Our school district uses "enrichment" for their "gifted" programing. Since they don't identify for giftedness, really, the program is designed for the Straight-A, good students who may or may not be gifted.
They say they broaden and deepen the general curriculum in these enrichment classes. Typically the kids are clustered in a "high track" classroom where this enrichment occurs according to the teacher's own ideas. There are no set guidelines for exactly how it should be done.
What I see happening is a lot of fun, hands on stuff, but there is still a lack of rigor and speed. The learning is still paced for the whole classroom; so, for the highly gifted kid, the experience can still cause inattention and distraction and distress.
Is rigor enrichment or is rigor self-paced acceleration? I'm of the mind that acceleration is really the only way, in a public school, we can truly meet the needs of the young gifted kid. Depth and breadth really does not increase the rate of information and the gifted child really needs that speed to keep the mind occupied and engaged.
Whatcha think? Change my mind!!
