomous learners.

Goal-Valuation and Motivation

Mofield and Peters have argued that “all three attitude components (self-efficacy, goal-valuation, and environmental supports) must be present to catalyse the motivation and self-regulation necessary to produce ultimate achievement” (Mofield & Peters, 2019). On a similar note, in a study by McCoach and Siegle cited by McCoach and Flake, the best predictors of student achievement were found to be motivation or self-regulation as well as goal valuation, and a clear correlation was found between a student’s goal-valuation and their ability to motivate or regulate themselves to achieve said goals (McCoach & Flake, 2018, p. 209; McCoach & Siegle, 2003). Because gifted learners often have particular interests (as do all learners), it cannot be assumed that they will see the arbitrary value of mandated classwork; further, if they have been in regular classrooms for some time, they may be conditioned to see classwork that has been set for all students as boring and irrelevant to their unique interests. McCoach and Flake use Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory to argue that educators of the gifted must set learning tasks which are complex enough to prevent boredom and not so difficult to induce anxiety; further they advise that educators must help gifted learners to value their learning goals more highly (McCoach & Flake, 2018, p. 203-204; Csikszentmihalyi, 1975; Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

As such, because goal-valuation and motivation play a large role in successful learning, the myth that gifted learners can learn by themselves assumes that these learners always value their learning goals highly and are always motivated to achieve them. In fact, “regular classes, as compared with gifted education and advanced classes, tend to undermine, rather than support, a passion for learning” (Siegle and McCoach, 2018, p. 565; Fredricks, Alfeld, and Eccles, 2010). As such, not only can gifted learners not learn by themselves if they lack goal-valuation or motivation, but the general educational system has actively reduced these important factors in talent development.

The Influence of the Myth on Practice and Policy and Recommendations

The myth of the totally independent gifted learner has impacted teaching practice and policy in two key ways. Firstly, it has meant that the education of the gifted is not a requirement for preservice teaching programs or an explicit part of the AITSL Teaching Standards. Secondly, it has meant that vital intrapersonal traits are not always coached or explicitly developed in students. I will give an overview of each implication and then advise recommendations.

1. Teacher Training, and the Lack Thereof

A cursory search of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers for the terms ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’ produces no results (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011). While differentiation for “the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities” is specified (ibid), the fact that giftedness and talent are not explicitly present in the standards must mean that many working teachers are not aware of the potential need to seek professional development in this area. Additionally, I did not complete any training in the area of Gifted and Talent in my preservice instruction and I do not believe it is a required component in a teaching qualification in Australia. This pattern is contradicted by the Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Policy, which refers explicitly to ‘gifted students’ and specifies that schools must offer interventions such as grouping strategies, advanced learning pathways, acceleration and enrichment programs (NSW Government, 2022). Jung has found that most practitioners have “generally neutral attitudes towards special education interventions for gifted students by teachers” (Jung, 2014, p.237), and it is clear that the assumption that gifted learners will learn by themselves has prevented practitioners from seeking appropriate instruction and development. There seems to be a discrepancy between the requirements of schools and the proficiency of teachers, but schools are comprised of teachers, and this discrepancy must be reconciled.

Recommendations

a. Raise (or Change) the Standards

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers must explicitly refer to the instruction of gifted and talented students (and skills in talent development) as part of Standard 1: Know students and how they learn (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership), and education in this area must form a required component of preservice instruction programs. There needs to be a specific, particular requirement for teachers to learn how to effectively teach the gifted.

This ought to also impact ongoing professional development. The Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education policy could be used as a reference point for development; for example, teachers should be cognisant of the need to learn about, practise and implement “tailored resourcing and support” (1.3.1), “significant adjustments and interventions for students in the highly gifted range” (1.3.3), and the construction of “learning environments that support high potential and gifted students to experience efficacy, agency and achieve their educational potential” (1.5.1) (NSW Government, 2022). Some of these things are assumed in the generalised language of the standards, but these generalisations are excluding the particular needs of high potential and gifted learners.

2. Non-Identification and Non-Development

The assumption that all gifted learners can always work independently and learn by themselves has two problematic corollaries:

Students who lack the self-regulation, goal-valuation and motivation to work independently may not be identified as potentially gifted learners in the first instance, and
Gifted learners who cannot work independently will never receive the support they require in order to catalyse their gifts and will not develop their talent.

If a teacher’s beliefs impact their practice as discussed earlier and a teacher holds the conception that all gifted learners can work independently, then a teacher may interpret any negative behaviour as evidence of a student’s lack of giftedness. A twice-exceptional student, student with a significant learning disability, or an impulsive student with generally low self-regulation may be judged as low-ability on the basis that they are not able to work by themselves. This is a result of the teacher’s faulty assumption and a false assessment of the natural aptitude or general ability (Gagné, 2009) of such students; I can imagine that many potentially gifted students have remained invisible and unidentified because of the stigma surrounding such behaviours.

I here offer a number of recommendations, particularly focused on helping students with goal-valuation, motivation and maladaptive perfectionism, but also focused on generally effective strategies for developing talent.

Recommendations

1. Consciously develop students’ intrapersonal skills and traits

Coach a Fluid Conception of Intelligence
A fixed or ‘entity’ view of intelligence (Mofield et al, 2019) has been shown to lead to maladaptive perfectionism and avoidance of tasks for fear of failure. If students instead view intelligence as fluid and malleable, they are more likely to interpret difficult tasks as areas of potential growth, rather than a reason for avoidance (ibid). Teachers should model positive self-talk and cognitive reframing, reward effort rather than outcome, and seize upon opportunities to praise student mistakes which lead to growth.
Normalise Risk-Taking and Redefine ‘Perfect’
Following on from 1.1, students who fear failure are less likely to take risks, but risk-taking is a fundamental aspect of being creative: ergo, students who do not take risks are limited in their potential to learn (Mofield et al, 2019). Students should be encouraged to take risks. Teachers should work with maladaptive-perfectionist students (ones who exhibit Evaluative Concerns) to set realistic goals for their work, such as the use of mastery/learning goals rather than aiming for the complete absence of mistakes (ibid).
Mental Contrasting
Interventions which increase motivation and the value of learning have been shown to be the most effective interventions for underachievement in gifted learners (Siegle & McCoach, 2018). Mofield and Peters argue that mental contrasting can be an effective part of an intervention strategy for students who lack self-regulation in order to raise goal-valuation and motivation (Mofield & Peters, 2019). In this strategy, a student begins by outlining their goal and their reasons for wanting to achieve the outcome (that is, their motivation). By contrasting this ideal future against the fact of the present, learners can predict problems and solve them proactively, raising motivation and self-efficacy and increasing the likelihood of the goal being achieved.

2. Set Appropriately Challenging Work
When discussing effective teaching strategies for gifted learners, Little (2018) makes the following recommendations:

Accelerate content
Gifted learners can often acquire knowledge more quickly and more easily than their peers (Little, 2018). The work should be adjusted for them by introducing complex material earlier or eliminating unnecessary instructional content. Gagné advises customised pacing as one of seven best practices for talent development (Gagné, 2015), although it is outside the scope of this paper to discuss the benefits of acceleration fully here.
Metacognition and independent study
With the vision of developing independence, gifted learners should engage in self-evaluation and metacognitive reflective tasks which can foster these independent learning skills. Gagné recommends “personal excellence goals” (Gagné, 2015, p. 289). Following on from the recommendations in (1), a classroom teacher could work with a student to develop these personal aspirations.

In general, differentiation of learning activities for gifted learners must be done proactively and intentionally, not in reaction to a student happening to complete a class task quickly.

Guiding the Rocket Ship: Conclusion

In conclusion, then, the myth is patently false. While some gifted learners may be able to learn independently, this does not mean they should learn in this way, disconnected from the classroom teacher and unwatched by any formative assessment. In fact, the significant role played by important persons as a crucial catalyst in the process of talent development means that for these learners, a close and trusting relationship with their classroom teacher is particularly significant and potentially transformative for their educational journey.

Some of our gifted learners have a second exceptionality, experience a lack of motivation, or need provisions and support to improve their goal-valuation so that they can achieve their learning goals. Other gifted learners are rocket ships: they will travel to corners of the universe (this one, and others) which we cannot see ourselves. But even rocket ships need NASA!

List of References

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2011). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, AITSL, Melbourne.

Baudson, T.G., & Preckel, F. (2016). Teachers’ Conceptions of Gifted and Average-Ability Students on Achievement-Relevant Dimensions. Gifted Child Quarterly, 60(3), 212-225. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986216647115

Clark, B. (2002). Growing up gifted: Developing the potential of children at home and at school (6 ^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1975). Beyond boredom and anxiety. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Department of Education (2021, February). High Potential and Gifted Education: Guidance on implementing effective learning and teaching practices to develop the talent of high potential and gifted students. High Potential and Gifted Education P12, NSW Government. https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2004-0051

Fredricks, J. A., Alfeld, C., & Eccles, J. (2010). Developing and fostering passion in academic and nonacademic domains. Gifted Child Quarterly, 54, 18–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0016986209352683

Gagné, F. (2009). Building Gifts into Talents. In B. Macfarlane and T. Stambaugh (Eds). Leading Change in Gifted Education: The Festschrift of Dr. Joyce Vantassel-Baska (pp. 61-80). Prufrock Press.

Gagné, F. (2015). Academic talent development programs: a best practices model. Asia Pacific Education Review, 16(2), 281-285.

Jung, J.Y. (2014). Predictors of Attitudes to Gifted Programs/Provisions: Evidence from Preservice Educators. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(4). DOI: 10.1177/0016986214547636

Jussim, L., & Harber, K.D. (2005). Teacher expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies: Knowns and unknowns, resolved and unresolved controversies. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 9, 131-155. doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr0902_3

Hately, S. and Townend, G. (2020). A Qualitative Meta-Analysis of Research into the Underachievement of Gifted Boys. The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 29(1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2020.0002

Lassig, C. (2009). Teachers’ attitudes towards the gifted: The importance of professional development and school culture. The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 18(2), 32-42. 10.21505/ajge.2015.0012

Little, C.A. (2018). Teaching Strategies to Support the Education of Gifted Learners. In S.I. Pfeiffer (Ed.), APA Handbook of Giftedness and Talent (pp.371-385). American Psychological Association. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0000038-024

McCoach, D.B. and Flake, J.K. (2018). The Role of Motivation. In S.I. Pfeiffer (Ed.), APA Handbook of Giftedness and Talent (pp. 201-213). American Psychological Association. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0000038-013

McCoach, D. B., & Siegle, D. (2003). Factors that differentiate underachieving gifted students from high achieving gifted students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 47, 144–154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/ 001698620304700205

McCoach, D. B., & Siegle, D. (2014). Underachievers. In J. Plucker & C. Callahan (Eds.), Critical issues and practices in gifted education: What the research says (2nd ed., pp. 691–706). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Mofield, E. & Peters, M.P. (2019). Understanding Achievement: Mindset, Perfectionism, and Achievement Attitudes Among Gifted Students. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 42(2), 107-134. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353219836737

Mofield, E., Peters, M.P. and Chakraborti-Ghosh, S. (2019) Perfectionism, Coping, and Underachievement in Gifted Adolescents: Avoidance vs Approach Orientations. Education Sciences, 6(4) https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci6030021

Speirs Neumeister, K.L. (2016). Perfectionism in gifted students. In The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Students: What Do We Know; Neihart, M., Pfeiffer, S., Cross, T., Eds.; Prufrock Press: Waco, TX, USA, 2016; pp. 29–40.

Siegle, D. and McCoach, D.B. (2018) Underachievement and the Gifted Child. In S.I. Pfeiffer (Ed.), APA Handbook of Giftedness and Talent (pp. 559-573). American Psychological Association. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0000038-036

Steenbergen-Hu, S., Olszewski-Kubilius, & P., Calvert, E. (2020). The Effectiveness of current Interventions to Reverse the Underachievement of Gifted Students: Findings of a Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. Gifted Child Quarterly, 64(2), 132-165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986220908601

Subotnik, R.F., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Worrell, F.C. (2011). Rethinking Giftedness and Gifted Education: A Proposed Direction Forward Based on Psychological Science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 12(1), 3-54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100611418056

Author

Brendan Archbold

Gifted Awareness Week (GAW) – one high school’s action plan

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 01:40:33 GMT

A southern Tasmanian Catholic high school promotes GAW by introducing an academic competition for a House cup.

Common misconceptions around gifted students and their teachers

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 01:05:25 GMT

The research is clear, but academics in the field of gifted education commonly report that misconceptions around our gifted population are still relatively widespread. Three commonly held misconceptions are shared in this paper, two that focus on the gifted student, and one that focuses on the classroom teacher. For purposes of definition, giftedness is defined here as those individuals who demonstrate an exceptional level of aptitude when compared to peers of a similar age (Gagne, 2009). Despite this general definition, there is significant heterogeneity within gifted populations (Wellisch, 2016).

Misconception #1: All gifted students are talented - The implications of using ‘giftedness’ and ‘talent’ interchangeably

“What is in a name?”

Whilst the lexicon used in the field of gifted education naturally, yet slowly, evolves, the terms of giftedness and talent are not synonyms although they are often used as such (Rimm, Siegle and Davis, 2018). Gagne’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) (2004; 2009) outlines a clear distinction between the two key concepts. Gifts are viewed as natural, untrained abilities that require development, while talents are defined as skills or capabilities that are learned and refined over time, leading to outstanding performance. If, in schools, we only identify talented individuals for gifted education provisions, we are potentially missing around 60% of gifted underachievers in school (Ronksley-Pavia & Neumann, 2020).

According to the DMGT (Gagne 2004 & 2009), to be gifted in a particular domain, an individual would fall within the top 10% of their same age peers. To be talented, on the other hand, requires performance or achievement in a particular field is in the top 10%, when compared with peers from that same field. It is vital that a distinction between the two terms be made to enhance professional understanding and aid the talent development process (Gagne, 2004). We risk gifted underachievers being overlooked if we choose only achievement in the talented range as the key indicator of giftedness. Underachieving gifted students come from the full socio-economic and cultural stratum, and also include those with disabilities that affect learning.

To develop talent, a series of supportive and timely influences, or catalysts (Gagne, 2009), need to be considered (Jung & Worrell, 2017). Catalysts (see Figure 1), fall into three key areas: intrapersonal, environmental and chance.

