Pedagogic Institutetraining The Centre of Excellence Teacher Development Programme

January 2015

W2D2

Recognising the gifts and talents of all pupils

Issues in Education

Recognition

Appropriate provision

Allocation of resources

Regular monitoring

Social and emotional needs

Parent and teacher shared understanding and expectations

Paired discussion

What is meant by Gifted and Talented pupils?

How are they identified in Kazakhstani schools?

Note down what you consider to be the characteristics of gifted and talented pupils.

Some definitions of gifted and talented

Gifted children are achieving at an advanced level in one or more academic subject

Talented children have noticeably advanced skills practical activities and subjects art, music, sport

May have gift or talent in one area, not in others

Intellectual ability may not be matched with emotional maturity

Pupil profiles

Is your pupil gifted or talented in any way?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of your pupil?

Draws an outline of the pupil on a large sheet of paper and indicate their strengths and weaknesses

Meeting the needs of pupils recognised as Gifted and Talented

All pupils may be considered to have gifts and talents which should be recognised and encouraged.

However, there are certain characteristics that may distinguish a particular group of highly able pupils who need specific support.

Characteristics of highly able children

Excellent memory and use of information

Know how they learn best and can monitor their learning

May spend longer on planning but reach decisions more speedily

Get to the essentials of problems more quickly

More organised thinking but can see and adopt alternative solutions to problems

Prefer complexity in games and tasks

Exceptional ability to concentrate

May speak, read and write very early.

How can teachers meet the needs of these pupils?

Read Level Three Teacher Handbook:

‘How might teaches provide for these children? Enrichment and Acceleration’.

Small group discussion

What provision is made for highly able pupils in Kazakhstani schools?

What kinds of enrichment and/or acceleration activities have you seen or do you know about?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of these two approaches?