Psychology for Exceptional Children
DEFINING GIFTEDNESS
Giftedness was equated with high intelligence (Terman,
1925)
Marland Report: "Gifted and talented children are...who by
virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high
performance and require differentiated educational programs
and/or services...to realize their contribution to self and
society. They demonstrate achievement and/or potential
ability in any of the following areas: (1) general intellectual
ability, (2) specific academic aptitude, (3) creative or
productive thinking, (4) leadership ability, (5) visual and
performing arts, and (6) psychomotor ability.
National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's
Talent uses the term talent rather than gifted: "Children and
youth with outstanding talent perform or show the potential
for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment
when compared with others of their age, experience, or
environment" (p. 3). (Ross, 1993)
Piirto (2007) provides a definition of giftedness that applies
to school settings. Gifted individuals...are those who, by
way of learning characteristics such as superior memory,
observational powers, curiosity, creativity, and the ability to
learn school-related subject matters rapidly and accurately
with a minimum of drill and repetition, have a right to an
education that is differentiated according to these
characteristics because all children have a right to be
educated according to their needs. (p. 37)
Renzulli's (1978, 1998) "Three-Ring" Model of
Giftedness
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Three traits: creativity, above-average intellectual
abilities, and task commitment
Focus: Endeavors and activities that demonstrate
giftedness
Major contribution: It was among the first efforts
to make creative productivity a goal of gifted
education (Plucker & Callahan, 2014, p. 391).
Renzulli's (1978, 1998) "Three-Ring" Model of
Giftedness
Gifted Behavior
Above-Average
Ability (general)
Examples
-High levels of abstract thought
-Adaptation to novel situations
Above-Average
Ability (specific)
-Applications of general abilities to
specific area of knowledge
-Capacity to sort out relevant from
irrelevant information
-Capacity for high levels of interest,
enthusiasm
-Hard work and determination in a
particular area.
Task
Commitment
Creativity
-Fluent, flexible, and original
thought
- Open to new experiences and ideas
RUBIK'S CUBE ILLUSTRATION FOR GIFTEDNESS:
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Look beyond what the eye can see
Gifts and talents come in many different colors
(creative, cognitive, etc...)
Giftedness is seen in how individuals think and
display their abilities (how they "arrange" their
skills like how colors are arranged in the cube)
There are several combinations of gifts as there are
color combinations
CHARACTERISTICS OF GIFTEDNESS
Learning and intellectual characteristics of many gifted and
talented children include superior ability to:
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Rapidly acquire, retain, and use large amounts of
information.
Relate one idea to another.
Make sound judgments.
Appreciate multiple and opposing points of view.
Perceive the operation of larger systems of
knowledge not often recognized by the typical
person.
Acquire and manipulate abstract symbol systems.
Create novel solutions to problems by reframing
the question.
CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG TALENTED
CHILDREN
1. They are precocious, regardless of the talent area.
Some may demonstrate precocious behaviors in several
talent areas.
a. Verbally talented children acquire vocabulary and speak
in sentences earlier than age-mates. They can break letter
codes and make abstract verbal connections.
b. Mathematically talented children acquire numeration and
number concepts sooner than age-mates.
c. Musically talented children may often sing on key,
demonstrate an interest in the piano or other musical
instruments, and stop what they are doing to listen to music.
d. Children talented in visual arts demonstrate artwork that
is similar to that of older children.
e. Kinesthetically or psychomotor-talented children
demonstrate advanced motor ability.
f. Spatially talented children may want to take things apart
to see how they work, and demonstrate an understanding of
mechanics that is advanced for their age.
g. Children talented in the inter- and intrapersonal areas will
demonstrate advanced understanding of social relationships,
and demonstrate emotion about such things that age-mates
will not perceive.
2. They have excellent memories.
3. They concentrate intensely on what interests them, for
longer periods of time than age-mates.
4. Dyssynchrony [uneven development] is obvious,
especially in high-IQ children.
5. Affective precocity may lead to the assumption of
leadership roles and to preferring older companions for
play.
Paradoxical negative effect
- behaviors displayed by students with gifts and talents may
work to their detriment (e.g. high verbal abilities may lead
the student to dominate class discussion)
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Gifted and talented children often perform
childhood tasks on an advanced schedule.
Exceptional talent in one or more specific academic
areas.
All children may be creative; however, some are
exceptionally creative.
Leadership is another category of giftedness.