Quality programs and gifted education provisions can include some of the favourable catalysts. Without these gifted students may not develop their potential and thrive. Professional development is key to affording deeper understandings in schools (Rowan & Townend, 2016) as many gifted students will not thrive by themselves. This accounts for the high rate of underachievement in schools. It is these underachieving gifted students who are also at risk of social-emotional difficulties (Townend & Brown, 2016), and wellbeing is critical for healthy development in our students. Professional learning around identification across different populations of gifted students, including those who are underserved due to disadvantaged contexts for talent development, will give more students equitable opportunity to develop their potential.

Assumptions that gifted students will be high achievers and perform with excellence within talented fields is a common misconception. Giftedness and talent are not synonyms, and gifted students remain unidentified and unsupported across many educational contexts. The opportunity to learn about the process of transforming gifts into talents will remain elusive for many without opportunities for knowledge sharing and education, around the heterogeneous nature of our gifted students.

Misconception #2: Gifted students cannot have a disability

“If you have met one gifted learner with disability, you have met ONE gifted learner with disability”

Significant misconceptions and confusion surround gifted students who also have a disability that impacts learning (Townend & Pendergast, 2015). These students are also known as gifted learners with disability (GLD) or twice-exceptional students (2e). Commonly reported is the ‘masking effect’, in that the giftedness hides the disability or vice versa, further exacerbating the claim that these students are the most overlooked students in schools globally (Foley Nicpon et al., 2013).

In many cases, the giftedness of these students may be overshadowed by their learning needs or disability, and teachers require greater education and training to meet their unique needs (Norris & Dixon, 2011; Jung et al, 2022). The disability may present unique cognitive, social and emotional challenges which make identification of giftedness difficult (Townend & Brown, 2016). There is significant heterogeneity amongst GLD students as their characteristics of giftedness vary, but also do the characteristics of the disability.

GLD students may have one or more disability diagnoses such as Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism, Specific Learning Disorder (reading, written expression, or mathematics), physical disabilities and mental health needs (Nicpon Foley et. al, 2011; Townend & Brown, 2016). The apparent diverse nature of giftedness and the paradoxical features of disabilities can make educational adjustments appear complex and problematic (Assouline & Whiteman, 2011).

Empowering educators and informing them of how to identify and enable the giftedness, and to support the disability is key (Assouline & Whiteman, 2011). Careful collaboration with parents to ensure social and emotional wellbeing is crucial (Rowan & Townend, 2016). Professional learning and knowledge sharing for educators and their communities are very supportive in the identification and support of GLD learners because highly accessible strategies can be implemented to support them (Rowan & Townend, 2016). Even short one-day courses offered by universities can make powerful inroads around understanding of and provisioning for GLD students.

Misconception #3: Teachers are trained so why can’t they support my gifted child?

Are our teachers being asked to do more with less? ( Lucas and Frazier, 2014)

Gifted students, including GLD students, are consistently identified as being at risk of educational alienation, disengagement and underachievement (Rowan & Townend, 2016). In an increasingly crisis-rich education system that is poor in resources and time, our teachers require more support than ever to offer focused and strategic support for their gifted and GLD students (Rowan & Townend, 2016). Anecdotally, parents and carers report feeling consistently frustrated by an education system that either does not appear to understand or does not appear to sufficiently follow through with plans for gifted students.

Research suggests that many teachers believe that they do not have the necessary expertise to adequately support and extend their gifted students (Rowan & Townend, 2016) and this may be one of the causes of so many students being overlooked in the first misconception presented. With increasing awareness of the diverse needs of students across cognitive, psychosocial, motor, cultural, linguistic and communicative domains, the requirements for educators to support diversity in the classroom have become increasingly demanding (Coleman & Gallagher, 2015). It is generally accepted that teachers have a major impact on the educational achievements and psychological well being of our students (Townend & Brown, 2016) and, in our increasingly diverse classrooms which also include diverse abilities, teachers are naturally experiencing challenges when responding to the array of needs of their students (Rowan & Townend, 2016). As mentioned prior, as many as 60% of gifted students are not achieving to their potential (Siegle et al., 2014; Ronksley Pavia & Newmann, 2020) and many gifted students function at lower than 50% of their academic capability (Cross, 2013). These sobering figures have been partially attributed to teacher decision-making and their knowledge (or lack thereof) of differentiation and other appropriate instructional techniques (Rowan & Townend, 2016).

Research indicates that teachers are the most important school-based influence in determining student achievement. It is vital that all teachers in Australia, both pre-service and in-service, acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills to fully support our gifted students. The reality is that a vast number of our teachers do not feel well-prepared or trained to provide the specialist support that many students on the margins consistently require (Navarro et al., 2016). Although we have many wonderful specialist teachers who support our classroom teachers, they often must focus on many students across several classes and year groups. Accordingly, the principal in-class support is left to our mainstream educators, and this can leave them feeling that they are not adequately resourced to provide equitable educational opportunities (Navarro et al., 2016).

In an Australian Research Grant Project, the preparedness of early-career teachers to cater for diversity, including the needs of gifted students, was explored (Rowan & Townend, 2016). The findings were clear and responses from nearly 1000 early-career teachers indicated that less than half felt prepared to support diverse needs, including those of gifted and GLD students. They felt underprepared to support both the diversity and also to communicate sensitively with parents and carers, something that might underpin the 60% of those unidentified who underachieve at school.

It is little wonder then that we continue to have a high global attrition rate with our school educators (Geiger & Pivovarova, 2018). So why is it that our teachers feel so unprepared to work with our gifted students? Although this is a global phenomenon, the Australian context will be the focus here. The underpinning and often unexpected reason is teacher education for gifted students.

It has long been argued that a teacher’s lack of knowledge about an area will lead to low self-confidence and self-efficacy (Lemon & Garvis, 2015). This is no less relevant to gifted education where the research suggests that teachers’ low self-efficacy in this area is characterised by misunderstanding and fear (Geake & Gross, 2008). It has been shown that adequate initial teacher education and/or ongoing professional development have a direct impact on the classroom practices that lead to understanding and support for gifted students (Jung, 2014). Through high-quality training, that is evidence-based and led by gifted education experts, teachers can build their knowledge of gifted students’ learning needs, and this can positively influence their attitudes towards gifted education (Kronberg, 2018).

Why are teachers not receiving professional learning opportunities around gifted and GLD education? It is important to note that, at the point of writing, there are only two of the 43 universities in Australia that, as part of the initial teacher education degree, mandate a course in gifted education. Secondly, once teachers feel prepared for professional development, such as short 2-day courses, typical barriers can be a lack of resources or a rejoinder that there are ‘more pressing considerations’ that overshadow teachers’ opportunities.

However, the outlook is not bleak, at least from the perspective of UNSW, as more teachers and schools are electing to enrol in gifted education courses than ever before. In discussion with academics in this field around Australia, enquiries about professional development or ad hoc information sessions appear to be growing. When we work with people who appear frustrated by the lack of understanding in the system, it is important to understand that there are many barriers despite the colossal will of educators to understand and cater for all their students, including their gifted students.

It will take time, but the momentum will increase and, in the meantime, university academics in the field of gifted education continue to offer practical support and advice for those educators navigating the complex diversity of their classrooms.

Takeaway message

The considerable heterogeneity of gifted students alongside the diversity of their educational needs require ongoing professional development to drive wider understanding and support for their learning. It has been well documented that the needs of gifted students are not being met, and this stems from identification processes which need to be more inclusive of a range of student backgrounds and diversity, including gifted students who have concurrent disability. Greater focus on pre-service teacher education and in-service professional development is critical for supporting the optimal educational outcomes of gifted children.

References

Assouline, S., & Whiteman, C. (2011). Twice-exceptionality: implications for school psychologists in the post-IDEA 2004 era. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 27(4), 380-402.

Chaffey, G. W., Bailey, S. B., & Vine, K.W. (2015). Identifying high academic potential in Australian Aboriginal children using dynamic testing. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 24(2), 24-37.

Coleman, M. R., & Gallagher, S. (2015). Meeting the needs of students with 2e: It takes a team. Gifted Child Today, 38(4), 252-254.

Foley Nicpon, M., Assouline, S. G., & Colangelo, N. (2013). Twice-exceptional learners: Who needs to know what? Gifted Child Quarterly, 57, 169–180. doi:10.1177/0016986213490021.

Frazier, B., & Lucas, D. (2014). The Effects of a Service-Learning Introductory Diversity Course on Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Teaching Diverse Student Populations. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 18(2), 91-124.

Gagné, Françoys. (2004). Transforming gifts into talents: the DMGT as a developmental theory1. High Ability Studies, 15(2), 119–147. https://doi.org /10.1080/1359813042000314682

Gagné, Françoys. (2009) Building gifts into talents: Detailed overview of the DMGT 2.0. In: VanTassel-Baska, J., MacFarlane, B., & Stambaugh, T. (2009). Leading change in gifted education: the festschrift of Dr. Joyce VantasselBaska (First edition). Prufrock Press.

Geake, J. G., & Gross, M. U. M. (2008). Teachers’ Negative Affect Toward Academically Gifted Students: An Evolutionary Psychological Study. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52(3), 217–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986208319704

Geiger, T., & Pivovarova, M. (2018). The effects of working conditions on teacher retention. Teachers and Teaching, 24(6), 604-625.

Jung, J. Y. (2014). Predictors of attitudes to gifted programs/provisions: Evidence from preservice educators. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(4), 247-258.

Jung, J. Y., Jackson, R. L., Townend, G., & McGregor, M. (2022). Equity in gifted education: The importance of definitions and a focus on underachieving gifted students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 66(2), 149-151.

Jung J.Y. & Worrell F.C. (2017) School psychological practice with gifted students. In: Thielking M., Terjesen M. (eds) Handbook of Australian School Psychology. Springer. https://doi-org.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/10.1007/978 -3-319- 45166-4_29

Kronberg, L. (2018). Cultivating teachers to work with gifted students. In J.L. Jolly, & J.M. Jarvis (Eds.). Exploring gifted education: Australian and New Zealand perspectives (1 ^st ed., pp.12-31). Routledge.

Lemon, N., & Garvis, S. (2016). Pre-service teacher self-efficacy in digital technology. Teachers and Teaching, 22(3), 387-408.

Navarro, S., Zervas, P., Gesa, R., & Sampson, D. (2016). Developing teachers' competences for designing inclusive learning experiences. Educational Technology and Society, 19(1), 17-27.

Nicpon, M. F., Allmon, A., Sieck, B., & Stinson, R. D. (2011). Empirical investigation of twice-exceptionality: where have we been and where are we going? Gifted Child Quarterly, 55(1), 3-17. https://doi:10.1177/0016986210382575

Norris, N. & Dixon, R. (2011). Twice exceptional gifted students with Asperger syndrome. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 20(2), 34-45

Rimm, S. B., Siegle, D., & Davis, G. A. (2018). Education of the gifted and talented. Pearson.

Ronksley-Pavia, M., & Neumann, M. M. (2020). Conceptualising gifted student (dis) engagement through the lens of learner (re) engagement. Education Sciences, 10(10), 274.

Rowan, L., & Townend, G. (2016). Early career teachers’ beliefs about their preparedness to teach: Implications for the professional development of teachers working with gifted and twice-exceptional students. Cogent Education, 3(1), 1242458.

Siegle, D., Rubenstein, L. D., & Mitchell, M. S. (2014). Honors students’ perceptions of their high school experiences: The influence of teachers on student motivation. Gifted child quarterly, 58(1), 35-50.

Townend, G., & Brown, R. (2016). Exploring a sociocultural approach to understanding academic self-concept in twice-exceptional students. International Journal of Educational Research, 80, 15-24.

Townend, G., & Pendergast, D. (2015). Student voice: What can we learn from twice-exceptional students about the teacher's role in enhancing or inhibiting academic self-concept. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 24(1), 37-51.

Wellisch, M. (2016). Gagne's DMGT and underachievers: The need for an alternative inclusive gifted model. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 25(1), 18-30.

Author:

Dr Geraldine Townend

Homeschooling Your Gifted / Twice Exceptional Child: An Information Sheet for Parents

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 06:04:39 GMT

Introduction

Sometimes the general schooling context does not meld well with your child’s individual needs, especially if your child is gifted or twice exceptional. Perhaps your child is academically inclined but doesn’t engage in the school learning process and is therefore underachieving. Perhaps your child is a high achiever, but has been forced to make a choice between friendships or achievement. Perhaps your child has been bullied or has difficulty finding peers who understand him/her/them. Perhaps your child is a good candidate for enrichment or acceleration, but the school does not have the resources to provide such options? Do you have concerns about your child’s cognitive development or emotional well-being? Do you worry about your child’s safety in their present school? In every instance, there are provisional, strategic or resource solutions within the school. However, continued communication between parents, teachers, and administrators may have failed to result in your child’s achievement and wellbeing, and underachievement may have ensued. In these cases, homeschooling is one option to consider.

What is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling is when the child’s education is shouldered more by the parents beyond the usual schooling context and is undertaken within the home context. Homeschooling may include fully parent-delivered home education, excursions beyond the home, links with programmes within schools, part-time enrolment in a ‘brick-and-mortar’ school, the use of online learning, special community programmes, tutors, mentors, or other professional support or activities (Cheng & Hamlin, 2021). Homeschooling may also include organised social activities with like-ability peers or interest-based activities with like-minded peers at other local venues or online (Jackson, 2017a). However, homeschooling is atypical, so all homeschooling contexts are different, as families choose different pathways to achieve the best for their children.

What are some types of homeschooling approaches?

The three main types of homeschooling curriculum include: the classical approach that is structured like regular schooling; unschooling that the student self-directs; and the eclectic which is based around family circumstances, available resources, and focusses on the student’s individual interests and needs (Jackson, 2017a; Select Committee on Home Schooling, 2014; Paine, 2018). Other approaches, for example Montessori, are also considered.

Why choose homeschooling for your child?

There are many reasons to choose homeschooling. Any one, or a combination of the following, may be considered when deciding to choose homeschooling for your child:

unhappiness is evident or they lack motivation in school
well-being is being eroded with low self-esteem or bullying or peer pressure
teacher/s do not know how to meet your child’s individual needs
special learning difficulties or needs are not catered for
needs or interests are not matched with the school’s curriculum
gifts or talents are not being nurtured
underachievement is evident
feeling strange, as if he/she does not fit, or there is no sense of belonging in the school
large class size is impacting learning
parents’ educational goals and values clash with the school’s values or mission.

What are some benefits of homeschooling?

