Understanding and Working with Gifted Learners

'They're Not Bringing My Brain Out'

Rosemary Cathcart

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9781000041064
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Have you ever wondered…

• how to cope with a very bright child when you've got 30 other children in the class?
• what to do now you're in charge of the gifted programme?
• what giftedness really is, and what it means?

Introducing for the first time in book form, the Holistic Descriptor of Giftedness – a definition for the 21st century, recognising the impact of giftedness on the whole person from infancy to adulthood, providing a deep and satisfying approach to working with gifted learners.

Based on this far-reaching approach, this book:

• sets out five key concepts to help you recognise and meet the needs of gifted learners at every level of schooling (the REACH model)
• includes a wealth of thoroughly practical teaching strategies to implement the model, with loads of high-interest examples drawn from work by teachers just like you and from gifted learners just like those you know
• introduces a special three-question conceptual lesson-planning tool to bring all these strategies into highly effective and exciting units of work
• covers a wide range of supporting topics such as identification, parent perspectives, cultural differences, acceleration, grouping, giftedness with other special needs, and more.

This book is written for everyone who lives or works with a gifted young person – classroom teachers, gifted programme coordinators, parents, special needs teachers, counsellors and home-schooling families.

Appendix 1: A screening checklist for classroom teachers

The instructions for using this checklist are printed on the form itself. This is so that you can more easily share it with colleagues.

It is essential to remember (and to ensure that colleagues know) that this is a screening device, not a diagnostic tool. In other words, it’s a first step. Its purpose is to draw to our attention children we may not have otherwise considered, and to encourage us to take a further and more in-depth look at these particular individuals.

It looks at every child in the class and asks teachers to consider whether they should be listed in any of the given categories. The rationale behind the three categories it uses is, briefly, as follows:

Category One: This category reminds us that we should always look carefully at children who are already performing close to the upper limits of the material we provide. With more demanding material, they may be capable of going much further than we at present give them the opportunity to do. Children you find whom you would place in this category are good subjects for above-level testing.

Category Two: Most children who behave in these ways are not exceptionally able. But this category reminds us that gifted children whose needs are not being met and who are in consequence bored, frustrated, unhappy, confused, and/or full of self-doubt will not uncommonly display these kinds of behaviours. We need to look carefully at all such behaviour to see if it is a signal of previously unrecognised or untapped ability.

• This is the category teachers are most likely to find difficult to accept. Many gifted children are excluded from enrichment work “until their behaviour improves” – and then people wonder why it doesn’t! So be prepared to give some time to talking this through with your colleagues.

Category Three: This category reminds us to look beyond the traditional range of subjects and to consider criteria other than measurable results.

Because it is easy and quick to use, a screening checklist like this is sometimes especially helpful where staff are unfamiliar with this whole area or reluctant to become involved. It can also be helpful to bring findings back to a syndicate or full staff meeting where several teachers are likely to know some of the children whose names crop up as a result of this list. Discussion around these children, sharing experiences with a list like this as a starting point, can be very fruitful and yield useful extra information no-one has previously put together about that child.

A screening checklist for gifted learners

Date:______________ Teacher’s Name _____________________________

1. Carefully consider each child in your class. Does s/he belong in any of the categories below? Write her/his name in the space provided.
2. List as “highly probable” any child whose name appears at least three times in Category Three.

NOTE: These children may or may not appear in Category One at this stage; they may, or may not, also appear in Category Two.

1. List as “possible” (a) all children in Category One, (b) any child in Category Two whose name also appears at least once in Category Three.

