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My student's favorite padlet with TONS of educational, high interest videos.

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All types of math and a whole lot of fun! (K-4)

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Advanced Math Place Value Coloring Squared would like for you to enjoy these free math coloring pages for you to download. There are two different difficulty levels for each function. Hover over an image to see what the PDF looks like.

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(2nd-5th)

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Four FREE Math Review Worksheets for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade Students

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TESTIMONIALS "If you have ever wanted a math review worksheet that covers different types of problems instead of the same one over and over, you have got to get 10 Quickies!" Mrs. Rose 5th Grade Teacher"My students LOVE the 10 Quickies math review worksheets!

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How fast ARE the fastest athletes? Compared to common animals? Hummmm....

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Yesterday, Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man, made an appropriately confident prediction. "I'm going to win the 100 meters," he told CNN. Then, he tripled-down: "I'll win all three gold medals," he said, betting on himself in the 100, the 200, and the 4x100 relay.

With that settled, Bolt likely has his mind on something greater. Over the course of this weekend's track and field events, he may be trying to best his own 100 meter world record time-9.58 seconds, achieved at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. At the height of this performance, he managed to move at a blistering 27.8 miles per hour, in all likelihood the fastest a person has ever run.

But the world's most extraordinary human runner would not beat, say, an ordinary warthog. A warthog can run around 30 miles per hour on an average day-no training, no audience, no special wind conditions. Housecats also regularly reach this speed, as do grizzly bears, rabbits, and white-tailed deer. The roadrunner can run 25 mph even though it can also fly. A certain class of butterflies, called skippers, can get up to 37.

The Olympics may have us all misty-eyed at the heights (and lengths, and speeds, and depths) of human achievement. But if we were ever to open the stadium gates to the whole animal kingdom, we'd quickly be put back in our place. I'm not even talking about those fancy calculated situations that try to make things physiologically fair, and thus prove that a human-sized ant could pick up a semi-truck with one leg, or that a human-sized flea could jump Big Ben.

Animals don't even need that. At their own sizes, with no trickery, tons of them can trounce us.

Emperor penguins, total dunces on land, swim nearly as fast as our speediest-ever swimmer, Eamon Sullivan of Australia. (Gentoo penguins, the fastest penguin, obliterate him, reaching a cool 22.3 mph). Water striders aren't far behind, clocking in at a solid 3.3 mph despite being about 1/1000th of our size. And if you want to make some convoluted argument about small size being an advantage, consider the gray whale, blowing past our record with an average speed of 5 mph.

The story is the same with pretty much all feats. Munk's devil rays can jump higher straight out of the water than we can backwards, with a running start, on land. Otters nearly outdive us, and look cuter doing it. And although we've steered clear of some of the more complex events, rest assured that if you wanted to go double or nothing with a skipper butterfly, and you could convince it to pick up a tiny tennis racket, it might defeat you there, as well, thanks to its insanely quick reflexes. (If it helps, the one thing we seem to be half-decent at is long jumping-our company there is largely mammalian, and pretty esteemed.)

Here, to dampen the rampant speciesism of these Olympian weeks, is a graphic chart of how the best humanity has to offer stacks up against other animals' average Joes. Keep it next to when you flip on the television, and it'll give you new, creative things to yell.
Naturecultures is a weekly column that explores the changing relationships between humanity and wilder things. Have something you want covered (or uncovered)? Send tips to cara@atlasobscura.com.

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How History's Best Athletes Compare To Extremely Average Animals

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Usain Bolt might be the fastest man alive, but an average warthog could probably take him.

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Teach comparative shopping (life skills) and great Math skills too! (K-12th grade) Select level on the left menu bar.

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Would You Rather Math - ASKING STUDENTS TO CHOOSE A PATH AND JUSTIFY IT WITH MATH

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Teachers, sign up for my mini-workshop to learn about how to implement Would You Rather Math into your classroom routines. We will explore some sentence frames, what happens when things don't go as planned, how to use the prompts in a remote learning setting, and much more. See you there!

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Math warm ups (or great extensions for bright students)

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Math warm ups (or great extensions for bright students)

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(Middle school and beyond)

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Earlier, I wrote up some quick and creative math warmups. Since then, I've discovered some incredible resources for fantastic creativity and discussion in math. Here are four sites you have to check out.

Open Middle

Open Middle comes from my real-life pal Robert Kaplinsky (among others).

This order of operations example is a favorite of mine. Using the numbers 0-9 (only one time per number), make the largest number possible:

Head over to OpenMiddle.com to see a hint and the solution.