Many parents/guardians choose homeschooling due to the autonomy, flexibility, and freedom in educational organisation and implementation that it provides. Being able to support their individual child’s learning, abilities, interests, gifts, talents, and wellbeing inspires parents to choose homeschooling. The many benefits of homeschooling include:

Increased time with your child/children
Provision of a broader, diverse, interest-based, and accelerated curriculum
Academic benefits with rapid parental support
Lack of school pressure with a more relaxed learning environment
Social experiences within the community with a wider range of personnel and peers
Real world holistic learning linked with interests, abilities, and talents
Lower teacher-to-child ratio
Building closer friendships and family relationships
Being able to teach family-related values
Autonomous decision-making and implementation.

(Board of Studies, 2014; Conejeros Solar & Smith, 2021a & b; Coulter, 2020; Drabsch, 2013; English, 2015; Jolly & Matthews, 2018; Kula, 2018; Morse & Bell, 2018; Slater et al., 2020).

What implementation processes are needed for homeschooling to be successful?

Many parents start with the traditional school approach to curriculum implementation and progress to a more flexible and eclectic approach once they become more confident with the homeschooling arrangement. Nonetheless, it’s important to develop a schedule and provide routine, structure, and a dedicated learning space for the child. Being able to access relevant resources, programs and personnel is supportive of the implementation process. This can include choosing online courses, hiring tutors, designing relevant excursions, and all learning activities that can provide strategies for a child’s future development. The greater the access to economic and community resources the more opportunities can be provided. Supportive extended family relationships and encouraging educational departmental staff also help with successful implementation (Conejeros-Solar & Smith, 2021b; Coulter, 2020; Kula, 2018).

How will my child’s social development be nurtured in a homeschooling context?

Parents want their children to develop effective socialisation practices and meaningful relationships (Slater et al., 2020). Homeschooled children’s social and emotional growth can be supported by providing positive, constructive, and healthy social interactions with same-age and multi-age peers, like-ability and like-minded peers. Utilising home education networks and resources; accessing volunteer opportunities; and special interest groups will also support a child’s social and emotional growth. (Conejeros Solar & Smith, 2021a; Jackson, 2017a, 2017b; Select Committee on Home Schooling, 2014).

In summary:

Homeschooling can be an alternative learning option for supporting the academic, social, and emotional progress of gifted or twice-exceptional students.
Academic, social, and emotional growth can be nurtured in homeschooling contexts.
Homeschooling can assist with overcoming underachievement.
Your child’s well-being can be enhanced through homeschooling.
There are many educational advantages but explore concerns before implementation.
Research the benefits and difficulties to enable effective decision-making.
Access economic, material, and personnel resources to support implementation.
Ensure you have the support needed to achieve your homeschooling goals.
Explore external regulation requirements from local departments of education.

References and useful website for more detailed research and information

Board of Studies, Teaching, and Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES, NSW). (2014). Inquiry into home schooling. Submission to the NSW Legislative Council. https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/46729/0139%20Board%20of%20Studies,Teaching%20and%20Educational%20Standards%20NSW%20BOSTES%20inclusive%20of%20attachments.pdf

Cheng, A., & Hamlin, D. (2021). Contemporary homeschooling arrangements: An analysis of three waves of nationally representative data. Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications. https://scholarworks.uark.edu/edrepub/128

Conejeros, L., & Smith, S. R. (2021a). Homeschooling gifted learners: An Australian experience. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education. 30(1), 23–48. 10.21505/ajge.2020.0003

Conejeros-Solar, M. L., & Smith, S. R. (2021b). Homeschooling the gifted: What do we know from the Australian, Chilean, and US context? In S. R. Smith (Ed.), International Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia-Pacific. Springer International Handbooks of Education.

Coulter, E. (2020). Coronavirus turned these families into accidental homeschoolers, and they're not looking back. ABC News Australia. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-11/coronavirus-education-homeschool-after-pandemic/12228762

Drabsch, T. (2013). Home education in NSW. NSW Parliamentary Research Service,

e-brief 15. Sydney: NSW Parliamentary Research Service. https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/researchpapers/Documents/home-education-in-nsw/Home%20schooling%20GG%203.pdf

English. R. (2015). Use your freedom of choice: Reasons for choosing homeschool in Australia. Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning, 9(17), 1–18. https://jual.nipissingu.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2014/06/v91171.pdf

Jackson, G. M. (2017a). Common themes in Australian and New Zealand home education research. In M. Gaither (Ed.), The Wiley Handbook of Home Education (First Edition) (pp. 329–361). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Jackson, G. M. (2017b). Summary of Australian research on home education. Australian Home Education Advisory Service. https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/SUMMARY-OF-AUSTRALIAN-RESEARCH-ON-HOME-EDUCATION-Feb-2017-1.pdf

Jolly, J. L., & Matthews, M. S. (2018). Homeschooling: An alternative approach for gifted and talented learners? In C., Callahan & H., Hertberg-Davis (Eds.), Fundamentals of gifted education: Considering multiple perspectives (pp. 467–476). Routledge.

Kula, S. (2018). Homeschooling gifted students: Considerations for research and practice. In J. Cannaday (Ed.), Curriculum Development for Gifted Education Programs (pp. 151–171). Pennsylvania, USA: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-3041-1.ch007

Morse, M. L., & Bell, S. M. (2018). Homeschooling: A growing school choice option for meeting special educational needs. International Journal of Educational Reform, 27(2), 156–172. https://doi.org/10.1177/105678791802700203

Paine, B. (2018). What is unschooling. The educating parent. http://homeschoolaustralia.com/articles/unschoolingindex.html

Select Committee on Home Schooling (2014). Home schooling in NSW/ [Sydney, N.S.W.]. Parliament. Legislative Council. (Report; no 1).

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/inquiries/2128/141203%20Final%20Report.pdf

Slater, E., Burton, K., & McKillop, D. (2020). Reasons for home educating in Australia: Who and why? Educational Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2020.1728232

Busting Myths and Understanding the Challenges

Fri, 27 May 2022 12:02:22 GMT

Busting Myths and Understanding the Challenges, Strengths and Untapped Potential Within our Gifted Children: Gifted Awareness Week

With Melinda Gindy and Nina Thomas from AAEGT and Kylie Burrett from Splat 3

For many, the term ‘gifted’ evokes an image of a privileged child, set for a life of success. As this panel interview explores, that assumption is far from reality. The interview explores the lived experience of four women (including Posify's co-founder, Mariane) as they share their personal and professional understanding of the complex needs, vulnerabilities and strengths of these children, and discover the many ways we can identify and support their differences, to ensure they grow in confidence, and develop and share their potential in the world.

Gifted Awareness Week Australia 2022

Tue, 24 May 2022 11:49:21 GMT

Saturday 21st May

Media Release

Gifted Awareness Week Australia 2022: 21 – 29 May Like Minds

On Saturday 21st May 2022, the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) will launch the 8th annual Gifted Awareness Week Australia. Many events will take place around Australia to celebrate gifted and high potential learners and raise awareness of their diverse learning needs.

"In 2022, we have grown our international Gifted Awareness Week collaboration to include New Zealand, Malaysia and Jamaica," AAEGT President Melinda Gindy stated. "This year, we have conjointly launched the theme Like Minds, acknowledging that like minds are found throughout diverse backgrounds, domains, and areas and are not always aged peers. Furthermore, this theme raises the importance of gifted individuals' social and emotional health and wellbeing."

Gifted Awareness Week Australia 2022 comes as Australia is striving to maintain its educational integrity two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. Like their neurotypical peers, gifted and talented students have experienced varied responses to learning during these unprecedented times. However, for some gifted students, time away from the classroom has led to isolation from likeminded peers and the escalation of social and emotional health challenges. With social and emotional wellbeing being one of the major focuses in education today, our national community needs to make sure gifted individuals are included and supported with opportunities to connect with each other.

"Research shows us that gifted children learn best when they are appropriately challenged based on their readiness to learn. The most effective learning environment includes pairing with others of similar ability”, Mrs Gindy continued. "What we also learn from the research literature is that flourishing academically, socially and emotionally is supported by fostering a sense of belonging alongside like minds. When gifted and high potential students are valued, understood, and nurtured, they are healthy and happy".

Nina Thomas, Chair of the Gifted Awareness Week Australia Committee, reflects: "It is so very important for gifted individuals' intellectual, social and emotional health to be given opportunities to connect with like minds in various domains with different aged peers." "Gifted Awareness Week Australia is an opportunity to highlight and raise awareness that many of our gifted children should be given the opportunity to connect with each other, particularly with varying age ranges", Ms Thomas stated.

Gifted Awareness Week Australia 2022 is an opportunity to highlight and raise awareness of the need for education to include equitable gifted identification and diverse programming practices that include provision for gifted education.

Gifted Awareness Week Australia was founded in 2015 by the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) to raise awareness of the identification, support and learning needs of gifted children and to celebrate the dedication of individuals and educational bodies who are making a positive difference in the lives of gifted children and their families. Resources, including articles, blogs and event details are located at Gifted Awareness Week. The AAEGT is the peak national body for gifted and talented education in Australia.

Grouping Gifted Students

Mon, 23 May 2022 12:24:17 GMT

Alex Krause of St. Philip's Christian College in Newcastle is helping to raise awareness during Gifted Awareness Week Australia 2022! Alex has designed these infographics to share with her school staff.

Idea-Mates: So Important for Everyone

Fri, 20 May 2022 23:37:59 GMT

An idea-mate is someone who shares an interest; consequently idea-mates find it easy to converse with each other. In fact, it might seem that a child isn’t very social until an idea-mate comes into the picture. Idea-mates could be age-mates, but they won’t necessarily be the same age as is often the criterion for being in a certain grade in school.

I remember well going into a Super Saturdays class for fourth graders. The teacher shared that the parent told her that her daughter was very shy and likely wouldn’t say much. But that wasn’t what I saw as I observed her with another girl in the class. Both girls were interested in the topic for the class – engineering with LEGO blocks. The girls I saw were chatting with each other. They were

idea-mates as they both were interested in building structures with LEGO.

Often, educators separate advanced readers or top mathematics students into various classes rather than putting them together. The children would benefit from being placed in the same class. Cluster grouping children puts idea-mates together which is best for everyone. The children are happier in classes with idea-mates, and teachers can focus instruction on the cluster rather than the individual child.

Don't forget that you enjoy conversations with others with whom you share interests. Remember, idea-mates are important!

Julia Link Roberts,

EDD Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies

Western Kentucky University

Giftedness isn’t what you do… it’s WHO YOU ARE

Wed, 04 May 2022 22:54:35 GMT

From July to December 2004, I lived in Australia, specifically in the beautiful seaside town of Coogee. I lived in a house of 35 college students from all over the world. As you can probably imagine, there was a lot of wonderful chaos. Between the beach, the bars, the travel, the accents (!), the wildlife, and the general exoticness of being Down Under, there was a lot of competition for our time when it came down to choosing whether to go to class (which was, of course, what we ostensibly there to do).

Now I would be lying to you if I said that I didn’t miss classes for the occasional day of surfing in Bondi or lunchtime pints of VB at the Coogee Bay Hotel. I certainly traded some evenings of study for games of footie or wandering around Circular Quay. Many of my fellow travelers and students did the same. Oddly, it was because of those similarities that I felt so disconnected from them. And my disconnectedness couldn’t be explained away by something as simple as “oh I actually came here to learn” (which, sure) or “I actually like my classes” (I really did! Especially my Stand-Up Comedy class).

My disconnect grew from the fact that I wanted different things from my time in Australia, and it was hard to articulate those differences. I wanted to explore the “soul” of the city where I found myself, and I knew that I wouldn’t find it in the various bars and clubs of downtown Sydney (though Pancakes on the Rocks came close). Of course, one wants to see the major tourist attractions, and I checked off those boxes: I’ve climbed the Harbour Bridge, seen a show at the Opera House, and held a koala at the Taronga Zoo. But I wanted to get deep into the neighbourhoods, parks, museums, and institutions that revealed something more ephemeral, more authentic… more me .

The best way that I can explain this phenomenon is noting that I grew up outside of New York City here in the US and spent a lot of time wandering around the Five Boroughs in my youth. When friends or family came to visit, they wanted to go into Manhattan and inevitably wanted to see the “postcard spots:” 30 Rockefeller Place, The Empire State Building, Central Park, etc. And there is tremendous value and beauty to those places! But when I truly love a place, when I want to become a citizen of its community, I want to get deeper than going to Bubba Gump Shrimp in Times Square. I want to know the best Korean sandwiches in the Bronx; I want to find a hole-in-the-wall pub with original signage in Bed-Stuy; I want to tour an obscure museum that’s only open on Tuesdays in Queens.

I wanted that experience in Sydney, so I set off to find it. I wandered around the Western suburbs with a transit map and a bottled water. I got horrifically lost in Parramatta. I went to the Sydney Observatory, Victoria Barracks, and the Powerhouse Museum. I got stung by a jellyfish at Manly Beach. I tried to list all the things named after Lachlan Macquarie. I did most of these things alone, not because I wanted to be (mostly), but because I was sure that no one would understand what I was trying to do. How do you articulate that you’re seeking the soul of a place without sounding super strange? How do you know who would listen… and get it?

I think that this is why being gifted can be so lonely without a community. These questions are strange and abstract, but still powerfully meaningful to the right person. And just because I was seeking these experiences doesn’t make me better or worse than anyone else; just as I wanted to see the ANZAC memorial, some people wanted to find all the best shopping in Sydney. To each their own. It’s just that some activities are much easier to bring company to and be accessible. You’re much more likely to find someone who wants to listen to Garth Brooks than your favourite indy K-Pop piano-cello duo.

But that example leads me to my point: You can still enjoy what you love while seeking that community. There is no reason to wait to be happy.

Our brains often default to a space of “I’ll do X once I have accomplished Y.” Sometimes that helps us (one should learn to drive a car because deciding to road trip to Spring Break), but sometimes it unnecessarily holds us back. If I had waited to find my people to go visit my obscure museums and parks, I might not have ever seen them. If doing something that you want to do would be 100% perfect if you did it with friends, but only 84% as good if you did it alone, then your brain might tell you to wait until things are perfect to try something new. Good can certainly be the enemy of great, but great can also be the enemy of done. Last time I checked, 84% good is still a lot more than 0% good, which is what you’d get if you never tried.

I don’t regret my solo touring of greater Sydney. I wish that I had been more confident in who I was, and thus more willing to be open about my neurodivergent interests, but I cannot change the past. Instead, I can blog about it so you can hopefully learn from my experiences. Do what makes you happy, regardless of whether people are coming along for the ride. Keep your eyes open for when you reach your various destinations, because your spiritual travellers may be there as well: looking, listening, whispering fun facts about the venue to themselves. Those are your people, and I guarantee that they’ll be as excited to meet you as you are to meet them.

