Gifted and Talented?

The last twenty years has seen significant progress in global education in relation to the identification and support of students with specific learning difficulties. Most schools now have policies and procedures in place to ensure that students who in generations gone by may have been lost to the learning process are now given the support they need to make the most of their potential. Initial teacher training and continuing professional development mean that teachers are more aware than ever about the latest research and how best to meet the needs of their less able or challenged students both inside and outside classroom. However, there has long been an argument that there are another group of students in each school that require equally specific support, but help for the ‘Gifted and Talented’ has not as yet had the same impact in general terms, although things are beginning to change, aided in particular by an increasing amount of interesting and focused research.

The Department for Education in the UK defines a gifted and talented student as one who is significantly ahead of his or her year group in one or more key areas. It goes on to stipulate that within each school setting, additional provision should be made for the top 5% of students in any class, deeming these students to be ‘gifted and talented’ Mensa, the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world, provides some helpful tips as to how spot ‘bright sparks’ in the classroom, advising teachers to look out for a combination of some the following attributes;

· A strong sense of fairness

· A quest for perfection

· The need to question everything

· Intensive feelings and sensitivity

· Extreme curiosity about the world

The list goes on of course as there is no definitive template to follow and this is compounded by the generally held view that giftedness is dynamic, not static and may even be subject-specific rather than general across the curriculum. A gifted mathematician for example will be able to grasp new concepts and mathematical ideas very quickly; think logically, readily identify patterns, apply previously gained knowledge to new or unfamiliar contexts and exhibit creative approaches to solving mathematical questions. It is easy to assume that a student is gifted if they are achieving very highly in appropriately challenging situations, however, with very young children in particular, the issue can sometimes be clouded by a child’s immaturity. High ability in early childhood can often be the result of greater access to educational opportunities rather than an indication of giftedness. For example, being able to read at an early age is not conclusive evidence of high ability in literacy, any more than slow progress is an indication of lack of ability.

Nonetheless, parents and teachers of pre-school children may be aware of other indicators that suggest rapid skills development: Children who begin to speak earlier than their peers, use a wide vocabulary, have more advanced social skills and are able to achieve far more than usual for their age may be exhibiting early signs of giftedness. However, it is not uncommon for many young children who are literally years ahead of their peers in some areas of cognitive development to remain on a parallel in terms of social development.

Where research does come together it quickly dispels the notion that gifted students will be self-propelled achievers, needing only words of encouragement and some extra tasks to be kept happily and productively occupied! Moreover, the most successful programmes in the UK in recent years have placed an emphasis on intellectual and imaginative risk-taking, challenging students with team-building and collaboration, negotiation and the need to be inventive – all supported with a wide variety of differentiated resources designed to excite and extend all students. Rather than concentrating solely on the acquisition of knowledge and skills, those working with gifted students are being encouraged to strive to create opportunities to foster higher levels of thinking incorporating analysis, synthesis and evaluation. A respected member of the UK schools inspection service, Mr David Bell, recently commented: “What separates the very good from the merely good, for gifted pupils, is the willingness to ‘let go’ of prescribing outcomes. Promoting independent learning skills and creativity are defining features of very effective teaching for able pupils.” Most programs also stress the benefits of close monitoring and regular evaluation to ensure continuity and progression across classes and year groups.

In recent years, educationalists have debated the benefits of ‘accelerated learning’ i.e. placing a child within a higher-grade class, as opposed to clearly ‘differentiated learning’ within their peer group. The balance of opinion would seem to suggest that that gifted children are best served by staying with their own peer group, not least because of the fact that cognitive and social skills do not always develop at the same rate. Nonetheless, exceptions are sometimes made for students who have a complete mastery of a specific subject area, are working within a carefully planned progression that ensures work is not repeated and are able to cope emotionally and socially with such a move.

Researchers are also united in their conclusion that provision is a shared responsibility that extends to the students themselves as a well as their teachers, the school in general and of course parents. For example, individual education plans for gifted children are being pioneered in some schools and are seen as a vital tool for bringing together teachers, students and parents to regularly discuss contents, aims and targets.

Gifted students have historically been poorly catered for, but, just as awareness of learning disabilities has improved dramatically in recent years, then so has the understanding of children who are exceptionally able. Providing the right education for such children requires imagination as well as a structure, but can be liberating for both the child and the school alike. The presence of gifted children raises many questions – fortunately more and more schools are seeking the answers. Watch this space!