Jot-down forms - Teachers observe characteristics and
behaviors and "jot down" the names of pupils they see
demonstrating the behavior described in the box on a jotdown sheet.
Checklist - Teachers evaluate students in the areas of
intellectual ability, academic ability, creativity, the arts, and
motivation, as well as leadership abilities.
Tests of intellectual ability - provide a formal measure of
intellectual giftedness. No child can be fully represented by
a number, yet tests of intellectual ability provide important
information in identifying intellectual giftedness and
planning appropriate modifications and services (e.g. WISC,
SB-5)
Off-level testing - the use of measures intended for older
children; is important in assessing giftedness in a specific
academic area (e.g. Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of
Achievement and SAT); a student who is in one grade is
assessed using a level of a test that was developed for
students in another grade.
Assessing creativity (production of novel or original ideas
or products), leadership potential (through portfolios), and
specific talents (e.g. in the visual and performing arts).
Torrance Test
ASSESSING GIFTEDNESS AND TALENT
The goal of assessment is to...address the strengths and
needs of children who are gifted and talented in one or
several categories. Each category of giftedness must be
assessed...using both informal and formal measures.
Multifactor assessment of a student's strengths may
include...a portfolio of work samples, anecdotal records,
checklists or rating scales of gifted characteristics, and
evaluations by experts of a pupil's creative products or
performances (Borland, 2014).
In a standardized Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, subjects are given simple shapes (left column) and are asked to
use them (top row) or combine them (middle row) in a
picture or to complete a partial picture (bottom row).
Evaluators judge whether the results are more or less
creative.
PIONEERS OF ASSESSING GIFTEDNESS
Lewis Terman (1925) → founder of gifted education
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IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT
A multidimensional and multimodal assessment approach
that collects information in a variety of ways (e.g., tests,
interviews, performances) and from a variety of sources
(e.g., parents, teachers, psychologists) is more accurate and
equitable in the identification of gifted and talented students
(Borland, 2014; Ford, 2010b).
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Extracurricular or leisure activities
Self-nomination
Teacher nomination
Peer nomination
Parent, family, or caregiver nomination
Multidimensional screening involves collecting and
examining teacher reports, student inventories, and
work samples and perhaps the administration of
group achievement or group or individual
intelligence tests
conducted a longitudinal study on gifted children;
concluded that gifted children suffered no more
health problems than normal for their age, they
were usually social and well-adjusted
Leta Hollingworth (1925) wrote the first comprehensive
textbook on gifted education
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one of the first to start classes for gifted children,
believing that appropriate learning opportunities
must be matched to students' needs and their
readiness to learn.
J.P. Guildford (1967)
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described multiple intelligences, which increased
the understanding of the youth who are gifted and
talented.
Association for the Gifted (1958)
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advocates appropriate educational opportunities for
gifted and talented children
Virgil Ward (1961) → coined the term differential
education to describe a curriculum that would enable gifted
and talented students to learn at appropriate levels and
would enhance learning
POINTS TO NOTE:
Reaching proficiency might be the goal for average students,
but for pupils with gifts and talents, the goal of reaching
proficiency is limiting as their level of achievement is often
beyond what was being taught. Thus, reaching proficiency
required them to move backwards or stand still.
-continue to strive
STEP 2: GROUP CHILDREN FOR INSTRUCTIONAL
PURPOSES
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Grouping facilitates learning, providing the vehicle
for differentiating learning experiences.
Guiding Question: "Which students are ready to learn the
content at the same level and would benefit from being
grouped for instruction?"
STEP 3: MATCH LEARNER EXPERIENCES TO THE
PREASSESSMENT DATA (LEVEL OF READINESS
AND/OR INTERESTS).
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What makes a child gifted and talented?
Differentiation...is not just providing different
learning experiences or offering choice; rather, it is
the intentional match of content (basic to complex),
process (level of cognitive skill), and product
(visual, written, oral, kinesthetic, and
technological) (Roberts & Inman, 2015b).
According to Clark (2013), "the development of
intelligence is enhanced or inhibited by the interaction
between the genetic pattern of an individual and the
opportunities provided by the environment throughout the
individual's lifespan" (p. 24). The brain changes physically
and chemically when stimulated or challenged. Thus,
parents and educators play significant roles in developing a
child's capacity to learn at high levels.
Guiding Question: "How can the learning experiences be
shaped to match the preassessment results and to ensure
continuous progress with intellectual challenges?"
-if you are a psych student you should not stay to a bare
minimum.
