As a teacher in a public school system, the author had a different perspective on the need to home school the twice-exceptional learner. She thought that schools could provide differentiation for all students and she thought that certified teachers were the only adults who should be providing instruction. Yet, she realized that there are times…

Over the past eight years, the author has had the pleasure of facilitating discussion groups with gifted middle and high school students. These groups focus on affective concerns, giving students the opportunity to talk about issues they have in common and how life looks and feels through the lens of giftedness. The best school situation for…

Conversations with Josh, a mentee of the author, and other gifted students caused the author to realize that in many cases, what is presented as appropriately differentiated language arts curriculum for gifted/talented students is nothing more than general education curriculum with additional work at the same level as the regular curriculum. If…

Many teachers struggle with meeting the needs of their most talented science students. How can these gifted students be challenged and learn as fast as they are able, especially in a classroom with a wide variety of abilities and interest in science? Many excellent teachers have found the answers in differentiating instruction by adding the…

Maria, Sergio, and Steven, whose stories are described in this article, are gifted students whose needs were served through technology. Tapping into the Internet, these students, as well as other learners with varying needs, can be provided with appropriately challenging work that allows them to develop and make unique contributions to the class.…

With the passage of the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB), the emphasis is for all children to reach proficient levels. Since they already work above this benchmark, the needs of gifted students are often de-emphasized. If teachers define learning as moving forward from the knowledge a student already has, they find that those who are at greatest…

"Re-forming Gifted Education" (Rogers, 2002) offers "best practices" for gifted students. The book also includes a procedure for developing a child's education plan with a variety of choices. Nevertheless, in recent years, the author has often been asked "how" one can ensure that the "best" matches are made for a child. A parent or teacher may…

Joyce VanTassel-Baska is the Executive Director of the Center for Gifted Education and the Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Education at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. For the past 20 years, the Integrated Curriculum Model, based on research of what works with gifted learners, has been the foundation of curriculum…

In most schools, the term "arts" represents visual arts (art appreciation, painting, clay, etc.), performing arts (including music, dance, and theater), creative writing, and media arts (i.e., photography, digital video, and traditional filmmaking). "Theater" and "drama" are often used interchangeably, but "theater" comprises all of the technical…

Advanced 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students at the Gifted Resource Center (GRC) in a suburban Chicago public school district are regularly engaged in various types of activities. The GRC uses language arts units for high ability students created and developed as a base curriculum at the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary.…

As educators of gifted students, the authors see more schools climbing aboard the differentiation wagon, and students who have been identified as cognitively gifted receiving services beyond logic worksheets. Everyone still has a long way to go, however. As classroom teachers become more familiar with characteristics of giftedness and begin to…

During the past 10 years, the level of technology in schools has increased with tremendous speed. Accessible through that medium is a body of information that will double in 6 years and quadruple in 12. Before teachers have mastered one type of technology, school administrators are stacking old computers in workrooms or behind stage curtains. Just…

To effectively differentiate instruction, a teacher needs to: (1) collect information about students; (2) manage all the data; (3) plan instruction based on the students' readiness level, interests, and/or learning profile; and (4) communicate with students, other teachers, and parents. Formative assessment is a key component of differentiated…

To some teachers, the term "differentiation" means to do different things for the students who need remediation or who have disabilities. To other teachers, differentiation refers to any provision for student differences, including for those students who are more capable than average. There are also many teachers who do not use differentiation at…

Differentiated instruction allows each student to learn at the depth, complexity, and pace that is most beneficial to him. Differentiating curriculum and instruction is a rich and effective strategy to use when providing the needs of gifted and talented students--especially when those students spend most of their time in regular classrooms. A…