Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums GT Research I found it! Rate of learning for gifted kids

Again, I know this is an old discussion, but the original symposium work she's basing part of the article on is at: http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10004.aspx

I still don't see the support for the math quote (that said, I haven't seen all the articles listed in the references).

Maryann

That is great. I really see it with my DS7. The more he has to do adding and subtracting over and over and over again the more likely he is to do it wrong because he is sick and tired of doing it. He even left 7 blank on one test and I couldn't even blame him.

I realize this is an old post, but just reading this makes me feel so much better to know that there are others who struggled like I did when younger and had to show my work. I describe it as if something just clicks in my brain - I can't really go through the logical steps to explain how I got the answer, I just know it. It's extremely frustrating and now I have a DS9 and a DS6 who are going through the same thing. DS9 has been struggling for several years with writing and explaining his work. DS6 has been able to do logic puzzles correctly since he was 3 - but if I asked him which of our 2 cats was which, he would have a hard time with that!

Also, if any one can find the link again, I would love to be able to show it to my son's teachers. It appears to be gone from the site. Thanks!

If you go back to Val's post on 2/11/10, you can download the summary in PDF form.

When I read that teachers pitch instruction to the 19th percentile, so much suddenly made sense...

I can't get to the the page that matmum posted.

I got as far as http://www.nswagtc.org.au

I've prowled around, but can't seem to find the resources tab. Anyone able to help?
Thanks!!

Try this one:
http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/gifted/Research.pdf

It should let you download the summary in PDF form.

That part about how gifted kids learn/unlearn math was very compelling. DD7 had issues in the past week with this. Her 2nd grade class does these weekly 100-question timed tests and this week it was x4.

We studied using flash cards and she did fine, though she never really enjoys it. One time she fought the boredom of it by cutting out large numbers from paper and assembling the answers. Increasingly she is starting to tune out math homework because "it's boring."

So the day of the test, she got stuck on 4x7. Something went wrong and she couldn't remember the answer, got stuck on it, and would not move past it. So she ended up missing 49 out of 100 by default and was very distraught. She had hardly ever missed any before.

So this might in fact be a gifted issue rather than my normal gut reaction of it being the case of a 7-yo who needs to endure some drudgery?

I realise that there are multiple issues with this report, given the complete lack of references. But it's pretty interesting reading!

I was wondering what people make of these two points:

Gifted students prefer a structured learning environment (desks, tables, etc.) but open-ended tasks and assignments

AND

The greatest academic benefits of "discovery" learning have been attained with gifted students, particularly if the learning was Brunerian (teaching of major ideas and concepts)

I think that the new K-2 curriculum at my DD's school fits the second description quite well, but I have been wondering whether she would be better suited to a "Structured learning environment" as per point 1. And I find it odd that the report seems to have these two contradictory points listed so close together.

Or in fact are they not contradictory so much as point 1 is about what gifted kids prefer and point 2 is about gifted kids doing better than other kids in the second environment (which is not necessarily to say this is the best environment for gifted kids)? Assuming of course that any such broad sweeping statement is valid in the first place.