Talk:Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 4/Content Articles/4.8.2

Reader Responses
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I really enjoyed reading all that this article discussed. This is a topic that is so important yet it is so often overlooked. Most people view gifted students as being self sufficient, above average and not needing additional help. Although these things are true when talking about average, daily work, it fails to mention the fact that these children need additional stimulation to maintain motivation. If we allow gifted children to go without extra activities, enrichment materials and only give minimal attention, we are starving them of the knowledge they need and want. I believe that for many teachers this is truly a challenge in the classroom; however, we need to make that extra effort to provide each child the help and attention they deserve, including the gifted! Khedl002 (talk) 15:18, 12 July 2009 (UTC)khedl002

This article is very well-written and interesting. Everything from its graphics to its funny tone are very welcome. I enjoyed reading this article because it is unlike many of the other articles. I also understand what this article is talking about. In elementary school, I was one of the gifted students that this article describes. I went to a private, college-preparatory school so I and the other gifted students were not a frequently forgotten as this article mentions. As I entered middle school, I became a top yet average student. Even so, I remember seeing some of the other students who were gifted look bored and lifeless as this article describes. It seemed to be harder for our middle school teachers to find activities to enrich the learning experience for these students. Once in high school, I remained a top student. The gifted students in my classes were not as bored, because there were Advanced Placement classes to keep them busy. In conclusion, over my educational career, it seems to be the hardest for teachers to find activities for gifted students in middle school. Sbutl016 (talk) 19:49, 7 July 2009 (UTC)

This is a very interesting article to read. It is informative, fun, and very well-written. My oldest son was "gifted" but due to moving around so much (military), he was never really able to take advantage of "gifted" programs as not every state has the same criteria or programs. He was often bored in class and unmotivated to do the "busywork". As I read the article I could see him in it. I think he would be a better college student had he been challenged in school and actually found it necessary to develop good study skills. Sciaston (talk) 23:54, 10 July 2009 (UTC)

A very enjoyable and informative article to read about gifted children. Many teachers, especially new teachers, are under the misconception that gifted students are well above-average learners that can teach themselves and are model behavior children. While there are few children that fit this description, there are many more that act just as peers. The only difference is that they learn more and faster than others, and need a different set of activities to keep them engaged in learning. When I create lesson plans in other classes and try to think of appropriate activities for gifted learners, I have one “rule” I like to follow: Do concepts that are on the border of the next grade. For example, if I had a gifted 3rd grader who was excelling in mat, I do activities that would be appropriate for a student beginning 4th grade, depending on the mastery of the gifted student.Adart001 (talk) 17:47, 11 July 2009 (UTC)