Visual Patterns

Fawn Nguyen (and company) have put together a delightful resource for noting and generalizing patterns called Visual Patterns. In each case, the first few iterations of a pattern are shown and then students must determine the 43rd iteration. Here's one example (from Matt Vaudrey):

How many seats would there be with 43 tables?

Hit up VisualPatterns.org to see the solution, as well as over 200 other patterns.

Which One Doesn't Belong?

Mary Bourassa (and friends) have created sets of 4 shapes, numbers, graphs, etc and poses the simple question: which one doesn't belong. Of course, the catch is that there are arguments for why each item doesn't belong. Here's one:

WODB.ca has versions appropriate for kindergarteners all the way up to high school students.

Would You Rather?

John Stevens shares situations that asks students to wonder which is better? Whether they're picking a credit card or deciding which circumstances lead to more money, kids have to justify their thinking with their math skills. Check out Would You Rather?

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Earlier, I wrote up some quick and creative math warmups. Since then, I've discovered some incredible resources for fantastic creativity and discussion in math. Here are four sites you have to check out. Open Middle comes from my real-life pal Robert Kaplinsky (among others). This order of operations example is a favorite of mine.

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Check out this fun math trick to create palindromes. (3rd grade and beyond)

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Photo by Laura M Bailey

Palindromes are one of those fun ideas that some gifted kids just latch onto. A word that's the same forwards and backwards? Crazy! Here are some classic palindrome words:

Phrases

But, of course, we can expand palindromes to include phrases and sentences as well:

Evil olive

Madam, I'm Adam.

A man, a plan, a canal: Panama.

This article, about the Enigma codebreakers from World War II, includes some incredible palindromes that they created in their spare time:

Doc, note, I Dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.

Numbers

Of course, you can also have palindromic numbers, such as: 99, 202, and 3003. There are lots of interesting ways to explore palindromes in math. Find:

perfect squares that are also palindromes (such as 121)

prime palindromes (like 101)

And finally, there's a mathematical curiosity that students might enjoy. If you add a number plus its reverse, you will eventually find a palindromic number. Here's an example:

1. Let's start with 56.

2. Add the reverse: 56 + 65

3. We get 121. It's a palindrome!

Here's one that's a little more complicated:

1. Start with 58

2. Add the reverse: 58 + 85

3. We get 143, not yet a palindrome

4. Add the reverse: 143 + 341

5. We get 484, a palindrome!

If you're a Byrdseed.TV subscriber, there's an app and a video about palindromic numbers.

Further Resources

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Photo by Laura M Bailey Palindromes are one of those fun ideas that some gifted kids just latch onto. A word that's the same forwards and backwards? Crazy! Here are some classic palindrome words: But, of course, we can expand palindromes to include phrases and sentences as well: Evil olive Madam, I'm Adam.

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Sir Ken Robinson gives this TED talk, and it is hilarious and has some interesting ideas on Education. When you have 19 minutes take a watch!

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Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

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Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

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(K-12)

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Learn computer science. Change the world.

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Every student in every school deserves the opportunity to study computer science.

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Great website for Math & Science (Energy, Astronomy, Biology, Nature, Geology, Electronics, Chemistry, & Physics) for all grade levels!

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Great website for Math & Science (Energy, Astronomy, Biology, Nature, Geology, Electronics, Chemistry, & Physics) for all grade levels!

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Loaded with game ideas, activities and learning strategies. (Middle - High School)

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Differentiating math instruction is an important skill to have in order to meet the needs of the different learners in a classroom. Math objectives can be differentiated based on process, content or product. Process is how the students learn information, content is what the students learn and product is how the students demonstrate their learning.

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Keep 'em busy, challenged and engaged with these puzzles.  A great "how to"  in magic puzzling as well. Free sample pack. (these are great K-6th)

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There are affiliate links in many of the posts on this site. This means your purchase supports myself, my business, and my family when you click through to buy - at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I've had several people comment that they don't understand how to prepare and/or play Magic Square Puzzles. So this post is going to explain how to use Magic Square Puzzles. {You'll also have access to some great Magic Square freebies for grades K-6, so stick around!} Want to skip right to the video directions? Click here for the video version, or click here for the video with audio!

What are the Benefits of Magic Square Puzzles?

Before we get any further, it's important to know why Magic Square Puzzles are so beneficial, right? Here are all the reasons I love them!

Gives students a lesson in perseverance!

Keep students engaged through a fun, game format.

They're hands on.

Employ critical thinking

Use them with ALL students - GATE, special needs, RTI, Title I, ELL, and general education classrooms.

Use them in a variety of ways - small groups, individual work, partner projects, and more!

Include differentiated options so students at different levels can work on the same material.