We are not meant to travel this world alone, but when your people are harder to find, we must practice two vital skills: patience and self-confidence. We must be patient and knock on many doors to find our people. That might be difficult, and you’re basically guaranteed to have some rough and lonely days, but the wait is totally worth it. The key here is to set your expectations using the concept I mentioned above. Things might be better with company, especially if it is meaningful company, but that doesn’t mean that following your passions alone as no value at all. In fact, the process of doing things solo may increase your engagement because you learn to rely on yourself. Plus it gives you something to do while you’re waiting!

To survive that process, you need to turn up the volume on your own self-confidence. That’s a truly proposition, of course, because how do you get self-confidence if you don’t have any self-confidence? (I often say it’s like needing your glasses to find your glasses). Self-confidence comes from two plans: values and identity. If your values are to make the world a better place, then you’ve already got the emotional infrastructure to engage authentically in the world around you. Your values can direct you to find jobs, take classes, volunteer, make friends, or take up self-improvement. My values are travel, self-exploration, and challenging myself; all three are readily apparent in my Australia adventures. Identity is knowing who you are. It is related to values but moves into more autobiographical territory. If you’re a neurodivergent person, then own it. If you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, then integrate that into your identity. Knowing who you are allows you to have more self-confidence, because it taps into the most authentic version of you. And if people don’t get it? Then they’re not your people. They’re out there; keep looking. The energy you spend on masking yourself is not energy you get back.

The way to take the lessons of this blog post (other than to move to Coogee if you haven’t lived in Australia) is to be brave and authentic in seeking the things, places, and activities that bring you joy. They may not be for everyone, but that’s OK because you’re not everyone. Your people are out there and they’re certainly looking to connect.

As a coda to my story of independent travel, I ended up meeting some wonderful other study abroad folks who were studying at the University of Wollongong. After a night out in Sydney, I took the train back to their Uni with them so I could explore “the Gong” properly. After a late breakfast, my new friends looked to me and asked what I wanted to do that day. I hesitated, because I wanted to go see the famous Old Wollongong Lighthouse (I’m from the Jersey Shore; I love lighthouses. Yes, I’m weird.) but I didn’t think that they would understand. With some prompting, they dragged it out of me. There was a moment of silence where I doubted revealing my true nerdiness so early. Then something amazing happened; they all laughed and said that they had all been meaning to go see it but were waiting for the right opportunity to bring it up. My being there give us all the opportunity to do something that we all wanted.

My friends not only lifted me up, but I ended up lifting them as well. And that’s how it feels when you find your people.

Matthew J. Zakreski, PsyD

Three Poems

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 07:34:59 GMT

These three poems reflect how my experiences as a qualitative researcher on the lives of gifted females as well as many other formal gifted education roles influenced a number of my own poems.

simply fabulous

"I knew the moment you walked in - you were one of mine."
swirls of purple
and quirky things,

eyes intense.

Confidence.

Momentary meeting.
an educator such as I
student numbers stretching to the sky

a few gems sparkle

Heart, passion.
Tensions of difference -
the blending in, the standing out -

never quite a fit.

I hear missions of discovery . . .

her students' solo drives
giving a solo mission of her own

looking for seeds

she never could have sown.

Seeing her colourful mind,
for once academic words don't fit.

She . . . would . . . get it.

All I could write was just this:

"Fabulous . . . simply fabulous."

knowing without asking
it's all she'd need.

finding her tribe

dreamily said decades later,
"One chance meeting changed my life."

To the not at all
happy student in the hall,
"Why study that?
it’s not your place,
not your space.
You should be studying art!"

And off she went –
that first lightbulb moment,

scattered puzzle pieces

began to fit.
For once she knew

exactly where to sit.

Finding her tribe,

opening her world –

the outside,
the inside,

no need to hide.

Never looking back.

tall poppies

No words exchanged
in this touching of a life.

Not much knowing.

Asked in jest,
"Face painting homeless?"

Answered a "Yes".

A Christmas celebration,

picking up my brush -

Glitter and all
to help dust off their fall.

Often there are gifts in the giving.

Stories of these youth . . .

UN-imaginable.
Hearing,
wincing.

No more stories please,

Just breathing.
Legs crossed on the grass.

One of "my" girls is near.

Who would have thought?

Tall poppies.
They shine even here.

Cross legged in her fish nets,

Time stands still.
We're transfixed.

Singing of love, of hope.
Face glowing,
eyes twinkling.
Tears in the eyes who possess the knowing,

Such strength . . . and a future.

Lessons taught by survival and youth.

Dr Rebecca D. Napier

With great power comes great responsibility

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 02:47:48 GMT

We are all familiar with this concept that dates back to biblical times and has more recently been immortalised in Spiderman comics and films. This is the exact thought that crashed into my heart when my children were first identified as gifted, and I must admit, it sent me into a bit of a panic.

Being the parent of gifted children brings with it great (self-appointed) responsibility. The responsibility to advocate for them every step of the way, in an education system that is already stretched to the limit trying to accommodate the needs of the vast spectrum of children in its classrooms. The responsibility to fill their hours with extracurricular activities that support their growth and development. The responsibility to teach them to appropriately manage those big uncomfortable feelings springing from perfectionism and self-criticism. The responsibility to ensure leisure time is filled with literature and digital programming that promotes critical thinking and mental stimulation. The responsibility to ensure their beautiful brains are nurtured and provided with opportunities to grow and reach their full potential… the list goes on. It was overwhelming.

With this newly appointed responsibility, it was easy to lose track of one simple fact; my children are so much more than their brains. They are funny and caring and frustrating and noisy and cheeky, interesting, vulnerable, and brave. They are inquisitive and affectionate and silly and heart-warming and so many wonderful things. But most of all they are children, who deserve a childhood.

Gifted children continually amaze the adults in their lives with their ability to grasp concepts, ask unimaginable questions, and communicate like fully grown adults, so it can be easy to forget they are children and have child needs, desires, and insecurities. It can also be frustrating for parents and caregivers to watch their child who can build a Lego structure while simultaneously making a toasted cheese sandwich, being thrust into a meltdown when asked to pick up a toy or brush their teeth. Over time I have come to understand the only way to navigate this roller coaster ride of gifted children is through balance.

For every hour spent researching military history, there must be just as many mud-pie battles in the backyard. For all the stars and planets gazed at and pondered, make sure there are twice as many tickles, ice cream cones and fart jokes. Our children look to us to see how to navigate this life. We need to give ourselves permission to take our foot off the accelerator and just plod along sometimes. Surely, we can substitute the occasional piano lesson for a pizza night, or let our kids spend a Saturday morning rolled in a blanket on the floor watching cartoons… the museum will still be there next weekend.

It is true that with parenting gifted children comes great responsibility; the responsibility to make sure they know they are loved for who they are and not how fast they can solve a puzzle. The responsibility to ensure they have a fun-filled childhood and the opportunity to be messy, imperfect, spontaneous and silly. And to encourage them to use their superpower Spidey-senses for good…and fun.

Laura Motherway

Giftedness and Foreign Languages: The Italian Inclusive Approach

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 23:11:05 GMT

Alice Azzalini's vlog explores her inclusive approach to Giftedness and Foreign Languages.

The challenge of finding like-minds for 2e students

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 22:55:17 GMT

Finding like-minded peers can be difficult for many gifted young people. It may be even more challenging for twice-exceptional individuals due to the diversity of their exceptionalities.

Twice-exceptional young people are those who are gifted and have a learning disability. An exploration of twice-exceptionality requires an understanding of both giftedness and disability. A commonly adopted understanding of giftedness in Australia is based on the work of psychologist Françoys Gagné. Gagné explains that natural abilities, also known as gifts, occur in approximately 10% of the entire population. Within this range there are varying levels of giftedness. Gifted individuals may exhibit high potential within particular domains of giftedness such as social, creative, physical and intellectual.

Educators and parents of gifted young people play an important role in identifying those with high potential. An awareness of characteristics common amongst gifted young people allows for informed observations. It is important to ensure observations occur at a time when the young person is attending to an activity that is engaging and appropriately challenging to them.

Gifted characteristics may manifest in positive or negative ways. Examples of gifted characteristics include:

The capacity to think and learn at a faster pace than their peers
Curiosity
A long attention span
An advanced sense of humour
High energy
Creativity
An advanced vocabulary
Precocious reading ability
Heightened sensitivity
Perfectionism
A preference for communicating with older children or adults
Asynchronous development - the uneven development within an individual such as a mismatch between cognitive and emotional development.

In addition to educator and parent observations, identification may occur via an assessment administered by a specialist or through age-appropriate ability tests administered in a school setting.

Identification informs strategies that can be implemented to enable the young gifted individual to reach their potential. Without purposeful support and appropriate challenge, gifted individuals may become bored, underachieve or experience negative impacts on their wellbeing. This can be especially true for twice-exceptional children.

When giftedness is paired with a disability, identification is generally more difficult. Disability includes common diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Specific Learning Disability and imputed disability. Possible complexities of the identification of twice-exceptionality include:

The individual demonstrating characteristics of giftedness while masking the learning disability. In such instances assessment of the true level of ability can be complex.
Giftedness going unrecognised due to a disability. This may result in the individual receiving support for their disability but not receiving appropriately challenging work in their area of strength.
The individual presenting with average ability, with the giftedness and the disability cancelling each other out.

To gain a more thorough understanding of the young person’s learning strengths, as well as any areas requiring additional support, it is important to utilise multiple measures of identification and facilitate the collaboration of all key personnel. Through this understanding a student-centred, strength-based response can be implemented where the student is provided with opportunities to develop their strengths alongside receiving support for their disability. This support should include the implementation of opportunities to engage with like-minded individuals so as to maximise opportunities for twice-exceptional young people, allowing them to thrive, feel accepted and make worthwhile contributions to their world.

Paula O'Hara

The joy of reading: nurturing gifted children’s literacy

treasurer@aaegt.net.au (Lynne Maher) — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 23:52:28 GMT

Reading is an immersive, joyful and engaging activity which can enhance our communication and our ability to empathise and inhabit different worlds and perspectives. As an English teacher, parents often tell me: “My child HATES reading. How can I encourage them to read more? How many hours per day should they be reading?”

In our fast-paced, competitive and technologically enriched world, our reading may be interrupted by social media, family members, classmates and other priorities. So, how do we encourage curiosity and wide reading and yet account for the diversity of our students and families ’lives and contexts?

We can start from the simple notion: reading is everywhere . Each moment in our daily life represents an opportunity to develop our literacy, spelling, vocabulary. We read when we move around in our daily lives, stream films and series, watch the news and ponder text messages, and while we may well be frequently interrupted, the reading continues through multiple platforms as we rush through our busy days. Starting from this point, I list below some simple, practical strategies for nurturing literacy for families – students, parents and guardians. The strategies can also be useful for teachers looking to embed literacy and immersive activities across topics and disciplines.

1. Talk about words, their meaning and origin

How is reading, language and the beauty of words a part of your daily life? Talking about words and thinking actively about vocabulary helps foster curiosity and develops a broad vocabulary. Whether you are watching a film, recent news or discussing your day with your family (or students in your class!), try to actively reflect on words you use in discussions. This can be as simple as your child telling you: “The teacher gave me good feedback”, and you responding, “I am so glad you found the feedback constructive”! Simply responding with a synonym or a more nuanced term will allow you to expand your vocabulary through discussion.

2. History of words: delving into Latin and Greek!

Gifted students have immense curiosity about the world and different areas of inquiry. Another strategy to nurture literacy and expand vocabulary is to think about the history (etymology) of certain words we use on a daily basis and explore their Greek and Latin foundations.

If your child enjoys monsters and superheroes, they may be quite keen to know what monere or super mean in Latin! Explore the most common words tied to your child’s interest and find out their history! Encouraging the joy of linguistic discoveries can turn daily conversational items into little gems of discovery which may inspire your gifted child or student and consequently build their vocabulary and linguistic proficiency.

3. Embrace the digital: on the use of apps

As teachers and parents, we are also a crucial part of the learning journey – and educational applications can help us upskill (and possibly develop newfound linguistic passions!). There are numerous free and accessible apps which are basically digital versions of prominent dictionaries (Oxford, Cambridge, Merriam-Webster).

Having these dictionaries on the devices you use often will make it easier to explore and discover new words and discuss their meaning. Similarly, a digital Thesaurus app can provide numerous synonyms to enrich your daily vocabulary as you communicate with your family or students.

4. Make it fun – embracing games
Today’s computer games can be elaborate, enriching and engaging, creating worlds filed with educational content and potential! They can also help expand our vocabulary and provide the much-needed differentiation, acceleration and enrichment for gifted children. There are numerous simulations, adventures, strategy games and others which build language skills, including reading and writing, in a positive and engaging way.

Choosing the right content and making learning fun will allow your child or students to use screen time actively and learn in the process. This is particularly important for building confidence in reading, writing and English as a subject and creating an environment where children can learn and be comfortable making mistakes! That is how we learn – and maintain that growth mindset which allows us to grow.

5. Watch films and series with English subtitles
This is a simple method – when streaming your favourite films or series, use English subtitles! Most popular streaming platforms have readily available quality subtitles which follow closely what is said on the screen or effectively translate from other languages into English. Watching visual texts and following the written texts seen in subtitles can be a helpful way to include more reading into your daily routines.

6. Provide variety: reading through podcasts and audiobooks

Providing multiple means of presenting information is an important aspect of inclusive education. Starting from this premise, another way to promote literacy development and motivation is to provide variety! For example, podcasts are becoming more popular than ever in our busy, fast-paced lives enriched by technology. Easily accessible on our devices, podcasts can be another great learning tool when coupled with the transcript.

Most podcasts have accessibility options which include a good transcript – allowing your child / student to easily follow along! Again, pairing what is heard with what is written could also motivate and allow greater focus. Similarly, audiobooks are a great way to maintain engagement with a book – paired with a physical copy of the book or an eBook version may provide that interesting variety and alternative ways of accessing the content.

7. Build on interests and passions

The final step is simple enough – we can always build on our children’s / students’ interests and passions. If the goal is to improve overall literacy, expand vocabulary, or become a more confident and adaptive communicator, building on your child’s or student’s interests can make learning fun, effective – and nurture that key ingredient needed for success – motivation!

I hope you find these strategies useful – feel free to get in touch and share your own ideas and insights on supporting literacy across contexts.

