1. Gifted and Talented Students

2. SOME MYTHS
All gifted children are high achievers; they don't have to work hard for exam success.
Gifted children are self-directed, they know where they are heading.
Gifted children enjoy serving as examples for other children and they should always assume extra responsibility.
'Giftedness' is something to be envious of.

3. REALITIES?
Can be perfectionists and idealists: grades + achievement = self-esteem + self-worth. This can lead to fear of failure; a barrier to achievement and development.
Social and emotional development may not be at the same level as intellectual development.  
High expectations = constant guilt and anxiety over achievements or grades perceived to be low.
Boredom!   

4. Individual Differences
Unique profile of talents, abilities, strengths and relative weaknesses.
Factors that help one child to develop will not always be appropriate for others.
May develop faster in some respects and slower than expected in other respects.
Some gifted children are "mappers" ( Sequential learners ), while others are "leapers" ( Spatial learners ). Leapers often can't say how they got a "right answer". Mappers may get lost in the steps leading to the right answer.

5. Hearts and Minds
Develop self-esteem and confidence, through merited praise and encouragement.
Praise effort and perseverance in preference to ‘cleverness’: build resilience
Allow failures and mistakes: build resilience
Learn to interact with others.
Be most proud of who they are, and not simply of what they achieve. Ability is not the centre of your relationship.

6. What three things could your parents/family do to help you make greater progress?

7. What can I do? Complement don’t replicate what goes on at school.
Talk with them and listen to them.
Extend general knowledge with a ‘fact of the week’, extend vocabulary with ‘word of the week’
Encourage physical activity.
Use ICT.
Encourage sampling new activities.

8. More ideas
Puzzles, crosswords, logic games, word games, card games and board games to develop thinking skills and social interaction.
Learn a new language together?
A broad range of experiences.
Space and some free unstructured time to experiment and develop hobbies and interests: self-regulation and engagement

9. Avoiding Underachievement
Peers.
Busy adolescents who are involved in clubs, sports, and religious activities are less likely to underachieve. Those with too much free time may develop poor self-regulation strategies.
Develop regular patterns of work and practice. Regular time for homework and reading can be very helpful for developing positive self-regulation strategies.

10. Web Links
The DfES websites for parents: olslearninganddevelopment/ExamsTestsAn dTheCurriculum/DG_ and ment.

13. Looking Ahead to RUSSELL GROUP UNIVERSITIES
University of Liverpool
London School of Economics and Political Science
University of Manchester
Newcastle University
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
Queen's University Belfast
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of Warwick
University of Birmingham
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
Cardiff University
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
Imperial College London
King's College London
University College London
University of Leeds

14. 1994 Group University of Bath Birkbeck, University of London
Durham University
University of East Anglia
University of Essex
University of Exeter
Goldsmiths, University of London
Institute of Education, London
Royal Holloway, London
Lancaster University
University of Leicester
Loughborough University
Queen Mary, University of London
University of Reading
University of St Andrews
School of Oriental and African Studies
University of Surrey
University of Sussex
University of York

15. Looking ahead? GCSE requirements:
Medical courses may ask for 5 or more A*
Have to have Maths and English to C for any university but many now ask for at least B in both first time round for all courses
Examples: English degree requires MFL, Business requires B in Maths, Psychology requires B in Maths and science.
UCL introducing a foreign language requirement at GCSE

16. Looking ahead. Choices at GCSE The English Baccalaureate
English, mathematics, history or geography, the sciences and a language.
At A Level select at least two of your 4 AS courses from the ‘facilitating subjects’: English Literature, Geography, History, Languages, Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry