What makes a gifted programme a good gifted programme?

Gifted kids attending gifted programmes find gifted companions – and that’s a big plus. For maybe the first-ever time, they don’t need to feel lonely or weird or a nuisance. They can be real, be themselves, make wacky jokes, feel they fit in, use long words, find friends.

But, important as this is, a gifted programme needs to be more than that. A gifted programme should also be a place where that young gifted mind is stretched and challenged, where intellect and imagination can grow beyond the limits of the regular classroom, where ideas can expand and be explored, where new heights are reached and new horizons beckon.

So how do we know whether a gifted programme can offer these things? If you’re a parent thinking about enrolment or if you’re a teacher wondering whether to suggest such a programme, what are some points you could look for?

·         A gifted programme should have on its website a clearly articulated vision defining what it sees as the intended ultimate outcome for the child.

·         Its teachers should be people who have undertaken quality in-depth professional learning in the gifted education field with a recognised result, and that should be listed on their website.

·         Lesson planning for the programme should demonstrate high levels of thinking and imaginative challenge, opportunities for children to make choices and take ownership, flexibility in time constraints, ample hands-on action, possibilities for both group and individual work, encouragement for discussion of ethical issues that concern the children, and support for the development of time management and related skills. Examples of such work should be available in some format for both prospective parents and teachers (and may also be of value to researchers in this field).

·         Evaluation of the programme should be a regular process, including evaluation by parents, by children, and by classroom teachers who have children participating in the programme, as well as reporting by programme teachers on each child’s progress.

There is more that could be said, but these are key questions that could help decision-making for parent or teacher. Also, check out our parent page!