Dr Maja Milatovic
(MA, MEd, PhD)

AAEGT members can access our members area for a suggested reading list for grades 3 -6. Not a member? Find out how to become a member

Friendship in Early Childhood

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 03:17:27 GMT

The Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented believes that gifted learners need to be included in school and classroom planning every day of the school year. Themed days or weeks in the annual school calendar provide an opportunity to nurture, support and promote the inclusion of gifted learners. Harmony Day, Science Week, National Tree Day, Clean Up Australia Day and National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence are some examples of opportunities to be intentional about involving gifted learners.

In 2021, the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented asked three of our members who are Early Childhood Specialists to respond to the theme for Children’s Week:

“Children have the right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others”

These are their responses.

Article 1

Children have a right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others

By Elizabeth Barns

The need for friendship endures across our life span, and positive relationships can have a significant effect on our wellbeing and feelings of self-worth. The skills of making and maintaining friendships begin in early childhood. These relationships usually occur with those who share our interests, and they tend to be transient and play focused. As we grow, we look for enduring friendships with those who have similar core values, personality, and interests to ourselves.

Our education system, that groups children according to age, assumes that meaningful learning and friendships will most likely occur within this peer group, though as adults we understand that respectful and reciprocal relationships rarely only occur with those that are the same age as ourselves. Gifted children tend to have more mature play interests and higher expectations of friendships than their same aged peers. Hollingworth (1942) and Whitmore (1980) both identify that the gifted may have difficulty “finding peers who truly understand and appreciate their unusual and advanced perceptions” (Lovecky, 1992, p.18). They can often have more in common with older peers, both socially and cognitively, but due to limited opportunities with a diverse peer group, gifted children can be left feeling socially inadequate, frustrated and isolated.

As we celebrate Children’s Week 2021, we reflect on the theme ‘Children have a right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others.’ For gifted learners this requires us to think innovatively. In order to meet the cognitive and social needs of the gifted, we need to listen to their voice and offer them choices, that include challenging opportunities that meet the child at their point of need and transcend age and grade. Gifted children are competent and capable, and provide valuable insight into their own unique needs. We need to acknowledge that children have rights and we, as the adults, have responsibilities. Providing all children, including gifted children, with positive levels of engagement and meaningful social connection with like-minded peers, is a societal responsibility that requires a more innovative and dynamic educational structure.

References

Hollingworth, L. S. (1942). Children above 180 IQ Stanford-Binet: Origin and development. World Book Company.

Lovecky, D. V. (1992). Exploring social and emotional aspects of giftedness in children. Roeper Review, 15(1), 18-25.

Whitmore, J. (1980). Giftedness, conflict, and underachievement. Allyn & Bacon.

Elizabeth Barns
BEd (ECh), MEd (SpEd). Member of the AAEGT

Elizabeth Barns holds a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) and a Master of Education (Special Education including gifted). She has been an early childhood educator for more than 25 years, as a teacher and director in long day care and preschool. She has taught in vocational education and higher education for the last 15 years. She is currently an academic with a focus in early childhood, gifted and special education, and is on the committee for Gifted NSW.

Article 2

Children have a right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others.

By Dr Kerry Hodge

Three-year-old Billy keeps to himself at preschool, which causes his educators some concern. They try to involve Billy with other children, with limited success. However, his parents are not so worried. They report that Billy is very popular as a playmate with the friends of his 5-year-old brother at home, where he successfully joins in the give-and-take of ideas as their play evolves.

Billy’s situation highlights the barriers that age-based structures can create for gifted children in terms of opportunities to make and keep friends. It’s hard to have a friend if no one shares your interests, especially if the other children your age just want to run around together, while you have firm ideas about how to build a spaceship that’s going to fly to Mars. It’s no wonder that Billy chooses to sit and make intricate drawings about space exploration instead at preschool.

Ability grouping, with its opportunity for like minds to become friends, is rarely an option below school age. When it does occur, as a gifted playgroup or perhaps an enrichment class, it is usually in the community and only once a week. However, friendships can develop there, especially if families of compatible children choose to get together informally outside the scheduled times.

What options do early childhood educators have? Preschools and childcare centres must comply with mandated adult-to-child ratios based on age. This influences structures that make children’s movements between age groups tricky. Some early childhood settings meet regulations through ‘family groupings’ where ages are mixed and younger and older children spend most of their time together. In this structure, younger gifted children can easily choose to associate with children who offer a better social match, and age barely matters for the children involved. Of course, the oldest children cannot gravitate ‘upwards’, but they may emerge as leaders for younger children willing to be led in play scenarios at times.

Most settings separate age groups. Different rooms for the ‘fours’, ‘threes’, ‘twos’ and babies works well for many children, perhaps with some mixing outdoors. For a gifted child like Billy, some flexibility is required. If there is a ‘like mind’ in the older group whom Billy could spend time with, he could gain some companionship while playing at a satisfying level of complexity. A bonus is motivation to practise his social skills in order to retain this friendship. If this arrangement works well and numbers permit, Billy could move permanently to the older group. The drawback from this ‘grade-skip’ is that eventually a decision must be made about the following year. Could Billy be allowed early entry to school, or must he ‘repeat’ a year in the four-year-olds’ room? This could be a return to the earlier mismatch unless some of his age peers have matured significantly!

As happens with older ages, acceleration is not viewed favourably by most early childhood educators. Social and emotional reasons are commonly cited against early entry, even when the child clearly is intellectually ready for the school curriculum. There is a tendency for educators to assume that a child, like Billy, who plays alone is lacking social skills and to recommend another year of preschool or childcare while their social skills develop. It is important that educators find out from parents about the child’s friendship choices outside the early childhood setting. A child who seeks and is accepted by older children in the extended family or neighbourhood is certainly ready to meet the wider world of school and have access to a wider pool of potential friends.

Gifted young children are in good hands when their early childhood educators understand their social needs, communicate well with families and find ways to promote opportunities for access to children who could become their friends.

Kerry Hodge
PhD. Member of the AAEGT

Dr Kerry Hodge has worked in early childhood education as a teacher, consultant, lecturer and researcher, with a particular focus since the 1990s on the education of young gifted children. In 2009 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate overseas programs for gifted preschoolers and teacher training in early gifted education. Kerry is currently an Adjunct Fellow in the School of Education at Macquarie University in Sydney.

Article 3

Children have a right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others

By Dr Rosalind Walsh

Childhood is the only period of our lives when it is assumed that our friends will be people whose birthdays fall within 18 months of our own. Well-meaning early childhood educators have often promoted “we’re all friends at preschool”, failing to realise that this takes away choice from young children, and forces them to like everyone who happens to share a classroom with them.

The situation can be even more fraught for young intellectually gifted children whose conceptions of friendship can be more advanced than their same age peers. In the early childhood years most children find friends based on similar play preferences. “You like cars. I like cars. Let’s play cars together.” For most children, the fact that they are at similar developmental stages would tend to suggest that they will have similar interests. However, this is not true for all children and particularly not true for children with advanced development. Finding a like-minded peer to play chess with in preschool is going to be a stretch. And may well lead to frustration when age peers find it difficult to understand complex rules. This may lead to emotional outbursts from a gifted child who can’t comprehend how their age peer can’t grasp that the knight moves in a particular way. In turn this can lead to a perception that young gifted children are emotionally immature, when in fact, what we are seeing is a child coping with a mismatch between their intellectual and social-emotion skills. Imagine explaining to a colleague, over and over again how a process works, only for that colleague to stare at you blankly. It would be hard enough for an adult to understand and handle sensitively. Now imagine a four year old in this situation.

Grouping children by age has always been a matter of convenience (babies need to sleep at a certain time, play materials may not be safe for younger children etc.). Some enlightened early childhood services have moved away from age-based grouping to allow siblings to interact and children to find like-minds and friends across a whole setting. For some gifted children, their closest intellectual peer may be the teacher. Other gifted children sense their own difference from a young age and are attracted to other children who don’t appear to fit in, making friends with other children who may have been sidelined from the dominant peer-group.

What we know from decades of research in gifted education is that finding a ‘true’ friend is often a gifted child’s highest priority. We all want someone to understand and value us. We also know that gifted children tend to make friends with older children, which is why it is so important that children have access to a range of age mates. We also know that healthy social-emotional development depends on having at least one good friend. Often schools will split up children who are very close, hoping that this will encourage them to make more friends, when in fact that one good friend is all that the child needs.

I get on with the people I work with. I appreciate their variety of talents and their dedication. This doesn’t mean I want to invite them over for dinner and hang out on a Friday night. Nor do I restrict my friendship group to all those who happen to be turning the same age as me this year! We need to learn to be kind to everyone, but we certainly don’t need to be friends with everyone, and children have the right to choose their own friends.

What can educators and parents do?

Don’t assume that children will only make friends with others of the same age. Allow and encourage cross-age friendships.
Provide opportunities for children of different ages to mix. Community playgroups allow for children 0-5 to mix together. In later years, community groups such as Girl Guides and Scouts have groups that operate over a range of ages.
Allow flexibility with age-based rooms in early childhood setting.
Provide communal space in early childhood settings where child of all ages can mix.
Provide invitational curriculum opportunities where children, regardless of age, can take part based on their intellectual development.

AAEGT Concerned about Continued Decline in Top Achievers

treasurer@aaegt.net.au (Lynne Maher) — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 01:36:07 GMT

2nd December 2019
MEDIA RELEASE

PISA 2018

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) today launched the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 results in Paris, France. The results are not good news for Australian Education and highlight, yet again, the lack of a comprehensive national agenda for our brightest minds.

In general, Australia's national mean score is down on 2015, which means that the overall waning since the start of PISA (2000-2006) continues.

“The percentage of students achieving in the top PISA bands has continued to decline, although Reading has plateaued somewhat. Fewer high achievers, more low achievers, declining averages. From a national education perspective, it is a travesty,” stated Melinda Gindy, President of the Australian Association for Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT). “What are we doing as a nation to harness the capabilities of our high ability students?”

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has spent much of the past decade designing, implementing and reviewing the new Australian Curriculum. Whilst the longitudinal impact of the new curriculum is yet to be realised, the structure of a curriculum that is built on a continuum works in favour for all students, including high-ability learners. Students are not bound by a lock-step system, rather they can access the curriculum based on their readiness to learn. The jury is still out on how schools and school systems are implementing the continuum of curriculum and assessment for high-ability learners in the way that it was originally intended.

“It is time that we prioritise our national resources in order to appropriately analyse the data received from the PISA 2018 testing and implement explicit, effective and equitable strategies to raise our educational standards”, continued Mrs Gindy. “This needs to start with mandatory pre-service instruction in gifted education so that educators are equipped to tailor the curriculum to match educational entitlement of gifted learners”.

Australia has thirty-seven universities nationwide that offer pre-service education degrees. Only three of these universities incorporate a mandatory module on gifted education and they are all located in the same state.

“All eight state and territory jurisdictions adopt a definition model which identifies giftedness (innate high ability) occurring in 10% of our population, across multiple domains. If we don’t see similar achievement levels, we need to acknowledge that we are doing something wrong”, Mrs Gindy stated. “As a nation, we are failing to provide our educators with the knowledge and tools they need to nourish our brightest learners. When we lower the level of teacher education at tertiary level, we lower the bar for our gifted students.”

“Why are we tolerant of failure? Why is our country so afraid of intellect and academic achievement? I call upon our national leaders to embrace and celebrate creative and critical thinking and the pursuit of excellence, starting with our educators”, Mrs Gindy said. “Furthermore, the AAEGT is calling on Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan to put in place a National Strategic Plan for gifted learners to improve the outcomes for high achievement of Australian students at an international level”.

Former Primary Extension and Challenge (PEAC) Student Inspires Current Participants at Special Gifted Awareness Week Event

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 00:50:47 GMT

During Gifted Awareness Week, Nicola Thomas joined a class of current PEAC students at the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) taking part in weekly course called “AQWA Experts” to share her story and to inspire the futures of a new generation of students. These students complete the course by attending sessions at AQWA one morning a week over ten weeks, culminating in them presenting their own ‘expert’ talk about one of AQWA’s resident creatures to an audience of their peers and parents, onsite at AQWA.

Nicola, a former PEAC student, is currently in her final year of a double major in Marine Science and Conservation Biology at UWA. She has taken part in three turtle tagging programs through Pendoley Environmental and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Through these programs she tagged flatback and hawksbill turtles on three sites along the northern WA coastline. Just recently she finished a placement with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, in which she did field work on seagrass, freshwater invertebrates and water sampling. She is taking part in survey work through the Department of Fisheries with both abalone and tailor research. She volunteers as a SCUBA aquarist at AQWA, and also with the Swan Estuary Reserves Action Group (SERAG). Through SERAG, her name was put forward for the Swan Alcoa Landcare Program (SALP) Budding Landcare Award, and she was chosen as a finalist. She has also recently attended Conservation Camp in Albany.

Nicola was a PEAC student whilst attending Churchlands Primary School. She took part in many biology based courses. Her two most influential courses were Swamp Stars and Marine Science Madness. About “Swamp Stars” (based at the Henderson Environmental Centre at Star Swamp in North Beach) with PEAC teacher Kirsteen McCrory, Nicola says, “It gave me a good understanding of the ecology and biology of Perth and I’ve also found the principles to be very relevant while doing my conservation camp down in Albany.”

Of “Marine Science Madness” (based at AQWA) with former PEAC teacher Sabine Winton, Nicola says, “It inspired me to work towards achieving a much greater understanding of marine biology. Since then I have directed all my work and spare time to learning all I can about the underwater world, and loving every second of it.”

PEAC allows like-minded government school students in Years 5 and 6 to interact and work together in an environment of choice and active learning. The program focuses on developing the students’ personal and social and critical and creative skills, whilst accessing and applying above-level curriculum content.

The Year 6 students in AQWA Experts who met Nicola at the Gifted Awareness Week event had the following things to say about their own experiences and their sense of belonging within the program.

