Curious About How the UK Does Gifted Education

Posted by Alex Sharp Feb 25, 2009

Recently someone from Great Britain emailed me, looking for resources for an upcoming university project. I am, as always, happy to oblige. The question, however, was "Why is it important and how should we cater for the needs of gifted and talented pupils in primary schools?"

I hope my answer was adequate, but I may have offended the questioner by my shock at the word "WHY" in a question about working with gifted kids. Why not, for heaven's sake?

Here was my complete answer, since other people will likely email me with similar questions:

It is 2009 and there is a university asking why? Does anyone dare ask why we need to educate regular students? Promise me that after your interview is successful you will someday - when it is safe to annoy them - go back and say, "Come on. Asking why? In the 21st century? Because they are children, that's why!"

In America, the short answer to "why" is, "so you don't get sued" and the short answer to the how is "in ways you can document and measure".

I think you should go with this -

Why -

Look at your legal obligations to Special Needs Education. In the United States, we have some education philosophies that are enforced by our courts; "free and appropriate education" is the big one. If it is a legal obligation for blind students to get their books in braille, it is legal obligation for gifted kids to get their books at their reading level, and for blind gifted kids to get braille books at their level.

There are social obligations as well - the reason schools get tax money and grants from businesses is that our kids are the future workforce, and it makes sense to invest in them. Who would only invest in low performing stocks? Why invest only in low performing students?

There is a moral obligation to the child - if everyone has the right to an education, the gifted child does as well.

How --

Well, gifted kids need training in the following: critical thinking skills, logical reasoning skills, risk taking (because so much comes easy to them - they need to learn to face and work through discomfort in learning) and often social skills. I wrote an article that might help you with the social example because in the UK, actually, research was done showing gifted girls went on to have alcohol problems. Kids have got to learn to deal with stress. If they don't get stressed until they are older, they don't have the skills they need to face difficulities.

Authors to look for: Sally Reis, Joseph Renzulli (the Renzulli Triangle is the best tool for teachers of gifted students -- task commitment, intelligence, and creative thinking), Marzano, and my favorite, Carol Tomlinson.

When in doubt - remember, meet every student where he is, and go from there. Gifted kids are ready for a faster pace and deeper thinking.

Oh - and my mentor when I started teaching gifted would say, "Why? They have civil rights, too, and they are smart enough to realize it."