Educating Gifted Children
Gifted children are children who have above average levels of intelligence. Intelligence is the innate mental ability to adapt to the environment and solve problems. Ineducational psychology, there are several terminologies used to refer to genius children, including: gifted children, intelligent children, children with high abilities, superior children and supernormal children.
Psychologists say that a child’s intelligence can be measured by an IQ test. Children who have an IQ above 140 are referred to as geniuses.
There are at least three approaches to take when educating geniuses:an enrichment approach, an accelerated approach and a clustering approach.
- The enrichment approach is implemented by providing additional opportunities and learning facilities that are vertical (intensive and deep) and horizontal (broad and expansive). Enrichment techniques are applied when a learner finishes the main task, which his peers are still completing.
An accelerated approach can be achieved by enrolling the gifted child into extra mural activities or additional programs other than the curriculum he is given at shool. Sometimes these children are also allowed to skip a grade at school to learn with kids older than them.
A clustering approach can be done by grouping genius children together so that they receive advanced learning. Gifted children can be grouped into special schools or mixed with other students at organised meetings.
What effects the success of teaching gifted students?
The success of the education of such children is determined by two things: the facilitators and classroom management.
Sometimes teachers are only equipped to teach children with average learning abilities. If a gifted child remains under their facilitation, their learning will be inhibited and they will not be able to put their intelligence to greater use.
The second factor involves classroom management. Is the classroom and school for that matter equipped enough to help gifted children reach their full potential? Are there enough books in the library, science equipment and so on?
I hope that the application of gifted children's education will be successful and beneficial to all of us.I trust that you found this post both interesting and informative.
