| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| about the book |
| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling Special Situations Gifted Homeschooling Why Try Homeschooling Talented and Gifted Students? Because it works! by Julie Knapp, copyright 2005 Homeschooling is a great way to meet the needs of gifted students. What does gifted education look like in a school setting? Specialists in Gifted Education have proposed, over the years, several models to guide educators in providing gifted education in schools. Though they differ in focus, they are mostly based on a few "best practice" options that have traditionally been used to meet the needs of talented and gifted students. The easiest of these options is allow a child to progress thru the curriculum at an accelerated pace. Another related option is to find out what a student already knows (thru written or oral pre-testing) and to eliminate the needless teaching of these topics, resulting in what is called compaction or compression of the curriculum. These two options, acceleration and compaction, often result in a level of achievement that makes grade advancement (skipping a grade) an obvious next step... and a high-achieving student may need more than one grade advancement along the way. Differentiation is an option which involves tailoring the learning environment, curriculum, and teaching practices to create appropriately different learning experiences for different students. This is similar to the approach used many years ago by teachers in one-room school houses across the US. For gifted children this means adding complexity, depth, variety, and higher-order thinking to the curriculum. It can also include student input and choice. Four other gifted ed options provide learning experiences outside the regular curriculum. Enrichment activities provide accessory projects related to a school topic. Independent learning, where students choose among several teacher-selected projects, can help address a student's need to study a topic in greater depth. Self-directed learning, where students pursue projects of their own choosing, and toward their own ends, can help promote the gifted child's love of learning. The last is mentoring, where a professional in a given field spends time with a student to share interests, explore higher-level concepts, and discuss career options. Some schools have been able to meet the critical need for specialized TAG instruction, and routinely provide these one or several of these educational options. Many other school districts resist implementing even the easiest of options. But even in responsive school settings, a classroom learning environment may just not be the best match for a particular child's learning style and educational goals. Parents who find their school district unable (or unwilling) to provide gifted programming for their student have begun turning to homeschooling in record numbers. Homeschooling has truly become a viable option for gifted education. It can even be the ideal academic alternative for many gifted children. Homeschooling allows children to learn at an appropriate pace and in the manner that best suites their learning preferences. Parents can compact curriculum and supplement it with resources and activities that provide their children with opportunities for higher-level thinking, and in-depth learning. Parents can encourage creative thinking and foster student initiative. Parents can seek out professionals from the community to provide tutoring and mentoring for their students. Homeschooled children have the freedom to follow their interests and can explore favorite topics in depth and breadth. Their curriculum is not restricted by grade-level or tied to standard scope and sequence. Children can regain their natural curiosity and reaffirm that there is joy in learning. All of the recommendations for gifted education can be successfully implemented in a home-based program. Perhaps more importantly, learning can occur in a safe, flexible environment where students are encouraged to engage their abilities. Parents can support their attempts at new skills, foster their individual strengths, and allow children to celebrate their accomplishments. TAG homeschooling can provide an education that is tailored to the individual intellectual, academic, social, and emotional needs of each child. The best results are achieved when parents are dedicated to helping their child succeed, willing to search out the most appropriate resources for teaching their particular child, and open to new ideas in education and learning. This type of parental advocacy might be met with disapproval in some school settings... but when these energies are applied to homeschooling, the results can be amazing! It is hoped that the Homeschool Diner's Gifted Homeschooling section will increase the awareness of homeschooling as a viable educational alternative for gifted children of all varieties. Even if parents decide not to homeschool, I hope this website will help them in their quest to individualize and optimize their gifted child's education. |