bright kids in class – help! – Teachers.Net (AP/GATE)

by Lisa

Nov 20, 2011

I am new at my school and have come from a school where and A is rare on a report card and a C is doing well. The school I am now at has lots of high achievers - both parents and students. About half of my grade 3 class is very bright - above their grade level. Many of these bright students' parents have already said they don't want their children in a separate gifted classroom, but in the regular class, but with extension. I would like a little guidance! They all do what they are asked, but few take the learning further on their own. I would like to provide meaningful extensions to lessons. My principal has already said that I cannot teach material/concepts from the upper grades (even though that's what the kids are doing on their own!) and that I need to go "deeper" not further in teaching them. I'd appreciate any suggestions you can give me - ideas, resources, websites, etc. I have some "more abled" books from the uk, but I'd like to find more. Thanks!

Comment

(3)

report post

M It's hard to help without knowing what specifically you are looking for, needing.

Here's one resource I like: [link removed]

For Math: [link removed]

or the Edward Zaccaro books "Primary Grade Math"...

For simulations on social studies topics: Interact units which you can purchase from A.W. Peller Bright Ideas ...See More

Nov 21, 2011

report post

Sara On 11/20/11, Lisa wrote: > I am new at my school and have come from a school where and > A is rare on a report card and a C is doing well.

That first comment seems unrelated to the rest of your post but I'd be interested to know how the parents at your former school dealt with such a grading philosophy?! - And why was that the polic...See MoreOn 11/20/11, Lisa wrote: > I am new at my school and have come from a school where and > A is rare on a report card and a C is doing well.

That first comment seems unrelated to the rest of your post but I'd be interested to know how the parents at your former school dealt with such a grading philosophy?! - And why was that the policy?

I would like a little guidance! > They all do what they are asked, but few take the learning > further on their own.

Here's what I do. I hand out and send home reading lists. There's a 'hoagies' website for gifted teaching - see if they have reading lists you can cadge. Start a 'reading pot' and ask students every time they finish a book to fill out a form and put it in a box. You add the pages to the reading pot - see how many pages get read during the year. Celebrate when the reading pot hits certain milestones like 10,000 pages of reading. The form should be on the cerebral side - "What was the message of this book to you personally?" Would you recommend this book? How would this book have been better written?"

Tell the class what you're reading - even if it's just a teachers' journal. Listen to a short story on tape every week - listeninglibrary might be a source for that. Maybe every Friday.

Have a 'new word of the week' on the board every Monday. Encourage students to use the new word, slip in into classroom discussion.

All of those are 'deeper'. Give out a list of good websites including math websites that they can access on their own. Study a new country - even if it's just once a month but I'd do it more often. Do the very small countries or do the countries in reverse order of being founded. I think Kosovo is world's newest country and before that East Timor. Tell the story - briefly - of that country. How did it come to be a country just now? Gifted kids love that thought process.

Invite students to learn more on their own and allow them to speak to the class if they want about what they learned. Call it "Extension Learning" and ask "Does anyone have any extension learning they'd like to share?"

Do a "Person of the Week' and choose a person from history whose life provides an example of leadership and discuss whether it was positive leadership - did it improve peoples' lives? Compare them - history is rich with leaders.

Let us know how it goes.

I would like to provide meaningful > extensions to lessons. My principal has already said that I > cannot teach material/concepts from the upper grades (even > though that's what the kids are doing on their own!) and > that I need to go "deeper" not further in teaching them. > I'd appreciate any suggestions you can give me - ideas, > resources, websites, etc. I have some "more abled" books > from the uk, but I'd like to find more. Thanks!

Nov 26, 2011

report post

Anita Check out Teaching Gifted Students in the Regular Classroom, or Teaching Young Gifted Students in the Regular Classroom.

Anita learntoreadnow

On 11/20/11, Lisa wrote: > I am new at my school and have come from a school where and > A is rare on a report card and a C is doing well. The > school I am now at has lots of high ...See More

Dec 9, 2011

report post