Creating a challenge is one of the ways that you can provide our gifted students with the topics and lessons they truly need, but understanding how to challenge our gifted learners isn’t always that easy. Using some of these ideas to help provide our gifted learners with exactly what they need.
Let them test out.
Give the gifted children the end of unit assessment and if they get 90% or higher, let them test out of that topic. If they test out, give them an independent research topic, or allow students to use a technology program to help increase their knowledge of a math topic. Lots of programs spiral learning for students to go beyond their grade level. Gifted students may be learning calculus in elementary school and may need the time to explore that. Khan Academy is a great website for independent learning. Have your gifted students teach you what they learned!
Remember Social Emotional Needs!
Oftentimes our gifted students are struggling with some social emotional problems related to the fact that they are gifted. Don’t forget that our gifted children need to work through some problems too and this could be a great way to include them in group challenges or have them use some intervention time to work with a counselor or read some empowering texts to grow emotionally. Gifted students sometimes struggle with perfectionism, self-esteem issues, and even sometimes struggle making friends. These can all be easily identifiable and topics to explore for gifted students.