These can be used for a variety of reasons:

Centers

Review

Early or fast finishers

Enrichment

Plus they're low prep so teachers can have them ready in no time - just print, cut, and go!

How do I prep Magic Square Puzzles?

1. First choose which puzzle/s you want. Many of my products have 2-4 versions available to better help you differentiate.

2. Then print out how many copies you need. Many of the puzzles have color and black/white versions. {Sometimes I print just one of each puzzle, but other times I print one for each student to have their own. It depends if I am doing centers or using them as early and fast finishers work.}
I typically print my Magic Squares on cardstock. To store them, I take an entire set and put each individual puzzle in a snack size baggie. I then take that set of baggies and one original sheet {as an answer key} and put them in a manila folder. This way I can easily have them all stored and readily accessible to correct finished puzzles.

3. Get your puzzles all cut up into 4, 9, or 16 pieces - depending whether you are using a 2×2, 3×3, or 4×4 puzzle. If you want, keep the outside ring of the puzzle as "guide". This is one more way to make the puzzles easier for your students that need a little more direction. My 6th graders have done enough Magic Squares that they don't need the "guide". Even my 6-year-old niece completing a 3×3 {nine total squares} square was able to complete them without the "guide". It's more personal preference and student ability/comfort than anything.
Cutting can take a little while, depending on how many puzzles you are using. I've had students help me cut them and then put them together. I have not noticed them "cheating" by memorizing the order, but use your best judgment.

4. To play, give the students the cut up squares (16 for a 4×4 square, nine for a 3×3 square, or 4 for 2×2). Giving them the outside "guide" is also an option. Students will start to match the square together. Remind them that the pictures or words must be facing the correct direction! Typically I create my Magic Square Puzzles with pictures, but if you are differentiating with a puzzle without pictures - just tell your students to spread out their puzzle pieces.

I'm still not sure about this. Can you explain it again?

1. Lay all of the pieces (4, 9, or 16) out so you can see all of them.

2. Find two pieces that match.

3. Continue adding puzzle pieces, ensuring that they match each piece they are beside.

4. Repeat until the puzzle is done! =)

To easily check a student's completed work, keep an original copy of the magic square sheet they are working on. This way you can immediately check to see if the letters or graphics are in the correct order or not.

Here's a video I created while completing a Magic Square Puzzle. This was my first attempt at a video for my blog, so it's not the greatest. 🙂

If you're looking for a quicker visual, watch this video.

That's the basics on how to use Magic Square Puzzles. But not every student may be successful with them right away. Here are some more tips and tricks to help you get even more out of these great, engaging puzzles!

Remediation Ideas for Magic Square Puzzles

Some students may struggle with these, especially the first time they use them. However, here are some tips and tricks to help them be more successful. Watch the video or read on for all the remediation tips.

1. Use the puzzles without anything around the outside edges (if those were provided in the puzzle you purchased). I provide a variety of differentiation options when you download Magic Square Puzzles, so this will help your students by having less to work with. You can also give them the hint that the outside edges are "plain". It's sort of like putting together a regular puzzle. We know the outside edges are smooth and flat. In this case, the outside edges are plain with nothing on them. (If you choose that puzzle.)

2. Go through the puzzles as a class first. Show them how to complete the puzzle. Talk through what you are doing.

3. Allow them to work with a partner, particularly the first time or two.

4. Keep the outside border of the Magic Square Puzzle as a guide. This way they can see the outline of what the puzzle should look like. (I've noticed some students really struggle with the idea of it being a square.)

5. Mark the upper left square with a green dot. This is where a child would typically start reading, so they them this is their starting point.

6. If the puzzle is typically nine squares, give them just four to start with. If the puzzle is typically 16 squares, give the child just 9 to start with. Once they feel comfortable with that many, increase the amount.

7. Draw a border around the outside of the Magic Square Puzzle with a noticeable color. Tell the students this is the outline.

8. Mark the four corner squares so students know which ones they are.

9. Highlight matching sides so students can find the answers more quickly. (Highlighting about half the problems and leaving the other half plain would work!)

Extension Ideas for Magic Square Puzzles

Some students are going to complete the Magic Square Puzzle more quickly. These students may need additional activities to enrich their learning experience. Here are some ideas. Choose to watch the video or read more just below it.

1. Make sure to give these students Magic Square Puzzles with numbers or words around the outside edges. These puzzles are more challenging, so they will be great for your high fliers or GATE students.

2. Ask your students to glue their Magic Square Puzzle to paper. Then have them write problems (for math puzzles) to match the outside edges of the Magic Square Puzzle.

Even More Magic Square Puzzle Fun

If you have now fallen totally in love with Magic Squares, let me share a couple more sites where other teacher-bloggers have written reviews or other ideas to use Magic Squares.

