Transcript Gifted and High Achieving Children

Gifted and High Achieving Children
Presented by Holly Melchiori
Gifted Coordinator, Indian River County
HIGH ACHIEVER OR GIFTED?
HIGH ACHIEVER
GIFTED
•
Remembers the answers.
•
Poses unforeseen questions.
•
Is interested.
•
Is curious.
•
Generates advanced ideas.
•
Is selectively mentally engaged.
•
Works hard to achieve.
•
Knows without working hard.
•
Performs at the top of the group.
•
Is beyond the group.
•
Learns with ease.
•
Already knows.
•
Needs 6 to 8 repetitions to master.
•
Needs 1 to 3 repetitions to master.
•
Comprehends at a high level.
•
Comprehends in-depth, complex ideas.
•
Enjoys the company of age peers..
•
Prefers the company of intellectual peers.
•
Completes assignments on time.
•
Initiates projects and assignments.
•
Enjoys school often.
•
Enjoys self-directed learning.
•
Absorbs information.
•
Manipulates information.
•
Gets A's.
•
May not be motivated by grades.
How Many Gifted Are in the US?
(Based on US Population of 265,000,000)
Ratio of Gifted to general population
1 out of 50 individuals may have an IQ of 130 or above
1 out of 260 individuals may have an IQ of 140 or above
1 out of 2,330 individuals may have an IQ of 150 or above
1 out of 31,560 individuals may have an IQ of 160 or above
1 out of 652,600 individuals may have an IQ of 170 or above
1 out of 2,000,000 individuals may have an IQ of 180 or above
Gifted in the State of Florida
Eligibility Criteria
 Majority of Gifted Characteristics
 Evidence of Need for Services
 Intellectual ability - Superior intellectual development
measured by an intelligence quotient of two (2) standard
deviations or more above the mean on an individually
administered standardized test of intelligence.(130)
Eligibility - Plan B Option
• The student is a member of an under-represented
group and meets the criteria specified in an
approved school district plan for increasing the
participation of under-represented groups in
programs for gifted students.
• For the purpose of this rule, under-represented
groups are defined as groups:
– a. Who are English Language Learners, or
– b. Who are Economically Disadvantaged (free/reduced lunch)
CHARACTERSITCS OF GIFTED STUDENTS
It is important to realize that any list or comments
regarding “gifted characteristics” are a generalization .
There is no single indicator of giftedness
– Solves problems quickly
– Insightful
– Learns new information quickly –good memory
– Answers questions in detail
– Separates problems into their component parts
– Applies prior knowledge to solving problems
– Learns new and difficult concepts easily
Identifying Special Populations
• Special Populations - Defined as a subgroup of “typical” gifted students
which includes learning disabled, low socially economic, and those
linguistically or culturally diverse (African American, Hispanic, ESOL
students)
• Frequently, these students suffer from the three U’s
– Under identification
– Underrepresentation
– Underachievement.
• Although most students have been formally identified for gifted before
middle school, classroom teachers, counselors, and administrators need to
be aware that these students may have been over looked.
• The use of multiple criteria, appropriate checklist of characteristics,
portfolios, and teacher recommendations along with achievement ability
will help foster appropriate identification of these students. Parent and
community awareness of opportunities in gifted should be shared
Characteristics of Special Population
Gifted Students
• Ingenious problem-solving skills
• May exhibit poor social skills and frustration
• Exceptional memory
• Quick conceptualization of ideas
• Advanced abstract reasoning skills
• Academic achievement below academic potential
• Advanced leadership abilities-may be positive or negative
• Successful students in this category generally have a strong
sense of self and supportive, inspiring relationships
CHARACTERSITICS/BEHAVIORS THAT
HINDER IDENTIFICATION
• ADHD
• LEARNING DISABILITIES
• DISRUPTIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
• UNORGANIZED
• HIDES ABILITY TO FIT IN WITH PEERS
• DAYDREAM
• QUESTIONABLE SENSE OF HUMOR
• PERFECTIONISTIC-ALL OR NOTHING
• LACK OF APPROPRIATE SOCIAL SKILLS
• OBSESSED WITH ONE AREA OF INTEREST AND NOTHING ELSE
• HIGHLY SENSITIVE
• HIGH LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION/LOW SELF ESTEEM
GIFTED CHILDREN CAN MISBEHAVE,
DON’T FINISH OR DO ASSIGNMENTS,
AND QUESTION AUTHORITY
MYTHS
Myths common in public perception...
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
They have everything going their way.
They can succeed without help.
Their special abilities are always prized by their families.
They should be valued primarily for their brain power.
They are more stable and mature emotionally.
They have gotten “something for nothing."
They naturally want to be socially isolation.
NEED FOR THE PROGRAM
 FINISHES WORK QUICKLY AND CORRECTLY
 THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE
 GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND IN ASSIGNMENTS AND PROJECTS
 SEARCHES FOR RELATED INFORMATION
 BECOMES ABSORBED IN AREAS OF INTERESTS
 ASKS PROBING QUESTIONS
 ABOVE AVERAGE SCORES ON DISTRICT AND STATE
ASSESSMENTS
 EXCELS IN ABOVE GRADE LEVEL WORK
THE PROCESS
SCREENING
 NOMINATION BY TEACHER, PARENT, SCHOOL EMPLOYEE, OR COMMUNITY
LEADER
 CHECKLIST OF GIFTED CHARACTERISTICS COMPLETED BY TEACHER,
PARENT
 REVIEW OF STUDENT’S SCHOOL WORK AND STATE/DISTRICT
ASSESSMENTS
 STANDARDIZED SCREENER FOR INTELLECTUAL ABILITY(SOME DISTRICTS)*
*SOME DISTRICTS MAY USE A UNIVERSAL SCREENER ASSESSMENT
 STUDENT INFORMATION REVIEWED-STUDENT IS REFERRED ON FOR
FURTHER EVALUTION OR PROCESS IS STOPPED
If the process is stopped, and the child shows no need for further evaluation,
you can request a meeting to understand why.
EVALUATION PROCESS
The child/student will be given a full intelligence test to assess
child's cognitive ability by a school psychologist. Some
examples are-WISC iv, RIAS, DAS. There is no way to prepare a
child for this test. The results will compare the child to others
of the same age. An Intelligence Quotient-IQ score and
percentile ranking will be generated. An IQ score of 130 or
above is generally considered superior. A District's Plan B
option may vary for acceptable scores. An eligibility meeting
will take place for a review of the assessments and to
determine if the child qualifies for gifted services. Available
gifted services will be discussed and an Educational Plan will
be created to meet the child's needs.
Nurturing the Bright Child
• Regardless of the results, all children benefit from
enriching and engaging experiences. Preparing all
children for success in a global society means
exposing them to flexible and creative thinking. The
ability to solve problems ands create various
solutions is a vital skill.
Advocate for the Child
When an issue arises, following these steps can ease
the tension and lead to a solution.
Follow the chain of command - meet with the teacher first.
Advocate for all students - show concern for all students with
similar needs.
Support the schools - attend meetings, join PTO/SAC, be active
and visible when possible
Have a plan - write down your concerns, write down goals for
your child
Get the facts - understand both sides, gather all the information
you can
 Be persistent-obtain copies of state laws, district policies, be a
source of information for both school and community. Engage
other parents.
 Maintain a positive attitude-the way you approach teachers,
schools, and others will act as a model for your child. Very few
problems are resolved when anger and negativity are
displayed
 Remind yourself and others that the child is at the forefront
Encouragement
One of the most important ways to advocate for
your child is to encourage them. Parents are their
children’s first mirror.
Listen to your child-children often need to work
through their thoughts and ideas out loud. It helps
to build a child’s self esteem, knowing a parent takes
the time to listen.
Support the child’s interest
Praise your child appropriately-it’s best to praise the
effort, not the result.
Encouragement
One of the most important ways to advocate for
your child is to encourage them. Parents are their
children’s first mirror.
Avoid “put-downs”-pinpoint the behavior- “I feel so
tired and impatient when you argue about your
chores”
Laugh with your child—relieves stress. Show them
the positive side of a situation.
Help your child develop social skills-help them
become a better friend . Teach them to share, listen
to others, sympathize, and help those in need.
Empower and Enrich
Challenging our Children to Think
Activities to Increase Creativity and
Problem Solving Abilities
Language Arts – engage you child by asking questions
– What if… the character did something differently, you were the character,
the problem in the story was changed, the ending was different?
– What might happen next… stop throughout the book and ask child to
predict .
– How would you… solve that problem, act in that situation, end the story?
– Change - change the title, change the ending, change the book cover,
change the character.
– Compare - yourself to the character, one character with another, this
book to another.
Activities to Increase Creativity and
Problem Solving Abilities
Mathematics - know what your child is learning and reinforce this
at home
– Fractions - halve a recipe, use measuring cups, divide a pie, take a survey
(2 out of 5 family members believe)
– Measurement - using a ruler or tape measure-measure the length of
your bed, measure the width of your room.
– Time - what time will it be 20 minutes from now?
– Ask how they found the solution to a problem. What other ways could it
be solved?
– Geometry walk - look for shapes in the neighborhood.
Activities to Increase Creativity and
Problem Solving Abilities
Science and problem solving – explore the world with your child
– Alphabet nature walk-list the letters of the alphabet. Write down an object
in nature that starts with that letter. Try to find every letter.
– Section off an area in your yard. Observe it for 10 minutes. What creatures
did you find?
– Visit local library to research area of interest. Many have guest speakers
and mentors.
– Ask child to solve problems around the house, community and world.
• How can we reduce the amount of trash?
• How can we save electricity?
• How could we arrange the furniture?
• How can we create jobs in the community?
• How can we stop polluting the ocean?