In-school Extra-curricula Program
"I would really like to thank you for everything you and your program has done for C. over the last 5 years and I am hoping that his younger sisters who will be starting school next year and in 2019 will be able to join in on your program as well." L.K.
"L. wanted to thank you for your help this year. She has really enjoyed it, so much so that she can't pick her favourite topic – it's been the highlight of her school year." Family F.
Gifted and talented
children and young people
have particular learning
requirements
Gifted and talented children and young
people often differ from their age-peers
not only in terms of their abilities, but
in their preferred learning style as well.
They have particular learning needs that require specific strategies and efforts, such as:
•• daily challenge in their specific areas
of ability or interest
•• learning experiences that are
differentiated in terms of pace, depth,
complexity and teaching method
•• opportunities to socialise and learn
with peers of like-ability as well as
work independently on areas
of interest
•• connections to people and
opportunities beyond the early
childhood setting or school that
support their particular passions
and talents while connecting to the
curriculum (Rogers, 2007).
While education for the gifted and
talented requires specific strategies
in terms of curriculum, assessment
and teaching method, it also involves
consideration of social-emotional
development.
Twice exceptional learners
Twice exceptional learners are
gifted children and young people
who also experience a physical or
learning disability. They may be
hearing or vision impaired, have an
autism spectrum disorder or another
condition, such as dyslexia, attention
deficit disorder (ADD) or attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The giftedness of twice exceptional
learners may be overlooked because
these children and young people may
not be able to express or demonstrate
their gifts in the way others do.
They may require particular kinds of
opportunities for demonstrating their
understanding, such as multimodal or
dynamic assessment tasks (Munro,
2010). Twice exceptional learners may
also require additional support to
meet their particular learning, social
or emotional needs as well as develop
their particular areas of ability.
Aiming High, p.10
Some researchers suggest that gifted
children and young people are more
likely to be perfectionists and to
be sensitive and preoccupied with
moral issues, and so they may require
particular support in terms of socialemotional
development (Sisk, 2009).
When high-ability children and young
people are in educational settings where
their abilities are not recognised and
supported, they typically experience
boredom, frustration and decreased
motivation (Neihart et al., 2002). In
some cases, more severe forms of
psychological distress can result.
The Inquiry (2012) identified that some
learners suffer from a sense of isolation,
low self-esteem, anxiety and depression
when their ability is not identified, they
are insufficiently challenged or they feel
‘out of sync’ with their peers. They may
disengage from learning or deliberately
under-achieve in order to fit in with their
peers. Some gifted learners may become
disruptive in the classroom or exit early
from schooling.
Gifted and talented children and
young people have particular learning
requirements. Responding to these
requirements is not an optional extra – it
is a key responsibility of early childhood
settings, schools and the Department.