This site shares how they turned Magic Square Puzzles into a magnet station for literacy centers!

Need yet another idea? How about using the Magic Square Puzzles as a file folder game? Simply put a little velcro inside of a file folder, and you have an immediate game you can use over and over with any set of Magic Square Puzzles! (This would be a great project for a parent volunteer in your classroom!)

There are two minor downsides to Magic Squares.

1. It can take awhile to cut out the Magic Square Puzzles if you are doing a lot of them. However, I typically recruit parent volunteers or students to help me out if I have a lot to cut. {The plus is that they last a LONG time, especially if you use cardstock and/or laminate them! So you can play them again and again!}

2. The first time students complete a Magic Square they might get confused and need a fair amount of assistance. I often draw an example the first time. I've also modeled one using an overhead so the entire class can see. Another option is to partner students up - two heads are better than one! However, just like anything that is done in the classroom, once students complete one Magic Square - they will catch on and be able to complete them much quicker the next time! Use theremediation tips above to give you more ideas.

Don't want students to see the full puzzle (which doubles as the answer key) before completing the puzzle? No worries!

Ask parent volunteers to cut out and prep the puzzles.

Have students from another class (or high school volunteers) prep for you.

Have students cut the puzzles out a week early. (They're forgetful!)

Give students a puzzle to cut out, but then have them complete a different puzzle by switching with a friend. Since many puzzles have multiple options or differentiated versions, this is an option for many of the puzzles.

Alright, it is FINALLY time for some freebies! I currently have over 10 free Magic Square puzzles in my TpT store. Click on the pictures below to check them out! Or click here to see all of the Magic Squares in my store! Interested in some money saving bundles? Click here.

The following holiday Magic Squares are also available for FREE:

I hope this post on how to use Magic Square Puzzles has been helpful. However, please leave any questions you may still have in the comments below. These are an activity I have loved using in grades K-6, although I've even heard from 7th and 8th grade teachers that their students enjoy them!

Make sure to grab these FREE Magic Square Puzzles by clicking on the images below for each one.

I'd love to hear what you think in the comments or via the feedback area on Teachers Pay Teachers!

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How to Use Magic Square Puzzles! - Hojo's Teaching Adventures

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There are affiliate links in many of the posts on this site. This means your purchase supports myself, my business, and my family when you click through to buy - at no additional cost to you. Thank you! I've had several people comment that they don't understand how to prepare and/or play Magic Square Puzzles.

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Really great ideas you can use EASILY in your Gen. Ed. Classroom!

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Really great ideas you can use EASILY in your Gen. Ed. Classroom!

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Honestly...it's easy!  Get some great ideas & links! (K-7th)

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Gifted kids can be a joy to teach when you know how to identify what engages them. These 50 tips and tricks come from my own experience and from around the Web. They're good to have in your bag of tricks whether you're a newbie or an old hand at teaching these high-level thinkers.

Every year, I start by having my students complete an interest inventory. This helps me ensure that curriculum is personalized to their interests.

Share what you are reading with gifted students. Often, these students experience a reading lag where they can't find a sweet spot because it is hard for high-ability students to understand what is both challenging and appropriate.

Gifted students often need to have the ability to move when learning ... pacing, flapping and bouncing are parts of their thinking process.

4. Offer Flexible Seating

A window seat is my favorite place to read, so I keep that in mind when offering seating. Try to offer different seating options for students: beanbag chairs, carpet squares, pillows, director chairs ... the list can go on and on.

SOURCE: kindergartenisgrrreat.blogspot.com

5. Model Social Situations

Social situations can be challenging for some gifted students as their ability to understand social cues can be underdeveloped. Team up with other teachers to model the proper way to start conversations.

6. Share Current Events

Current events are important to incorporate into gifted programming. We want these students to be thinking about how they can use their talents to solve real-world problems.

As important as current events are, it is also just as important to understand that gifted students internalize global happenings on a very personal level. Kids do not have the experience with the world to understand that despite there being a war or attack, there are still good things happening in the world.

SOURCE: Reddit

Not all gifted students are meant to be the project manager. Allow students the opportunity to work alone or in a group. Even cross-grade groupings work well with gifted students.

9. Mind the Child Labor Laws

Gifted students who finish early should not automatically be the teacher's helper. Gifted students can be some of the worst students to assist others because their brains often work very differently. Having a gifted child help a student who is struggling may do more harm than good.

My grandmother always said, idle hands are the devil's workshop ... so keep some key things in the back for busy hands. LEGO bricks, cardboard and masking tape, and Snap Circuits are some of my favorites!

