1. Nature & Needs of Gifted Students
Identifying the needs of gifted students

2. Overview
The nature and needs of gifted students is very complex. Their needs can vary from social, emotional, and educational. Because their needs vary teachers need to be educated on their characteristics to effectively identify and instruct gifted students.

3. Family Dynamics
The family environment shapes the characteristics of the gifted student.
Children are a product of their environment and it can harm or advance them.
Gifted students need a nurturing environment that will challenge and grow their individuals needs, interests and abilities.

4. Culture
Family culture also influences interests, abilities, and attitudes.
Different cultures have different beliefs about their children, some come with great math and science skills, some are artistic and have other talents.
Cultures influences gifted students to do a variety of things in life.

5. Who are the Gifted?
Some gifted students are aware of themselves and their education as a whole.
Some gifted kids are “normal” (typical) and others are advanced (atypical)
Some students are high achievers, have high IQ, inquisitive, learn new things easily, have special talents, and are special learners.
Advantages of being Gifted
Many opportunities to develop special talents and skills
Experiences
Potential Pitfalls
Some gifted students are underachievers
“not cool to be smart”

6. Problems Some problems associated with being gifted are:
Social misfits (usually gifted students feel as if they don’t belong)
Emotionally unstable (problems expressing how they feel and who they are because they feel like they don’t belong)
Underachievers (many don’t fulfill their potential because they lose interest in learning.
Their skill or talent is not shaped and they lose sight of what is important.
Education is not enforced from home and develop “I don’t care attitude”

7. “Special Populations”
Some identified gifted students fall into the “special populations” category.
Socioeconomic status (students are from poor, rural areas, lack resources to help child)
ELL (English language learners, these students have a language barrier that makes it hard to identify as gifted)
ESE (Students with disabilities, their disability mask their giftedness which makes it hard to identify as gifted.

8. How Gifted Learn Creative thinking Kinesthetic Learners Visual
Auditory
They process information differently
Some learn fast
Some process slow

9. Differentiated Instruction
Because gifted students learn differently their instruction should fit their needs.
Teachers should differ the way they deliver lesson to accommodate gifted students.
Assessments should be differentiated to fit students’ strengths.

10. Delivery Service Models
Full-Time Programs (students are in gifted classes with their peers all day)
Magnet Programs (schools that specialize in certain areas such as the arts, science and math)
Pull-Out Programs or Resource Room (classes that focus on special talents or needs of gifted students)
Provisions within the Regular Classroom (teachers make accommodations for the gifted students in the regular classroom)
Honors Classes (students are grouped in classes with other students who are gifted or high performing)