Preservice Education

Understanding Characteristics of Gifted Learners

Merely distributing a packet of handouts on characteristics of gifted and talented learners and ideas for differentiation strategies is insufficient in creating interest or skills to teach gifted students. Certainly, engaging in lively class discussions, PowerPoint presentations, real-life stories, and knowing the state law are successful ways to engage teachers in addressing needs of gifted children in the regular classroom. However, several additional activities capture college students' attention.

One is using children's literature. Children's literature is a powerful teaching tool. For example, Roald Dahl has written a witty, fanciful tale about a precocious girl named Matilda who has highly advanced abilities in mathematics, vocabulary, reading, logic, and a knack for adventuresome activities. Matilda enchants her classmates and teacher, Miss Honey, while challenging her unengaged parents and rigid school authority. Students in a methods course might read this children's novel and then compare characteristics of giftedness in the general population to the central character, Matilda, using a variety of documents and activities to learn about giftedness. They discover that though Matilda seems unrealistically bright, there are precocious students with similar abilities, in comparison to their classmates, who require differentiated curriculum and emotional support to reach their potential.

A second approach is self-examination of attitudes toward gifted learners (Table 1). Using a modified survey ranging from 1 as strongly agree to 5 as strongly disagree, trainees reverse score the points on questions 1, 5, 6, and 9. A low score is a good score (see below). Questions include statements regarding preparation, instruction, policies, and tendencies to accommodate for the needs of gifted learners. Importantly, they learn of research that supports gifted education. They take the inventory prior to a discussion on gifted education, then again at the end of the semester as a way to reflect on attitudinal changes. Responses, kept in the hands of each student, are confidential for self-evaluation and growth. For whole class analysis, pre-and post-scores are collected anonymously, then compared to determine overall class growth related to understanding and providing experiences for gifted learners. Survey items generate lively discussion with opportunities to explore attitudes and future strategies for gifted learners.

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