11. Introduce Minecraft Edu

SOURCE: http://education.minecraft.net/

Provide gifted students with clear endpoints on projects and assignments. Gifted students can create unusually high expectations and never see an end in sight; a book reflection can easily become a 10-page paper, a PowerPoint can become an intensive course on the topic. Letting students know where to stop can be helpful.

Use FutureMe.org and have students write a letter to their future selves. Once students have written the letter, you can set the date for it to be sent to their inbox. What a great way for students to set goals and create natural check-in points.

14. Teach Decision-Making

Gifted students can have a huge case of FOMO: fear of missing out. They understand that decisions have consequences, and sometimes they need to be given an inordinate amount of details about their options. Allow for the gifted student to fully understand the pros and cons of a decision.

Gifted students are processing a lot in their minds. Be patient and give them the time to reflect on what they need to come to a consensus they can live with.

16. Assign Expiration Dates

My gifted students walk into class with exploding folders and binders. They keep everything because there is a fear of being unprepared. Just like expiration dates for food, think about adding a footer to your handouts: "This handout expires on April 15."

17. Model Organization Strategies

Or at least model how you organize life. Gifted students like options and seeing how they work in the "real world" is very helpful. I show students how I use notes to organize things, how Google Calendar is my lifeline, and what I do for physical notes. I have used planners in the past and show those examples as well.

We also review different apps that could be helpful. I urge students to find what works for them. No system is not an answer. We all need a system to help us be productive. When I taught younger students, we would all try different systems together as our end-of-the-day procedure.

Offer gifted students a hobby that can help calm their busy minds. Teach them how to Zentangle, breathe, meditate, make friendship bracelets, knit, color-anything that allows for them to focus carefully on details can help them quiet some of the extra noise.

SOURCE: http://teachertothecore.blogspot.com

19. Explore Their Passions

Some gifted students don't have a passion yet because they haven't found it. Provide exposure to as much as possible. are one way to help students think about different topics. even has created teaching enhancements. I heart TED.

20. Read Tons of Biographies

Reading, watching or listening to the lives of others can help gifted students develop a plan of action and see what others did to accomplish goals.

21. Read Lots of Everything

It is true, so many gifted students have found a book that becomes so much a part of them, they can discuss it at length. Bibliotherapy is a great way for students to experience how to deal with issues and learn tactics and strategies.

For the love of anything that is holy, this should probably be no. 1. Research states that most gifted students do not learn new information until January. Don't make a student who has already mastered a concept sit through the lesson again.

Let gifted students pursue their interests. If they want to let everything be about dinosaurs, more power to them! We need paleontologists. As mentioned in , it takes over 10,000 hours to be an expert. To get that many hours on a time card, students have to be allowed to focus.

We need to allow students to hyper-focus but also then be the "guide on the side" that helps them make connections from one area to another. Perhaps we can get our dinosaur expert to use Scratch and make a "Dino Dig" math game?

Gifted students need mentors within their interest areas. Mentors can teach students how to navigate through professions and can even be gatekeepers to additional opportunities.

26. Practice Like Professionals

27. Locate Authentic Audiences

The work students create should have a real audience and be appreciated by those who authentically would benefit from its completion. Younger students are a great first authentic audience.

28. Put Them in Escape Rooms

I love The Mind Research Institute, which challenges students in grades K-12 to design their own mathematical game.

32. Check Out Local Happenings

Do you live in the middle of nowhere? Me too! But I was surprised to learn there were still a TON of events happening on the weekends. If you are in the urban areas, you are rich in opportunities. Look to local libraries, museums or universities.

33. Send Them to Summer Camp

Some of my closest childhood friendships started at summer camp. These times allowed for encouragement and allowed kids to be nurtured in an environment where trying something new was the goal. Summer camp allowed me to be myself and try new things.

34. Solve Local Problems

"With great power comes great responsibility," says one of our favorite superheroes, and he is correct-kindness counts. We need to do good with the gifts and talents we have been given. Give gifted students the opportunity to solve local problems and see the need for change in their own community. Allow a book to inspire this mission: Summer I Changed the World in 65 Days.

What do friends all have in common? Interests!! We are attracted to those who think similarly and those who challenge our beliefs. Book clubs make for a great space for likeminded students to come together to discuss a common theme ... in this case a book, which serves as a great discussion starter.

36. Allow for Voice and Choice

How many of you hated a certain book in high school only to read it as an adult and see how wrong you were? The moment we lost choice (of what to read in this case), we also lost joy. Allowing gifted students to have choice in the classroom allows them to feel empowered and engaged. Choices do not need to be huge either, small choices are just as important.

No one wants to only be the big fish in a small pond. We want to be around people who will make us better and want to achieve more. Allow your gifted student to be challenged by participating in academic competitions such as National History Day. Your students will see what true competition is.