“At PEAC you get to work with different kids that think like you.” Sienna

“PEAC is amazing because cooperating with other people with the same interests extends your learning extraordinarily.” Nic

“We can cope with being bombarded with facts and knowledge they never dreamed of having. That means we all belong.” Fiona

“I feel like I can share myself more freely because I’m with people like me. I think that PEAC has given me a chance to see what I want to do with my life. I think that meeting Nicola has really sparked my interest in marine science.” Bonnie

“It is great to extend our learning with other students from other schools that think the same way: creative, inspired and smart. To me PEAC means learning with no limit. It means learning and meeting new people to study and learn with.” Reef

“The reason why I love going to PEAC is because I get to be with people that are like me.” Samantha

“PEAC is a good place for me to be with other like-minded peers. I can be challenged and extended along with everyone around me. I can belong rather than being the only person extended.” Elijah

PEAC acknowledges their long-standing relationship with AQWA and thanks them for their continued support of the program and each individual student. In partnership with PEAC, AQWA regularly host two different PEAC courses: the Science-based “AQWA Experts” and English-based ‘AQWA Authors”.

by: Kirsteen McCrory

Find Your Tribe - Love Them Hard

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 00:26:31 GMT

This blog was created by Dr Tracy Riley, as a member of the Board of giftEDnz: The Professional Association for Gifted Education. She has found her tribe in gifted education – and she loves them hard.

Your tribe is made up of the people you connect with through shared passions and commitment. Members of your tribe affirm, validate, inspire, and challenge you.

As Sir Ken Robinson reminds us, “Often we need other people to help us recognise our real talents. Often we can help other people to discover theirs.” Being part of a tribe enables validation of not only who you are and what your talents are, but also connects you with other like minds to kick around ideas, actively question and seek answers, laugh at the possibilities, and cry over the impossibilities.

Brené Brown says in her TED Talk, Finding our Way to True Belonging , “True belonging is not passive. It’s not the belonging that comes with just joining a group. It’s not fitting in or pretending or selling out because it’s safer. It’s a practice that requires us to be vulnerable, get uncomfortable, and learn how to be present with people without sacrificing who we are.”

In other words, being part of a tribe helps us become ourselves. From the shared experiences of learning, being, and doing with others of like-mind, we gain a greater sense of identity. We are inspired by the tribe, as its members drive one another to push the supposed limits of our talents.

This shared inspiration can be intense, creating what Sir Ken calls an alchemy of synergy – this is the power of the collective, who bring our strengths and interests together to create something much greater than our individual selves.

Find your tribe.

Gifted learners, like all of us, are seeking a tribe, a powerful sense of belonging, that collectively honours and celebrates their individual strengths, differences, quirkiness, interests, abilities and qualities. Even those who may prefer their own company and working independently will ultimately benefit from being connected to like minds.

Finding your tribe isn’t always easy, despite lists of tips and tricks on social media. Gifted learners may feel as Lissa Rankin describes in her blog , like “the odd duck swimming with swans, who all seemed to enjoy a sense of belonging I never quite felt.” Research in New Zealand concluded that gifted students seek relationships with others who think in similar ways, as intellectual peers and friends in and out of school. Being in like-minded peer groups for learning is one way to connect with others and feel a sense of belonging.

A maths ability group, gifted programme one day a week, or accelerated English class may not necessarily be a gifted learner’s tribe. As another meme explains, Your vibe attracts your tribe. Finding your tribe requires confidence, risk taking, a willingness to try new things with new people in new places. How can parents and teachers support gifted learners in finding their tribe?

Lisa Gemert suggests a range of ways to enhance self-concept in gifted learners that will give them the confidence to create their vibe.

Teach service, because when we serve others, we feel satisfaction and experience gratitude.
Recognise accomplishments and contributions.
Be practically optimistic (without platitudes).
Teach social skills, like manners and sharing, to assist with developing friends.
Encourage care for others, including pets.
Praise effort and persistence, constructively and specifically for outcomes
Teach goal setting and persistence with tasks pitched above their level.
Build confidence in their intuition, helping them follow their gut instincts.
Display and share the mementoes – awards, certificates, artwork, models – from their achievements.
Communicate your admiration, gratitude, and pride through notes in lunch boxes, messages in notebooks, text messages, or other ways that work for you.

Building confidence is a fundamental step in connecting with others, through taking risks, building new relationships, engaging in new experiences or facing challenges. As confidence grows, other practical ways of helping gifted learners find their tribe include encouraging them to join local clubs and community groups, participate in competitions, attend meet-ups, volunteer, play sports, start a new hobby, get a paid job, join an online group, or start a book group, club, or other shared activity. These types of experiences may be in or out of school, supported by parents, teachers, coaches, or community members.

Your vibe attracts your tribe.

How can you help ensure that all gifted learners have opportunities to connect with like-minded peers? Advocate.

The first step to effective advocacy is to know your stuff. Inform yourself on the importance of belonging (for all learners) and the difference it can make to engagement and achievement in school by reading widely. ( Google Scholar is a good starting point.)
Maximise your impact by joining with other advocates through your membership in a professional organisation or association (like AAEGT), working with parents of other gifted students in your local school or through special programmes, or engaging in other learning, development, and networking online.
Share your messages widely by being willing to work with media – social media, print media, radio, and tv.
Whatever you do, advocate for gifted learners by reminding others that all learners need to have opportunities to find their tribe. Use inspirational messages.

CALL IT A CLAN. CALL IT A NETWORK. CALL IT A TRIBE. CALL IT FAMILY: WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU NEED ONE. – JANE HOWARD

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE DREAMERS AND THE DOERS, THE BELIEVERS AND THE THINKERS, BUT MOST OF ALL SURROUND YOURSELF, WITH THOSE WHO SEE THE GREATNESS WITHIN YOU, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T. – EDMUND LEE

Find your tribe.

LOVE THEM HARD.

by: Tracy Riley

Early Entry to Primary School

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 05:25:12 GMT

Can you identify with this scenario?

Art and Lily know their preschool aged daughter, Harper, is gifted. Harper has been reading environmental text and picture books since she was two. She knows her numbers past 100 and can perform simple addition algorithms. The family have incredible dinnertime conversations, where Harper’s parents are continually surprised by her advanced vocabulary. Harper also comes up with original and creative ideas.

Harper’s preschool educators haven’t commented on this precociousness but despite that, Art and Lily approach their local primary school to enquire about early entry, or an acceleration missing the first year of school. After a meeting with the principal, they are stunned to learn that the school will not condone any form of acceleration of this type. The preschool educators say that Harper is emotionally immature and has poor socialisation skills. The results of psychometric testing are ignored.

What is early entry?

Early entry is the enrolment of a child into a state-run or independent school earlier than the state’s legislated starting age. This is an accelerative option for children with highly developed natural abilities and/or an IQ in the gifted range.

Early entry requirements for different states vary, and parents are encouraged to check their local gifted organisation and/or Department of Education for more information.

State policies can support early entry as an accelerative option, but the uptake of this strategy is very limited in practice.

What are the benefits of early entry?

Can be an effective intervention with positive academic and social outcomes for young, gifted children if policy guidelines are followed (Diezmann, Watters, Fox 2001; Robinson 2004)
Often avoids the need for a more complex grade acceleration later in a child’s schooling
Meets the academic and social-emotional needs of a gifted child
Opportunities to learn and socialise with intellectual equals rather than aged-related classmates

How should it be managed?

Most states have policies or guidelines to follow. Please contact your local school and/or your State Department of Education.

What alternatives can schools provide to early entry?

For a child that is gifted, displays school readiness, and prefers the company of older children and adults, there is no better alternative than early entry or acceleration.

Some schools may offer an enriched curriculum. If this is the case, teachers should have completed preservice education, or post graduate studies, in gifted education. Schools, preschools, and educators should continually:

Provide challenge, as part of an appropriate and stimulating curriculum
Gain the skills and knowledge to create optimal and flexible learning environments
Create a learning environment where a child’s potential, talent and natural abilities allow themselves to be revealed
Recognise a child’s strengths and interests
Respond to the readiness of learners
Foster curiosity, creativity, imagination, and perseverance
Extend children’s thinking

What are some of the characteristics of young, gifted children?

Ability to learn quickly
Imaginative and creative
Sophisticated sense of humour
Compassion
Deep sense of justice
Engagement with thinking and learning new skills

Why is a child’s social-emotional development often misinterpreted?

Many educators do not believe that gifted children have age-appropriate or advanced levels of maturity and socio-emotional adjustment. This is based on misinformation and misinterpretation. Gifted children are perceptive, and this enhances connections with intellectual peers but disenfranchises them from age peers. Educators can interpret these interactions as evidence of immaturity, when in fact frustration and boredom can lead to antisocial behaviours (Diezmann, Watters, Fox 2001)

The truth is, that failure to provide early entry may adversely affect the learning and social emotional development of gifted children.

References

Kaplan, S., & Hertzog, N. B. (2016). Pedagogy for early childhood gifted education. Gifted Child Today

Diezmann, C. M., Watters, J. J. & Fox, K. (2001). Early entry to school in Australia: Rhetoric, research and reality. Australasian Journal for Gifted Education 10(2):5- 18.

Supporting your Gifted Child

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 05:21:51 GMT

Gifted children, like all children, deserve to receive an education in line with their abilities—an education that provides them with the opportunity to reach their full potential. To support your child to help them to achieve their full potential is giving your child your voice to help them on this journey. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), along with statements from educational providers including Australia’s Mparntwe Education Declaration (Council of Australian Governments Education Council, 2019) specify the need for provision of opportunities to enable all students to achieve their full potential.

Given this, it is reasonable to expect that your gifted child will be excited about and interested in school; that they will be allowed a reasonable amount of time to work with like-minded peers on material that challenges them; and will be taught by teachers who have some understanding of the needs of gifted students.

What do I need to know to support my gifted child?

Learn as much as you can from many sources of information; look at the websites of gifted organisations; read the policy statements from your school and education system in which your child is enrolled; find out about the common myths surrounding educating gifted children(Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County, 2010, Feb 24) and how to dispel these myths; investigate widely (National Association for Gifted Children, 2018) and consider attending gifted education seminars, webinars and conferences on gifted children and their education; learn some of the language and words that educators might use, and be prepared to ask them to define what they mean if you don’t understand during a meeting. Find out what education systems provide for gifted children – from opportunities such as selective schools to participating in challenges and competitions, and everything in between.

How should I approach my child’s school?

Start by making an appointment, let them know the subject of the meeting, how long you need and who you might like to attend the meeting with you. Try to meet the classroom teacher/s first, before meeting with the principal. Be prepared to provide background information in advance of the meeting to give the school a chance to do some preparation. This recognises the professionalism of those teachers you are meeting and reduces the need for them to respond to you without preparation.

Consider whether you would like your child to attend the meeting – this will depend on a number of factors, including the age of the child, the child’s level of confidence, their capacity to verbalise their needs and the comfort level of the people you are meeting.

If you think that having a support person with you for the meeting would be helpful, do not be afraid to advise that this person will also be attending.

If the first meeting with the class teacher is not as successful as you would like, think about who else might be involved in a future meeting, such as: grade supervisors, the principal, a gifted education specialist, or an educational psychologist.

What should I do to prepare for the meeting?

Apart from knowing enough to talk confidently about your gifted child and their needs, prepare and plan your meeting. Know what you want to achieve (making sure that this matches with your child’s desires) and how you are going to put your case to achieve it. Practice at home, in front of a mirror, moderate your voice pitch – don’t shout, but don’t whisper, and know your weak points – what might be an emotional trigger and where you might need to pause for breath. Don’t be afraid of silence in your meeting while you gather your thoughts.

Anticipate objections and have prepared responses – the objections will probably be the common myths and misconceptions about gifted children and their education. Don’t forget – you don’t have to do this on your own – you are absolutely able to take a support person with you, and have someone help you prepare.

Find out what you can about the people you are meeting and analyse your own values and beliefs in respect of what you are advocating for.

And what about in the meeting?

Approach the meeting positively and build a relationship with those with whom you are meeting. Try to remain calm and speak confidently.

Be prepared to identify how you want to move forward: what are you hoping to achieve for your child? What sort of time frame can you agree upon and when will you meet to follow up? You may like to request a copy of the meeting outcomes in writing and show thanks to the people with whom you met.

Where can I get support?

The education system in which your child is enrolled may have staff who are gifted education specialists and the school or system may have specific programs, groupings or structures for gifted students.

Every school has access to above-age curriculum, whether on campus or online, and every teacher should be able to provide the right curriculum for your child, although for highly gifted students acceleration may need to be considered.

All Australian states and the ACT have gifted organisations – join the one in your state so you can benefit from the support and information that they can provide.

What are my options if working with the school is unsuccessful?

If advocacy with the school is unsuccessful you could consider contacting those responsible for the education system in which your child is enrolled; or you could explore other schooling options, including home schooling. You may want to contact your local association for the gifted for advice and support.

References
Council of Australian Governments Education Council. (2019). Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration . Melbourne, Australia: Australian Government. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf .

Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County. (2010, Feb 24). Top ten myths in gifted education [Video file] . https://youtu.be/MDJst-y_ptI

National Association for Gifted Children. (2018). Parent tip sheets . National Association for Gifted Children,. Retrieved 14 June from https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources-parents/parent-tip-sheets

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. (1989, November 20). https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx

Acceleration: Information Sheet For Parents

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 05:15:51 GMT

Is your child showing the ability to learn at a level above children of the same age? Have you ever wondered if they could have the opportunity to learn at their preferred level at school? You are not alone in thinking this. The practice of matching the level, complexity and pace of curriculum to the individual student by moving them through an educational program at a faster rate than usual, is known as acceleration (Salkind, 2008).

Decades of research show that thoughtful and carefully planned acceleration benefits a gifted student academically and does no harm socially or emotionally (Assouline et al., 2015a, 2015b; Colangelo et al., 2004a; Colangelo et al., 2004b; Culross et al., 2013; Feldhusen et al., 1986). However, acceleration is often underutilised by schools, largely due to many myths and beliefs that are simply unfounded (Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County, 2010, Feb 24).

There are many methods of acceleration (Department of Education, 2012; Ronksley-Pavia, 2011), some examples include:

Grade-skipping, where one or more full grade levels are omitted, for example a student may move from grade 3 directly into grade 5
Early entrance to school, where a student begins their schooling (usually Kindergarten) at a younger age than normal
Grade telescoping where students work through the curriculum of two or more grades in less than the normal number of academic years
Subject-based acceleration, where a student does the work of a higher grade level for a particular subject either:
In their own classroom but working on higher grade material
By attending a higher-grade classroom for that subject
Through dual enrolment - also enrolling in a higher level of schooling for a particular subject, e.g. studying a university subject while still in high school

How do I know if grade or subject acceleration is a good choice for my child?

