Gifted and talented students may have outstanding abilities in one or more domains. They need to be challenged and extended by curriculum, which is conceptually demanding, complex and unlimited in scope. The educational program needs to provide opportunities for cross-curricula studies.
Learning experiences for gifted and talented students need to be planned carefully in the context of the Overarching learning outcomes, which are the responsibility of all schools. Where gifted and talented provision is specialised it is essential that the breadth of the required curriculum be observed. Gifted and talented programs should extend students in their achievements, rather than replace any one important area of the curriculum with additional studies in another.
Where the program for the gifted and talented diverges significantly from that of the regular classroom it is particularly important that decisions are made in consultation with parents/carers and students.
Gifted and talented students should be provided with a curriculum that is differentiated in terms of learning experiences and teaching methods, and teacher expectations.
Learning experiences and teaching methods should:
Teacher expectations and recognition of prior learning can have a significant impact on the development of higher order outcomes for their gifted and talented students. Gifted students are capable of developing more advanced knowledge, skills and understandings and thus can perform at a higher level than their age peers.
It should be noted that students require the support and assistance of teachers to achieve these outcomes; they do not learn how to learn effectively on their own.
Teachers should expect that gifted and talented students are capable of learning how to
This link provides a matrix of suggested activities that teachers may use to support the teaching and learning models and instructional strategies introduced in this section.
Devising an individual set of activities at an advanced level (for students strong in a particular learning area) will enable all students to work on the same learning area and topic simultaneously but at different intellectual levels.
The content and knowledge base may be similar, with resources and activities for the gifted student planned at a higher cognitive level or at a more advanced reading level. Tasks set for these students should require them to apply, analyse, synthesise, evaluate and solve problems from the topic being studied.
The suggested activities have been organised under the following headings:
ActivityBy clicking once on any of these interactive 'buttons' an alpha sort will occur, providing easy access to the activity best suited to you and your student's context.
Students who are to access individualised learning in a learning area may need explicit teaching and practice to:
Students working in small groups will need to be proficient in:
CMIS Evaluation
Curriculum Materials Information Services (CMIS) is a part of the Curriculum Directorate in the Department of Education and Training, Western Australia. The Evaluation section identifies curriculum materials that support school curriculum applications and coordinates the evaluation of those resources. Check out the ICT Innovators link.
K-12 Guide to Enterprise Education
The Guide provides a definition of enterprise education and its place in the Western Australian curriculum, particularly in regard to its place in the Curriculum Framework. Advice is given about strategies for implementation, support information and examples of good practice. Includes enterprise resources and web links.
XPATA - Your Learning Partner - The Lesson Planner
The Lesson Planner is a fantastic resource to assist teachers in planning effective learning experiences. Designed by Gifted and Talented education advisors, Eric Frangenheim and Tony Ryan, this Australian designed planner incorporates appropriate cognitive and cooperative strategies under the umbrella of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences model. Free trial and links to other recommended resources