This is one of the best ways to develop critical thinking. Show a picture of clouds ... what do you see? This type of activity develops fluency, elabora tion, originality and abstract thinking, which are all integral parts of being a creative thinker. Try Google's It's a great tool for getting students to think rapidly-it's also a gem for indoor recess.

When the students ask a question you don't know, look it up with them. As librarian media specialist Melissa Thom says, "the smartest people are the people who know how to find answers to their own questions." Follow her on twitter at .

Flocabulary creates content-rich raps (yes, as in hip-hop) about just about ANYTHING. There are so many wonderful resources embedded within-contests, lyric labs, lyric notes, connections to primary sources, teacher plans, corresponding handouts, questioning and so much more! This will quickly become your favorite teaching resource. I promise!

41. Let Them Read Below-Level Books

Why do we expect every book gifted students read to be 1.5-2 grade levels above their reading level? I say, if a student is enjoying a book, read it! Yes, challenging books are needed to develop reading ability but don't discount a book just because it is below a student's level. Reading a book for a different purpose can increase the difficulty of a book without changing the text.

42. Connect Globally

Global Read Aloud is a program where one book is used to connect the world. Pernille Ripp founded GRA in 2010 with the simple idea to read a book aloud to her stude nts and during that time try to make as many global connections as possible. This mission has grown exponentially and has reached over two million students. Collaborating with students in other states and countries will help a gifted student think empathetically.

43. Incorporate Mythology

If you know a gifted s tudent, then you know that mythology can be a huge interest-often spurred by the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Allow students to build a better understanding by incorporating mythology into different curricular units.

Provide a safe space for gifted students to take risks without being put down. Gifted students are often timid to answer something they are unsure about because of the social stigma attached to not answering correctly. Create a classroom culture where wrong answers become an opportunity to celebrate different thinking. Check out Nancy Anderson's book, What's Right About Wrong Answers? Learning Math From Mistakes.

QR codes add an interactive component to your classroom. Create a QR Code Museum or Gallery or even a QR scavenger hunt on one of your classroom bulletin boards.

A frog jumps into the pond, splash! Silence again. This is Basho Matsuo's famous haiku. Use haiku as a way to challenge gifted students to summarize chapters, current events, biographies or vocabulary words. Haiku are student-friendly yet force them to be concise and purposeful with their word choice.

Action is powerful for gifted students. Allowing students to find solutions to problems they see in their school, neighborhood or community will allow them to understand that they can make a difference. Internalizing that they can be the change in the world is transformational. Watch these TED Talks to show them what kids like them are doing to change the world.

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50 Tips, Tricks and Ideas for Teaching Gifted Students - We Are Teachers

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Gifted kids can be a joy to teach when you know how to identify what engages them. These 50 tips and tricks are great to have in your back pocket.

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What?! Create a space to make... check out this article about makerspaces at every grade level!

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Topic: Grades: STEM 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, Kindergarten:

Looking for inspiration to create a makerspace in your school? Check out these photos and stories!

Makerspaces are dedicated areas that promote learning through play and experimentation. They are designed to accommodate a wide range of activities and are stocked with tools and materials that encourage students to design, build, invent and experiment as they deeply engage in learning.

Makerspaces are ideal for teaching 21 st century skills such as collaboration and teamwork, creativity and imagination, critical thinking and problem solving.

We recently visited three different schools (one elementary, one middle and one high school) to find out how their makerspaces were designed and how students were using them. Their photos and stories are inspirational!

1. Encouraging Hands-On Creativity at the Elementary Level

The STEM Lab at Longmont Estates Elementary School is a beautiful space equipped with modular, movable table groups, flexible seating options and roomy cabinets all generously supplied by the school district.

STEM coordinator Jessica Shaffer works closely with classroom teachers at all levels to provide individualized extension and enrichment opportunities for students in a variety of units of study. The lab is also available as a reward for classes and individuals who meet their positive behavior goals. Students who need a refocus break during the school day are welcome in the lab for some quiet, creative work time.
Students stretch their imagination.
The lab is stocked with technology resources such as tablets and mini robots, as well as copious amounts of building and art supplies designed to provide students with inspiration for free-form building and creating. Here, students experiment with cube shaped robots and LEGO bricks.

Students build critical thinking and problem solving skills with design projects.

Sometimes whole classes use the lab for a class period, sometimes a small group of students come down for work on a special project. Here, students work on a design challenge project. They are creating a school for colonists on Mars with cardboard and art supplies.

Students collaborate and work on communication skills.

First graders are totally engaged, working in teams on the floor. They are learning the basics of coding as they tinker with robots and iPads.

2. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving at the Middle School Level

Bettendorf Middle School in Bettendorf, Iowa is a public, Project-Based Learning (PBL) school. Instructional coach and LEGO Education Ambassador Aaron Maurer coordinates its makerspace, affectionately known as "Coffeechug Café." It is a well equipped, spacious work area that changes configuration weekly as projects evolve. Mr. Maurer works with different groups of students who are working on interdisciplinary projects focused on solving real world problems. "The Café is a place where students can bring their ideas to life," Mr. Maurer tells us.
Students solve real world problems through innovation.
This project was created as a solution to a real world problem from a village in Nepal that is plagued by migratory birds that strip seeds from villager's gardens and severely impact crop yields. Children can't go to school because they must stay home and protect the crops (currently using slingshots and mudballs).

Students from Bettendorf created this "Guardian of the Grain," a four propeller helicopter, from a 3D printer. Then they programmed a remote control which the villagers can operate to protect their crops by using the quad copter to chase the birds away without killing them.

Students use technology to create a bridge between the past and the present.

Each student in this project group was assigned a utilitarian object that was common in Colonial America. Students produced a research project which detailed the importance of that object during Colonial times and how it has transformed into an object of relevance today.

Then, employing coding skills, students designed and created a laser or 3d-printed facsimile of their object as an ornament, and attached a card with a QR code that linked to the student's research.

Students collaborate to design and produce a 21st Century helpmate.

Eighth grade students combined planning and design skills with computer coding skills to bring to life a five foot robot named Twitch that operates off of a video game controller. It is constructed out of plastic robotic components, LED lights, and a LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 which serves as Twitch's brain.

He is also equipped with a camera that serves as his eyes, and he is programmed to talk and move through the hallways. Twitch is a staff favorite at Bettendodrf Middle as his main purpose is to deliver coffee to teachers.

To learn more about PBL programs, see Mr. Maurer's blog Coffee For the Brain. For more ideas about design projects using LEGO bricks and LEGO Education kits, check out Coffeechug Cafe LEGO projects.

3. Deeply Engaged in Learning With Technology at the High School Level

Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado is an Engineering Focus School with a Makerspace that is impressively equipped with all manner of technology such as 3D and laser printers, vector robotics, programmable jigsaws, a wind tunnel simulator, as well as dozens of computers and much more . Students are inspired to create, design and innovate for courses and projects across the curriculum.

Students come in and out throughout the day, not only for their assigned class periods, but to work on special projects. Groups of students work collaboratively in teams at clusters of computers, in the wood shop, and in the printing shop.
Students create with Computer Integrated Manufacturing aka Robotics.
The storage unit on the left houses all of the components that students use to build robots. In addition to design and production of the robots, students also write the code which operates the robots' functions. Pictured on the right are robotics projects in various stages of design and production.

Students design, manufacture and test Civil Engineering projects.

Students in the Civil and Architectural Engineering class use a computer modeling program to create bridges. They construct them in the woodshop using the programmable mill. The final step is testing the durability of the bridges in the in-house stress tester.

Another woodworking project is a challenge in which students design and create a home/enclosure for a pet, also using the programmable mill.
Woodworking Projects

Stress Analyzer

Programmable Mill

Students create from start to finish with 3D printers. 3D printers provide a steady hum in the STEM lab throughout the day. Students design and build objects to go with projects in many of the different engineering strands. Students from the Intro to Engineering class use the printers for a LEGO project, which involves designing a model with LEGO bricks and then using a computer coding program to create a 3D model which is then created with the printers.

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See How Makerspaces Work and Benefit Kids at Every Grade Level - WeAreTeachers

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Topic: Grades: STEM 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, Kindergarten: Looking for inspiration to create a makerspace in your school? Check out these photos and stories! Makerspaces are dedicated areas that promote learning through play and experimentation.

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This is a fun article on supporting HiCap (Gifted/Talented) kids in your Gen. Ed. classroom.

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This is a fun article on supporting HiCap (Gifted/Talented) kids in your Gen. Ed. classroom.

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Written by a 1st grade teacher with some super differentiation ideas/choices near the end.  Note: She writes "GT" = Gifted & Talented (Elementary)

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Hi friends! I have been working hard all day on this blog post and I hope it helps you in your support of GT kiddos in your classroom! As the GT teacher for my grade level, I'm expected to take 18 hours of training on supporting GT kiddos, and I just finished last weekend. It was, truly, an amazing training. It was LONG but I learned SO much. I even posted a few things on Instagram as I heard them!

The trainings were led by Dr. Joyce Juntune and she is a stinking genius.Many of the things were things I knew, but needed affirmation. Some of them were things I was hearing for the first time. But it was all powerful!