CATEGORY ONE: Children you would place in the top 10% academically:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

CATEGORY TWO: Any child who is frequently:

1. disruptive, uncooperative, resentful of authority _________________
2. a loner, switched off, apathetic, withdrawn _____________________
3. a day-dreamer ___________________________________________
4. a big nuisance, over-active, show-off, “class clown” ______________
5. any child about whom you have a gut feeling that there is “something there” __________________________________________________

CATEGORY THREE: Any child who is outstanding in any of the following:

1. leadership (including as gang leader etc.) _______________________
2. sense of humour, esp. verbal ________________________________
3. reading _________________________________________________
4. critical thinking __________________________________________
5. original or creative thinking, unusual ideas _____________________
6. determination ____________________________________________
7. curiosity, likes to “find out” _________________________________
8. advanced vocabulary ______________________________________
9. likes working independently ________________________________
10. asks interesting/difficult/unexpected questions __________________
11. strong sense of right & wrong, “fair play”
12. knows more than two languages _____________________________
13. high level performance in the following curriculum area(s): _______________________________________________________

Children who emerge as probable or possible from this checklist should be looked at individually in more depth.

© Cathcart, R. (2020). They’re Not Bringing My Brain Out. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis

Appendix 2: How do I know if my child/my student is gifted?

The information on this checklist is very similar to that on the screening checklist for teachers in Appendix 1, but is intended to be used as an aid in one-to-one discussion between a parent and teacher. It could also be used by the school’s gifted programme coordinator to discuss a particular child with a classroom teacher.

Both parties should have a copy of the form before the meeting so that they have time to think about it, recall any events which relate to the points it raises or are examples of such points, and make any notes that might be helpful.

How do I know if my child/my student is gifted?

It is important to remember that not all gifted children perform well at school. Sometimes we can recognise giftedness through performance, but sometimes we can only recognise it through behaviour and the response to experience. It is reasonable to consider the possibility of giftedness in any one of the following situations. More than one may apply.

[1]    Performance

[…]    Shows sustained exceptional ability and understanding in some field or fields of learning.

[2]    Behaviour (any one or more)

[…]    Performance at school is erratic but at times shows flashes of remarkable insight or skill which surprise the teacher.

[…]    Tells parents about feeling frustrated or bored or finding work too easy or too repetitious.

[…]    Is either overly meticulous or does not seem to care at all about the standard of his/her work.

[…]    seems to have difficulty making friends and often works alone or is a “natural leader”.

[…]    Appears passive and compliant at school but parents report a different child at home.

[…]    Is a daydreamer or fiddler but still seems to know what is going on.

[…]    Is capable of a high level of performance but is rebellious, inattentive, or difficult to manage.

[3]    Characteristics

________ strongly demonstrates several of the following characteristics:

[…]    is able to concentrate for long periods when interested

[…]    notices detail, is very observant

[…]    has unusual or unexpected responses

[…]    has a witty sense of humour or a strong sense of the ridiculous

[…]    asks unexpected questions

[…]    has an exceptional memory

[…]    picks up things very quickly

[…]    is passionate about issues of fairness and justice

[…]    needs to see a reason or a purpose for doing things

[…]    prefers to work independently

[…]    hates repetitive work

[…]    reached developmental milestones very early

[…]    is very sensitive

[…]    seems to have an astonishing amount of information on topics that interest her/him

[…]    is impatient with others who do not think as quickly

[…]    thinks outside the square

[…]    likes to share what she/he knows or is interested in and takes it for granted others will be interested too

[…]    can be self-contained, not reveal true self, when with other children

[…]    invents games, stories or projects in his/her own time.

[4]    Other factors

Have there been any other significant experiences, achievements or difficulties which will help us to understand this child?

© Cathcart, R. (2020). They’re Not Bringing My Brain Out. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis

Appendix 3: “How could I get more out of school?”

Gifted chil...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of figures
• Dedication: in gratitude…
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Preface: why are we here?
• SECTION I: The issues
• SECTION II: Resolving the issues: a teaching model
• SECTION III: Putting REACH into practice
• SECTION IV: Resolving the issues: lesson planning
• SECTION V: Giftedness and related different needs
• SECTION VI: Nuts and bolts
• Endpiece
• Appendices: Identification and information gathering
• Appendix 1: A screening checklist for classroom teachers
• Appendix 2: How do I know if my child/my student is gifted?
• Appendix 3: “How could I get more out of school?”
• Appendix 4: An interest inventory
• Appendix 5: Visual-spatial learners
• Index