Navigating the Programming

Options for Gifted Students

Program Development for the
Gifted Learner

enrichment

acceleration

grouping
advisement

achievement

gifted students

Use at least 3 of the words above to create

3 sentences that you believe to be true.

Use the Rogers (2002) Chapters 5-8, your

prior knowledge, and Internet search
sources to develop definitions for the
following.
Advisementthe process of assisting students with academic needs

Grouping-

options that place students together by similarities and/or differences

Enrichment-

the process of improving a students level of comprehension in one or more

subjects through a more meaningful process that will encourage growth at a more rapid pace.

Acceleration-

any option that allows a gifted student to gain exposure to advanced content

and skills beyond average curriculum standards that are expected for a certain age or grade level

What Gifted Education Options Are

Available?
Read each of the following profiles.
Record any specific examples of
advisement, acceleration, enrichment,
and/or grouping for the student on the
Gifted Programming Options Checklist.
Suggest other options that might benefit
each student.

Profile 1
Chaton was placed in first grade at age 5 . From first grade
on, she read independently apart from the class and
completed the 1-8 basal reading series by grade four. She
skipped fifth grade. In grades seven and eight, she was
grouped with eight other bright students for enriched classes
in typing, foreign language, and creative dramatics. In high
school, she was placed in the accelerated classes for math,
science, social studies, and English. Her Latin teacher
noticed that she was grasping the concepts and vocabulary at
a rapid rate. The teacher recommended that Chaton be
allowed to work at her own pace in foreign language. She
was able to complete four years of high school Latin in two
years, and three years of German in one year. During the
spring semester of her senior year, she enrolled in two history
classes at the local college in the afternoons for credit.

Profile 2
Jake entered school at the appropriate chronological age, even though
he was already reading and thinking at advanced levels. In elementary
school, he was grouped with other highly able students for enriched
instruction in reading and math. In grades three through five, he was
also removed from his regular class along with other bright students to
participate in interdisciplinary enrichment units in the sciences and
humanities. In middle school, he was placed in advanced sections of
math, social studies, science, and English. During the third week of
grade six math, Jake told his teacher that he was bored over the
weekend and had completed the chapter review problems for chapter
25. His teacher was amazed to see that all of the problems were
correct. She gave him the final exam and he made a 100. After he
made a 70 on the mid-term for grade seven math. He was immediately
placed in a grade seven math class. He continued in honors sections of
mathematics, English, and science in high school. He also participated
in a variety of seminars related to science and social studies topics. His
favorites were Finance 101 because he played the Stock Market Game
and Law and Order because he competed on the school Mock Trial
Team.

Profile 3
Mario attended an elementary school that pre-tested allowed him
to move at his own pace for every academic subject from grades
one to five. Every Saturday, he attended the Saturday Scholars
Program at the local university. At age 10, he attended an
International Baccalaureate middle school and began taking
Spanish and Japanese. The summer before grade nine, he
attended the Summer Institute for the Gifted. In grades nine and
10, he was placed in pre-IB classes for math, science, and social
studies. During his junior year, he met with a Career Internship
Advisor to discuss his career goals. As a result, during his senior
year, he left school at the beginning of the last period of the day to
participate in an internship at the Japanese Consulate Office. He
graduated with an IB diploma.

Profile 4
Hina was tested at age four, and she was found to be reading at the
third-grade level with an accompanying high IQ. In kindergarten, she
was identified for the Talented and Gifted program and participated in a
gifted resource class one day per week through the end of 5th grade.
From grades one through five, she was grouped with other highly able
students in her grade level for advanced instruction in reading and
mathematics. At her elementary school, the teachers would pre-test all
students before each unit. If Hina scored an 85 on the pre-test, her
teacher developed a contract for her that allowed her to extend her
understanding of the unit concepts and exposed her to some algebraic
concepts. In grade seven, she took the SAT, achieved a 780 on the
Mathematics section, and was invited to participate in a summer
program at Duke University where she received one year of high school
credit for each year of program participation. In high school, she took
honors and Advanced Placement classes in English, math, science, and
foreign language. During her junior year, she took a distance learning
class at her school in which she took an Advanced Calculus class with a
local university and college freshmen. During her senior year, she
continued the relationship with her college professor and completed a
directed study in which she conducted a literature review for the
professors latest research project.

How are grouping, acceleration,

enrichment, and advisement like an
intersection with a traffic cop?

The teacher is the traffic cop who

must advise students of the different
roadways for enrichment and/or
acceleration.
Some students will
travel these roads
alone (motor cycle),
in a pair (twoseater), small group
(mini-van) , or large
group (bus).

Without the appropriate

advisement, gifted students have
difficulty negotiating the many
options for enrichment and
acceleration and may not achieve
their fullest potential.

What programming options are used to

meet the needs of gifted students at
your school?
On the Gifted Programming Options
Checklist, use the following key to note
how frequently an option is used at your
school.
3 = widely used with all or most gifted
students
2 = sometimes used with gifted students who
demonstrate a need
1 = never or rarely used with only a few gifted
students

Give Me Five
Read the profile of Rob, Maria, or
Jamal (Rogerspp.18-20).
Suggest five appropriate gifted
educational options for this student
in his/her K-12 experience.