STEP 4: PROVIDE PRODUCTS (WAYS TO
DEMONSTRATE WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED)
THAT WILL MOTIVATE AND TEACH.
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EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR GIFTED
STUDENTS
Differentiation
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A modification of the curriculum that enables
students who are gifted and talented to learn at a
level appropriate to their ability and level of
readiness.
In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where
students are, not the front of a curriculum guide.
They accept and build upon the premise that
learners differ in important ways" (Tomlinson,
1999, p. 2).
For children with gifts and talents, it is important to
remove the learning ceiling
A variety of products can be used that will allow
students to show what they have learned but in
ways that will motivate them to learn.
Guiding Question: "What products will interest students and
prepare them to build expertise for current and future use?"
STEP 5: REFLECT, REFLECT, REFLECT.
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If learning is to be ongoing, it is essential to reflect
on what has been learned and what one wants to
learn next.
Guiding Question: "What questions will promote reflection
and lead to ongoing learning?"
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
STEP 1: PREASSESSMENT
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Curriculum Compacting
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An assessment of a pupil's previously acquired
knowledge and skills; informing the teacher of
where to start to provide differentiated learning
experiences.
Guiding Question: "Who already knows the content and can
demonstrate the skills even before the unit of study begins?"
an instructional technique whereby the time spent
on academic subjects is reduced so as to allow for
enrichment activities or more in-depth learning
about a specific topic; typically used with students
who are gifted and talented.
Higher-Level Thinking and Problem Solving
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A gifted resource teacher can provide opportunities
for individual and team projects that require higherlevel thinking.
Flexible Grouping
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The combining or grouping of students according
to needs and abilities matched to their level of
achievement.
provides challenge if appropriate guidelines are
established.
Enrichment
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Cluster Grouping
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The practice of placing five or more students who
have similar needs and abilities with one teacher;
promotes challenging cognitive development and
positive social/emotional development.
Differentiation
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Tiered Assignments
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An instructional strategy that allows the teacher to
offer variations of the same lesson to students with
differing levels of ability in order to provide
appropriate levels of challenge.
An instructional approach in which authentic
problems having multiple solutions are addressed
through the application of critical thinking skills.
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learn the same thing. Some students take three to
six times longer than others to Under today's
practices, high-ability students are forced to spend
more time than they need on a curriculum
developed for students of moderate ability. Many
become bored, unmotivated, and frustrated. They
become prisoners of time. (p. 15)
Creativity
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Students who are gifted in creativity need
opportunities to develop this talent in a risk-free
learning environment (Piirto, 2007). Pupils who are
gifted and talented thrive when given opportunities
to combine their creativity with an interest in a
content or talent area.
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Acceleration
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An instructional strategy typically used with pupils
who are gifted and talented; one of several
approaches is placing students in a grade level
beyond their chronological age (e.g. Subject
acceleration, early entrance to kindergarten or
college, grade acceleration)
Independent Study
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The skills needed to conduct primary research and
to work independently must be taught. This allows
children of all ages to explore topics of interest and
Honors courses are offered to middle and high
school students who are ready to work hard on
advanced content.
Mentorships
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may be formal or informal; the mentor is an expert
in a particular field and will work with and guide a
student in an area of mutual interest.
Self-Contained Classes and Special Schools
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typically focused on math, sciences, and the visual
and performing arts; learning with others who share
their interests and have similar abilities is essential
for children and youth who are gifted and talented.
Summer and Saturday Programs
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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Working with other children of similar abilities takes away
the feeling that many children who are gifted have-that they
must hide their abilities in order to "fit in."
Opportunities to learn with others at the same
levels of interest and/or achievement (e.g. Cluster
grouping, homogenous classes, magnet schools
with a focus on math, science, or the arts)
Honors and Advanced Placement Courses
Pacing Instruction
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Opportunities to have curriculum matched to levels
of interest and achievement (e.g. Tiered
assignments differentiated on content, process, and
product)
Grouping
Problem-based Learning
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Opportunities to learn above and beyond what is
usually provided at a particular grade level (e.g.
Interdisciplinary seminars, Project-based learning
supplement in-school learning with academic
content that takes students beyond age-level
learning experiences.
Competition
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do not constitute gifted education, but they do
provide motivation and challenge for gifted and
talented children
"What makes a child gifted and talented may not always be
good grades in school, but a different way of looking at the
world and learning.”
CHUCK GRASSLEY