For grade skipping, ideally you will need to have your child assessed by an educational psychologist who is skilled in working with gifted children. That person will administer an IQ test for your child and provide you with a report. The report may include recommendations for a subject acceleration or a grade skip.
In general, grade skipping will require a full-scale IQ of 130 or more, with the student demonstrating advanced ability across all areas.
Everyone involved - you, the school and your child should all be in favour of acceleration. In particular, the receiving teacher/s should be supportive and prepared to help the student settle into the new classroom and bridge any knowledge gaps they may have.
Your child should be free of any major social and emotional problems and should be motivated and persistent in their approach to learning. Note that sometimes the school may perceive behaviour issues or failure to engage ‘normally’ with same age classmates as socially and emotionally immature and resist the idea of acceleration. The behaviour and ability to form relationships may well improve if the child is appropriately placed in a higher grade.
The child should be in good health. A child’s physical size doesn't matter unless the child wishes to engage in competitive sport.
A trial period in the proposed receiving year level is highly recommended to ensure the accelerated grade level is the correct placement.

How many grades should a child skip?

The child should be performing above the average of the class into which they accelerate. A trial process will help to clarify the appropriate placement. If the child is accelerated into a class and they are achieving at a level well above what is expected for that grade, the acceleration is unlikely to meet their needs academically, socially or emotionally.

When should a grade skip take place?

Ideally, at the end of a school year - but the move to the higher grade may also be considered at the end of a school term. Generally, it is advised to avoid skipping the ‘transition years’ - the years when a student may have the opportunity for student leadership roles or the first year of a new school structure that will have considerably different routines (eg, completing year 6 and year 7 are often seen as important).

Will a grade skip meet all my child’s needs?

Probably not! Your child may need additional acceleration - whether another grade skip or subject acceleration or more challenge provided by the classroom teacher of some subjects.

Can a grade skip be reversed?

A trial period of at least six weeks, with regular reviews involving all stakeholders (e.g., child, teachers, parents, senior staff, school psychologist) is recommended. If it is considered best for the child that they return to their original class, then that should happen and be supported in a positive way.

How will the school decide if my child may be accelerated?

The school should use an objective tool such as the Iowa Acceleration Scale to assist with making the acceleration decision. Decisions made should involve input from a team which ideally includes parents, current and receiving teachers, school leadership, educational psychologist and your child. A team approach based on solid evidence and research about the benefits of acceleration should form the basis of good decision making.

Will my child benefit from acceleration?

Extensive research shows that well planned and well supported acceleration for gifted students benefits those students academically in both the short term and the long term. Acceleration helps students stay engaged in school and develop essential skills to tackle more difficult learning material and cope with not succeeding the first time. Accelerated students often achieve more highly than students of the same age and ability who are not accelerated. They often achieve more highly than older students in the class into which they are accelerated.

Research also indicates that accelerated students cope socially and psychologically; often gifted learners are socially and emotionally more mature than same-age students and acceleration can provide access to classmates whose interests and stages of friendship development are closer to theirs.

References

Assouline, S., Colangelo, N., & VanTassel-Baska, J. (2015a). A nation empowered: Evidence trumps the excuses holding back America’s brightest students (Vol. 1). The University of Iowa.

Assouline, S., Colangelo, N., & VanTassel-Baska, J. (2015b). A nation empowered: Evidence trumps the excuses holding back America’s brightest students (Vol. 2). The University of Iowa.

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S., & Gross, M. U. M. (2004a). A nation deceived: How schools hold back America's brightest students (Vol. 2). The University of Iowa.

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S., & Gross, M. U. M. (2004b). A nation deceived: How schools hold back America's brightest students (Vol. 1). The University of Iowa.

Culross, R. R., Jolly, J. L., & Winkler, D. (2013). Facilitating Grade Acceleration: Revisiting the Wisdom of John Feldhusen [Article]. Roeper Review , 35 (1), 36-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2013.740601

Department of Education, S. a. E. (2012). Gifted Education Professional Development Package . Canberra, Australia: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://www.dese.gov.au/collections/gifted-education-professional-development-package

Feldhusen, J. F., Proctor, T. B., & Black, K. N. (1986). Guidelines for grade advancement of precocious children [Article]. Roeper Review , 9 , 25-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783198609553000

Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County. (2010, Feb 24). Top ten myths in gifted education [Video file] . https://youtu.be/MDJst-y_ptI

Ronksley-Pavia, M. (2011). A report on acceleration for the gifted: What does it mean? Gifted , February (159), 8-11.

Salkind, N. J. (2008). Acceleration. In N. J. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of educational psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 4-8): Sage.

Acceleration: Information Sheet for Educators

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 22:56:39 GMT

Acceleration is an educational intervention that moves students through an educational program at a faster rate than usual or younger than typical age (Salkind, 2008). Acceleration involves matching the level, complexity and pace of curriculum with the readiness and motivation of the student and will assist in ensuring gifted learners become “confident…successful lifelong learners” (Council of Australian Governments Education Council, 2019) . It is vital to ensure that acceleration, of whatever type, is something that the student desires.

There are many methods of acceleration (Department of Education, 2012; Ronksley-Pavia, 2011). Some examples include:

Grade-skipping, where one or more full grade levels are omitted, for example a student may move from grade 3 directly into grade 5
Early entrance to school, where a student begins their schooling (usually Kindergarten) at a younger age than normal
Grade telescoping where students work through the curriculum of two or more grades in one academic year
Subject-based acceleration, where a student does the work of a higher grade level for a particular subject either:
In their own classroom but working on higher grade material
By attending a higher grade classroom for that subject
Through dual enrolment - also enrolling in a higher level of schooling for a particular subject, eg studying a university subject while still in high school

Extensive research has demonstrated that acceleration is an effective and appropriate method to cater for gifted students academically, socially and emotionally (Assouline et al., 2015a, 2015b; Colangelo et al., 2004a; Colangelo et al., 2004b).

Acceleration Frequently Asked Questions:

Is acceleration pushing a child and therefore stressful to them? Acceleration allows gifted students the opportunity to learn at a pace that is more suited to their natural rate of learning. Where the pace of learning does not match the student’s needs, they may display disengagement, school refusal, behaviour problems, and/or mental health problems. Mismatched learning pace also denies students the opportunity to learn how to address intellectual challenges and develop resilience to cope with a degree of failure.

Should we accelerate students when it did not work for “insert name here”? Every gifted student is different. There are many forms of acceleration and just because a certain type of acceleration did not work for one gifted student does not mean it won’t work for any other gifted student.

One method to explore a child’s suitability for grade acceleration is the IOWA Acceleration Scale (Ronksley-Pavia, 2011). If a grade skip is recommended, the student’s teachers and parents need to dedicate time to support a smooth transition.

Successful acceleration relies upon collaboration between school, home and student; appropriate selection of acceleration type; sufficient accelerative intervention; and sufficient support, including with transition.

Does the Australian Curriculum allow for gifted students to accelerate through content at their own rates? Every student is entitled to rigorous, engaging and enriching learning experiences across all areas of the curriculum. Pre assessment is critical to ensure that learning area content is aligned with the learning needs of the student. The Australian Curriculum and instruction should be adapted in response to the needs of gifted students to provide flexibility in learning progression instead of rigid, age-graded academic placement.

Does acceleration mean a child will have gaps in their learning? Students are accelerated because they are well ahead of the age-peers in their academic development and knowledge. Gifted students learn swiftly, and any gaps quickly disappear.

Is it unfair to allow some students to accelerate? Great schools ensure that all students are catered for at their point of need. Research shows that forms of acceleration are necessary for some gifted students. Acceleration is often their best chance for an appropriate, challenging education (Waterloo Region District School Board, 2013, Aug 24). Gifted children are entitled to reach their potential, like any other children.

How will a student’s social and emotional development be affected? The overwhelming research on grade acceleration has found that where academic, social and emotional maturity is identified, students will actually benefit socially and emotionally from the acceleration (Neihart, 2007). For many bright students, acceleration provides a better personal maturity match with classmates. Gifted students may feel increasingly disconnected with their same-age peers. Therefore, it makes sense to place students in a classroom where they can learn with their academic peers.

Won’t the other students in the class lose their role models?

Research shows that average or below average students look to those marginally above their ability level in the class as role models. Watching or relying on someone who is expected to easily succeed at a high standard does little to increase a struggling student’s sense of self-confidence. Similarly, gifted students benefit from classroom interactions with peers with similar potential and become bored, frustrated, and unmotivated when unable to work within their zone of proximal development (Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County, 2010, Feb 24).

References
Assouline, S., Colangelo, N., & VanTassel-Baska, J. (2015a). A nation empowered: Evidence trumps the excuses holding back America’s brightest students (Vol. 1). The University of Iowa.

Assouline, S., Colangelo, N., & VanTassel-Baska, J. (2015b). A nation empowered: Evidence trumps the excuses holding back America’s brightest students (Vol. 2). The University of Iowa.

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S., & Gross, M. U. M. (2004a). A nation deceived: How schools hold back America's brightest students (Vol. 2). The University of Iowa.

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S., & Gross, M. U. M. (2004b). A nation deceived: How schools hold back America's brightest students (Vol. 1). The University of Iowa.

Council of Australian Governments Education Council. (2019). Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration . Melbourne, Australia: Australian Government. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf .

Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County. (2010, Feb 24). Top ten myths in gifted education [Video file] . https://youtu.be/MDJst-y_ptI

Neihart, M. (2007). The socioaffective impact of acceleration and ability grouping: Recommendations for best practice. Gifted Child Quarterly , 51 (4), 330-341.

Ronksley-Pavia, M. (2011). A report on acceleration for the gifted: What does it mean? Gifted , February (159), 8-11.

Salkind, N. J. (2008). Acceleration. In N. J. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of educational psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 4-8): Sage.

Waterloo Region District School Board. (2013, Aug 24). John Hattie challenging all students [Video file] . https://youtu.be/4ivNbPo6QSU

Supporting a Gifted Student: An Information Sheet for Educators

Sat, 31 Jul 2021 22:58:39 GMT

Gifted children, like all children, deserve to receive an education in line with their abilities - an education that ensures “that young Australians of all backgrounds are supported to achieve their full educational potential” (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2020, p. 6). This mandate is also provided for within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). Fortunately, there are a wide range of strategies teachers can implement in classrooms to assist their students to flourish.

It is reasonable to expect gifted children within your classrooms will be excited about, and interested in school; they should be allowed a reasonable amount of time to work with like-minded peers on material that challenges them; and they should be taught by teachers who have an understanding of the needs of gifted students.

What do I need to know to support gifted children in my classes?

Learn as much as you can about gifted students from many sources of information; meet with the child’s family from the outset and work with them as trusted partners in the journey. Look at the websites of gifted organisations; read the policy statements from your school and education system; find out about the common myths surrounding educating gifted children and how to dispel these myths (Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County, 2010, Feb 24); investigate widely (National Association for Gifted Children, 2018) and consider attending gifted education seminars, webinars and conferences on gifted children and their education; familiarise yourself with the language and terminology surrounding gifted education, and unpack what the implementation of best practice research findings should look like in your classroom. Actively seek out what your education system provides in the way of support for gifted students – from selective schools or programs for gifted students to opportunities for participating in challenges and competitions, and everything in between.

What should I do if I suspect a child in my class is gifted?

You may have noticed a student in your class who demonstrates a quick propensity to learn or appears to be disconnected from the learning despite having ability. There are a range of checklists that may assist to identify whether this student may be gifted. From this point you may utilise a range of standardised assessments, including above level testing, to more accurately pinpoint the current level of understanding. Alongside this, talk with the school’s gifted education coordinator, principal, education system gifted education personnel, and most importantly with the student’s parents or carers. Then, to move the process forward, refer to an educational psychologist for further assessment.

How should I approach teaching a gifted child?

Pre-test to find out the existing level of knowledge and capability for all learning to inform appropriate planning and teaching.
Plan to deliver learning at the appropriate level and pace to match the child’s capability and needs. Personalised curriculum needs to be both challenging and scaffolded ensuring students are taught the required skills and knowledge to enable them to work within their zone of proximal development (Eun, 2019; Vygotsky, 1978).
Differentiate content, process, product, learning environment with differentiated task design, ensuring it is learner-centred.(Maker, 1982a, 1982b; Maker et al., 1996)
Ensure opportunities for extension (within the curriculum) and enrichment (outside the curriculum).
Facilitate access to intellectual peers at least part of every day (Rogers, 2002).
Use appropriate acceleration - see AAEGT acceleration document for more information.
Ensure a safe environment: physically safe (especially from bullying); emotionally safe, and intellectually safe to share ideas that may be different from yours and their classmates.

Remember: Every child has the right to learn something new every day...and to make at least one year’s progress in every calendar year (Winebrenner, 2000) .

Where can I get support?

Your school or education system may have staff who are gifted education specialists and your school or system may have recommendations for specific programs, groupings or structures for gifted students. All Australian states and the ACT have gifted organisations – join the one in your state so you can benefit from the support and information that they can provide.

Final Thoughts

Share your knowledge and successes with colleagues.
Create networks within your school, to ensure gifted students are catered for in all classes, not just yours.
Celebrate your students’ achievements and treasure the journey!

References

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2020). The Shape of the Australian Curriculum . Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority

Eun, B. (2019). The zone of proximal development as an overarching concept: A framework for synthesizing Vygotsky's theories [Article]. Educational Philosophy & Theory , 51 (1), 18-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2017.1421941

Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County. (2010, Feb 24). Top ten myths in gifted education [Video file] . https://youtu.be/MDJst-y_ptI

Maker, C. J. (1982a). Curriculum development for the gifted [Non-fiction]. Aspen Systems.

Maker, C. J. (1982b). Teaching models in education of the gifted . Aspen Systems.

Maker, C. J., Nielson, A. B., & Maker, C. J. (1996). Curriculum development and teaching strategies for gifted learners (2 ed.). Pro-Ed.

Rogers, K. B. (2002). Grouping the gifted and talented: Questions and answers. Roeper Review , 24 (3), 103-107.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. (1989, November 20). https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Mental Processes . Harvard University Press.

Winebrenner, S. (2000). Gifted students need an education, too. Educational Leadership , 58 (1), 52.

The intersection between challenge and wellbeing at school

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 07:24:32 GMT

“I thought the work would get harder when I started high school. That’s what I’ve been waiting for, for years. But it’s just the same stuff all over again.”

“I’ve been in Kindy for ages, when will I learn how to write?”

“The girls in my class are friendly, but I can’t talk about quarks and antiquarks with them because I want to fit in, and they just want to talk about boys and singers. I haven’t found anyone yet who I think will want to talk to me about quarks, maybe I never will.”

“I’m in the top group for spelling, but I’m not very good at it. I got two words wrong on my last test but I only started crying when I got home and sat on the trampoline. The trampoline is where I sit when I’m sad because I didn’t get 100%.”

