Essay Sample on Gifted Education

Introduction

Gifted students exhibit great variability and diversity in their interests, abilities, and behaviors. The underachievement of these learners should be a national concern because it shows that the society has totally failed to accommodate them and create programs which are friendly. To connect with these learners, there is the need to allow them to set the pace and present to them the information in multiple formats. The teacher should also use culturally relevant materials in an effort to boost learning in key areas such as Math, History, and Literacy. All gifted learners exhibit similar characteristics. However, their gifts do not manifest in the same ways or at the same rates. In this case, parents are teachers should observe the various needs of their children and make accommodations based on their characteristics. To increase the identification of the gifted underachievers in the society, there is the need to focus on enhancing early literacy skills.

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Gifted underachievers can either be involuntary, classic, or selective. Involuntary underachievers are students who would like to succeed but are trapped in learning institutions that are poorly staffed, underfunded, or unable to meet their needs. Classic underachievers underperform in all areas of study and are often angry, rebellious, or withdrawn (Audrey, 2016). On the other hand, selective underperformers may choose to excel in areas that only interests them. The behavior of these children springs from multiple sources including family problems, psychological issues such as perfectionism or emotional sensitivities, and peer pressure. However, in our society, it is very difficult to identify gifted underachievers because, at times, the giftedness is masked by learning disability or certain general stereotypes. In this regard, there is the need to individualize programs for the gifted underachievers.

The gifted underachievers is one of the greatest social wastes of our culture (Thompson & Morris, 2018). There is no problem more frustrating than the situation in which a bright learner will not perform at an academic level commensurate with his/her intellectual ability. A bright child needs to be challenged and inspired. Other than poor grades, a gifted child may suffer from the disproval of parents and teachers and such as child is likely to perceive him/herself as a failure in other kinds of learning experiences.

The government and other stakeholders should ensure the development of these children because it is the only way to make use of their abilities at all levels. This calls for tailored learning strategies, more exposure to learners of similar ability, teachers training in gifted education, and education supported by a challenging curriculum. A gifted child is likely to develop a sense of humor, curiosity, moral or ethical concerns, divergent creativity, excellent memory, and vivid imagination among other traits. The early they are identified, the better the opportunity to engage them in appropriate educational challenges. These learners need faster-paced learning and independent self-directed learning opportunities.

Conclusion

Inequality exists in gifted education because certain population (Blacks and Hispanics) live in poor cities with the policies that give their schools few resources and their students the least experienced teachers. The best-funded schools are located in the most economically advantaged neighborhood. The current education system is likely to reinforce the existing patterns of inequality rather than serving as a pathway to opportunity (Thompson & Morris, 2018). Gifted programs tend to foster racial separation inside the school and this undermines the very goal they were supposed to support.

References

Audrey, B. (2016). Six Myths of Gifted Education that Lead to Overlooking Talented Minority Students. Enhancing Early Literacy Skills. UVAToday. University of Virginia. Retrieved From https://news.virginia.edu/content/six-myths-gifted-education-lead-overlooking-talented-minority-students

Thompson, K. C., & Morris, R. J. (2018). Ethical and Professional Practice Issues in the Provision of Educational Services to Gifted Students. In Handbook of giftedness in children (pp. 335-347). Springer, Cham.