“I didn’t learn anything at high school and the teachers all hated me because I disrupted all the classes, but still averaged 95% on all my tests. I would just read the textbook at the beginning of the unit and then I’d learned it all, so I didn’t need the teachers. I’m a cardiologist now, but still get angry when I think about my high school experience. It was all such a waste of time.”

These are actual quotes from gifted adults, children and adolescents, and all of them point to the connection between being challenged at school and wellbeing. All too often, gifted students are unhappy and experience school as place where:

– nothing new is learned,
– they are asked to revise and practice knowledge and skills they have long mastered,
– they have no intellectual peers,
– no-one is interested in their area of passion, or
– where failure is terrifying because they have never been challenged and so never experienced it.

These are the students at risk of questioning their own identity, underachieving, and seeing school as a place of boredom, frustration and a sense that they are nothing more than a number in a relentless system.

In order to maintain engagement and see the value in their education, on a daily basis, we must:

Pre and formatively assess students to determine prior knowledge and avoid students practicing and repeating skills, knowledge and understandings they have already mastered.
Make sure students are not asked to complete ‘core’ work before they can access the work that is genuinely at their level and will offer challenge. Gifted students often experience years of being ‘rewarded’ for completing their work by being given more, and over time they become demoralised or learn to avoid the extra work by finding ways to waste time.
Avoid asking the strongest students to mentor, coach or teach other students. Teachers often do this with the rationale that this helps both students. In reality, neither the weak nor the strong student benefit from this arrangement. It is important to remember that our brightest students deserve to be learning new material rather than being a substitute teacher, just as other students expect to do every day.
Avoid asking students to catch-up on missed work if they are out of the classroom to access extension work. This is especially true if the missed work includes unnecessary practice and repetition!
Design learning tasks that have genuine challenge based on what is known about a student’s prior knowledge. Challenge can come from posing abstract and complex questions rather than low-order repetition or retell. Challenge can also come by giving students the work they are ready for including accelerative options.

In my role as an Education Consultant I see many teachers and schools who are doing a wonderful job of ensuring their gifted students are challenged, including those who may be underachieving or twice-exceptional. Nevertheless, we need to improve our consistent practice across Australian schools and sectors to ensure that our brightest minds see the value of school, that their time spent at school genuinely does have value for them, and that as a result of their school experience they are confident, self-aware, resilient learners and problem-solvers.

by: Kylie Bice

Well-being

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 06:42:50 GMT

Today, my son made eye contact with another mum and initiated a good morning conversation. The text message from the mum, a family friend for years, brought tears to my eyes and melted my heart. She knew I needed to hear it. My well-being needed it.

I have focused on my children’s well-being for the past 10 years and this year, I am focusing on my own. I’m not saying that in a selfish way, but in a self-care way and hopefully in a way that models to my children how their self-care will lead to lifelong wellness.

My children are both in schools where they feel comfortable and safe. This wasn’t an easy journey, and like a roller coaster, the spirals down left us all feeling ill in the stomach, but when you hit the highs, you can see so much of the view and what is possible. By no means, was this journey done alone. The number of supporters we have had along our journey has been incredible, from medical professionals, family members, friends with kids who have similar profiles and friends who don’t understand my journey but understand my need to cry at random and different milestones and who nod and listen and give me a hug.

So, this year I am trying to become more comfortable, healthy and happy. Google dictionary, I am taking your OR and raising you to AND!

Comfortable. I am going to be more comfortable talking about my kids’ neuro diversity and asynchronous development. Yes, he can be gifted and have rubbish handwriting! I’m not going to shy away from my family’s normal in all it gory intricacies. I am going to model this to my children. I want them to see that I am comfortable with who they are and they should be comfortable too.

Healthy. I am going to go to the gym (for classes and not just the coffee shop). I am going to make sure I look at my diet as carefully as I look at my kids’. I am going to watch myself talk, treat my foibles with humour and love and cut myself some slack when perfection doesn’t quite happen. I am going to model this to my children. I want them to see that I am healthy in body and mind and that is something they can strive for and control too.

Happy. I am going to embrace our journey. I’m going to surround myself with the love and happiness of my tribe. I’m going to share their joys, be it a kid making eye contact for the first time, or a 6-year-old triple grade skipping or laughing about how your kid might be better at doing your taxes than your accountant. I also know that you can’t to be happy all the time, but by developing a love of contentment and revelling in the golden happiness of those key moments, I hope to build my resilience for the hard times. I’m going to model this to my kids. I want them to see that am content and happy and can share in the joys of others. I want them to see that I am resilient, even when those moments of happiness seem to be too far apart but be secure in the knowledge that another happy moment will come along.

I don’t know how much I’ll stick to, but it’s good to have a plan, so here’s to 2020 and my goals for well-being.

by: Anonymous

Not What I Expected

Sat, 24 Aug 2019 00:47:53 GMT

From the moment he was born, my son was challenging my expectations of what a baby should be. He came into the world exactly how and when he wanted to- on a very inconvenient New Year Eve. Fast forward a few months, I found myself with a baby who I expected to be goo-ing and gaaa-ing at finger puppets, but instead would sit in a high chair looking intently at people in cafes predicting the moment before someone would laugh and then bursting out laughing in unison with them.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself with a pre-schooler who fought every household rule we had and was neither motivated by reward or consequence- just compelled to do what he wanted, when he wanted to do it.

It has only been a few months since my son has been identified as profoundly gifted. It came about as a complete accident. My husband and I were searching for ways to help with some challenging behaviours and enormously overwhelming emotions our son was experiencing. We were half expecting the psychologist to tell us that our son had some attention or impulse control challenges, but instead she told us he was bored. She told us his intellect was ranked in excess of the 99.9th percentile, and there was actually no way of knowing how intelligent he was since he reached ceiling scores in most of the tests she conducted. We were astonished. Not because we didn’t think our son was extraordinary, but because he wasn’t showing any of the attributes I associated with giftedness.

In hindsight I guess it’s no surprise that my son would challenge my expectations of what giftedness is as he challenged me in just about every other way.

I had always thought giftedness looked like pre-schoolers sitting quietly teaching themselves to read and write and being enthralled by mathematical games, but this was absolutely nothing like our son. We were so naive! What giftedness looks like in our family is pirates skidding across wooden floors, Broadway musicals recited verbatim and homemade pulleys to hoist toys (and sometimes children) up to the patio rafters. It is standing in the shower and not being able to figure out how a toy army man has ended up on the wrong side of the grouted drain. It’s the often hilarious but deliberately inappropriate commentary during a church service. It’s the strongly worded feedback received about an incorrect song lyric, or an emotional outburst about the perceived unfairness of a rule. It’s also being told how beautiful you look when you wear a new dress or change your hair in the slightest way. It’s being able to take a young child to a Fringe Festival play and hearing them laugh the moment before the joke is delivered. It’s enormous love, enormous laughter and enormous curiosity. It’s so much fun!

My son is extraordinary. All my children are. I am sure many people think he is badly behaved or at least rather cheeky… which I suppose he is! He is still trying to work out why he is different to his mates at school, why he sometimes gets in trouble for reasons he doesn’t understand or why he sometimes struggles to feel like he belongs. Sometimes giftedness can look a lot like something else. My son challenges the way I thought things should be, so I am certain he does the same for other people. I am praying he never stops challenging me, and hoping he continues to challenge what people think. This world needs more disruptors. More people who make us stop and re-consider our position on things. I am excited to see what the future holds for our son and our family, I just hope I have the energy to keep up.

by: Laura Motherway

Finding Solace Away From Home

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 23:47:01 GMT

It was January 2018 and this New Year had brought our family from New Zealand into a new home – Australia.

Within three weeks, by eldest had fallen off the monkey bars and fractured his arm, requiring surgery. He was four and a half. I will never forget his bravery and my apprehension as they took him into theatre. Nor will I forget him waking up from the anesthetic. He screamed. A lot. There was rage in his eyes. The nurses tempted him with Icy poles and he hissed at them and very expansively told them where they could go. It was then that the nurses looked at me and one muttered under her breath: “Is he always like this?”

It was a comment that was very familiar to me by now. People who met us, whom we played with often asked similar questions. “Oh he’s just tired” or “He must be getting sick…” I would often say. Those who knew us better knew that it was not the case.

This particular little powder keg has been catching everyone off guard since the day he was born. “Very alert” all the hospital notes said. Didn’t we know it. He never slept. He fixed my gaze in the car mirror at 3 weeks of age. He was smiling at the same time and giggling a few weeks after that. I felt crazy for showing him books at 6 weeks but I recall genuinely feeling like he was following the pages and the story. By age one he spoke over 100 words and had full sentences including complex and abstract topics by 18 months. It would take me some years, and another much more “typical” baby later, to really appreciate how abnormal all this was. But at the time he was just our special boy.

Family humored us for a while – being new parents, being the first grandchild. Yes, of course he was special, aren’t they all? But it wasn’t until the preschool years that we began to run into problems. His emotional outbursts were unsettling. He would shout and protest for hours over seemingly small incidents. The line between overstimulation and under stimulation was a fine one that left us on edge every day. Grandparents were adamant it was our “soft” approach to parenting and lack of boundaries. But how do you set boundaries with a 3 year old who won’t accept “because I said so “as valid enough reasoning? Who seems to have little regard for any kind of authority? Who questions everything? All the time.

It was an isolating experience. He attended kindergarten but some of his behaviors meant that potential friendships did not progress. Not everyone was willing to look beyond the behaviors to the wonderful inquisitive, kind and compassionate child. We had long conversations in caron the way to kindergarten about the melting point of titanium, only to have him open the car door on arrival and scream: “Bum bum poo poo!” at the top of his voice to his peers. He knew exactly how to modify his behavior to impress them. He flew under the radar well.

Whilst looking for other activities locally to fit his interests of science and philosophy we stumbled upon a one-day-a-week kindergarten extension program. I didn’t know much about this at the time but figured it would give us another day of childcare and seemed to fit his interests. Through his passionate teacher at this program we learnt about asynchronous development. We met a number of like-minded families with bright and quirky kids. To speak with these parents who had also had similar experiences was a breath of fresh air. Who had faced some of the same challenges, the same questions and same looks from others when their kids did or said something out of the box. It was unusual to suddenly have a network of friends whom we didn’t have to explain ourselves to. Whom we didn’t need to make excuses for.

by: Sara Selkirk

aaegt

A Mind Beyond Her Years

Unmasking missed identification

Back to school: From both sides of the desk

Part 1: For Families

Supporting the Back-to-School Transition for Young Gifted Children

Part 2: For Teachers

Supporting Gifted Learners in the First Weeks Back

A search for happiness

From Policy to Practice: The Teacher Who Changed Everything

An Interview with Lachlan Thatcher, Principal of Capalaba State College, Queensland

“Gifted education doesn’t have to begin with a big budget or a new department—it starts with curiosity, conversation, and courage.”

Think of a students mind as a garden...

What is twice exceptionality?

Making Twice-Exceptional Students Visible in Policy and Practice

“Can you see Brian, the invisible boy?

Even Mrs. Carlotti has trouble noticing him in her classroom.”

- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

How the system became muddled

A parent / gifted parenting coach's perspective

Sorry Miss, I know I'm Different, but...

Will you understand?

From Policy to Practice

Developing the I AM Program at Cornish College

By Rhiannon Lowrey

This case study provides a practical guide for schools aiming to transform gifted education policies into impactful classroom practices and specialist programs.

﻿ I AM Program - Week-by-Week Break-Down

Is it still a cheetah?

10 Myths of High Potential and Gifted Education: Let’s Set the Record Straight

To mark Gifted Awareness Week, Maree Karaka, Leader of High Potential Gifted Education explores the common myths surrounding high potential and gifted education.

Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a coach?

Myth #1: “High Potential and Gifted students will do fine on their own.”

Myth #2: ” High Potential and Gifted kids will be challenged in the regular classroom.”

Myth #3: “Gifted students help raise the bar for others.”

Myth #4: “All children are gifted.”

Myth #5: “Acceleration harms high potential and gifted students socially.”

Myth #6: ” High Potential and Gifted education is elitist.”

Myth #7: “They can’t be gifted – they’re getting poor grades.”

Myth #8: ” High Potential and Gifted students are well-adjusted and popular.”

Myth #9: “Students with disabilities can’t be gifted.”

Myth #10: “Gifted programs cost too much.”

Celebrating Gifted Awareness Week

Developing School Gifted Education Policy

The AAEGT has a Gifted Education Policy that is available for use and adaptation in Australian schools.

What can teachers do to ensure gifted students are engaged and learning?

Engagement

Daily challenge

Learning gain

Engaging gifted students in the early years

Through the eyes of an educator

I wasn’t always a Gifted Education advocate.

by: Kellie Clarke

The Guilt of Parenting Gifted Children - Kate Burton

Giftedness is not what I thought it was

Long Odds Sabotage our Brightest

The Revenge of the Poof! Papers: Perfectionism and AI in Student Writing

Social acceptability of Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Students

Gifted Girl

Parental Advocacy for Academic Acceleration - Ayesha Umar

To strengthen your arguments, find acceleration related information on state, national and international gifted and talented organisations websites. This information will help you understand the process better and also clear your personal doubts around social emotional development.

Lastly, read some literature in support of academic acceleration. You will only find research literature that supports acceleration as to date no research has proven it otherwise.

Ask for a meeting with the principal and the classroom teacher. Take all the evidence that you have collected, both related to your child’s whole year academic advancement and that in support of acceleration on websites and in research. Advocate for your child.

References

Two Ways of Seeing Maths

Maths has an identity problem.

Unlocking potential

Gifted & Talented Action Research

"It gave me the enthusiasm to bring these ideas back to my school and advocate and cater appropriately for our gifted and talented students"

Kids Teaching Teachers

Kids Conference 2024

The Two Faces of Being Gifted

Artwork Title:

﻿ Flirting, flying, bursting, burning, yet hugely and hatefully heavy.

The Challenges of Giftedness

We asked the AI bot, ChatGPT, about the challenges of giftedness

The Diverse Faces of Giftedness

We asked ChatGPX, an AI bot, about the Diverse Faces of Giftedness

Persecuted Silence

Words from a 15 year old who choses to remain anonymous.

Myths Associated With Giftedness

I AM Program - Week-by-Week Break-Down

Flirting, flying, bursting, burning, yet hugely and hatefully heavy.

Storytelling - understanding oral traditions using archeoastronomy

2nd December 2019
MEDIA RELEASE