As I've spent the last few weeks processing what I learned, I have tried to put lots of new things into practice. Some of them can be very difficult, as each district has their own (or none at all) program for students identified as Gifted-Talented. But I hope I can give you some ideas that can work in any classroom, in any district!

We all hear this often...and I think we believe it's true. It's just so easy to forget. When they're constantly saying "I'm done" it's so easy to hand them more of the same type of work. I have tried to be extra aware of this in the past few weeks, especially when I think about how fragile some of our kiddos are. We never want them to feel like they are being punished for being smart. Because the truth (I believe) is that when they start to see this, they will just start to play not as smart! They will easily make the connection...when I finish my work quickly and do great on things, I will get more work. So...in my experience, they will start making mistakes...start trying to act like they DON'T know. Just to avoid more work.

This is important to remember, and I don't believe it's true of every GT student. But for some it's incredibly true. As teachers, this means that they won't do things to please us. Their major motivation is learning...that's why they come to school. Not to please teachers, or make friends, or even get good grades. Their goal is to learn new things about things that matter to them. We must remember this when they seem hard to motivate. It's possible their lack of engagement is because we haven't found that thing they want to learn more about! 🙂

Kind of along the same lines, some GT kiddos really really struggle with the expectations of school. Of course this is true of LOTS of children...special ed, gen ed, etc. We have to TEACH them how to be kind, how to be respectful, because sometimes they truly don't know. Of course this is true of all children. 🙂 In my experience, GT kiddos need the most help dealing with people or ideas that they think are "dumb." I am constantly reminding them "we can't say that's a stupid idea, It's hurtful." They aren't trying to be hurtful...they just see it as a stupid idea, haha!! So we must teach them how to control their words and their faces! Fortunately, we have reason on our side!

Because these little ones have such high IQs and abilities, you can absolutely reason with them when you need something. You can sit them down and ask "what consequences will this have?" And they will listen! If you can reason with them, and help them see why something MATTERS, you will have a lot better luck! 🙂

NOW this next statement...is for EVERY student. EVERY day. in EVERY situation. I believe relationships are one of (if not THE MOST) important factors to student success.

If you can get these kiddos on your side, life will be a LOT easier. But you can not win a power struggle with them...you have to show them you care...and THEN you can help them. They must know you care about them, understand them, and appreciate them for all their unique talents and abilities!

As you can see, our GT kiddos actually develop differently than other students. It's why we so often hear "they are SO emotional" or even "They have tantrums!" They can't help it...we have to teach them how to MANGE that.

I believe all students should have choice as much as possible. But for some, choice can be overwhelming...or even take away from the learning target. But for our GT kiddos, they thrive on choice. I give it as much, and as often as possible.

If you're ever unsure of how to support them, ask yourself how to involve inquiry in their learning. They will immediately be engaged because they develop their own questions!

It's easy to think about the highest achievers in our class. Their work is the neatest, they probably write the most words, and they get 100 on everything. Of course they need to be served! But our GT kiddos might also look a little different. And they BOTH need our support. This is an example of 2 sweet girls in my GT group. Their work looks COMPLETELY different, but they both show amazing thinking. The top one...I should have prompted her to write more. But the vocabulary usage and thinking is top notch!

We do a LOT of reading response with my GT group. Here are some things they have done after reading a book independently (that they chose) but you could also do these with a Guided Reading text and let them choose the product they would make. The top 2 are sequels and the bottom is a power-point presentation about the book.

Conferring is another part of my day that allows for easy differentiation. For most my students, I meet with their Guided Reading group 4-5 times a week. But for my GT students, I meet with their groups 1-2 times and confer individually with them. Here's an example of notes I take and a task I gave this little one to work on for the week.

Another fun activity that I gave to all of the Enrichment kiddos in 1st grade...they are our "high-flyers" that haven't been identified GT yet. But my GT kiddos participate too! You can click the image to grab your own copy. They chose a word (their name is usually easiest) and added up the sum. It's especially motivating when they can choose their own word. It would be overwhelming for most of my kiddos, but super fun for advanced students!

And finally, here are some ideas for changing a "normal" task into something perfect for your GT students. You can also grab that by clicking the image!

How do you support GT students in your classroom? Does your district identify them? I want to hear! 🙂

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Supporting Gifted and Talented Students in the General Classroom

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Hi friends! I have been working hard all day on this blog post and I hope it helps you in your support of GT kiddos in your classroom! As the GT teacher for my grade level, I'm expected to take 18 hours of training on supporting GT kiddos, and I just finished last weekend.

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Is group work working for all your students?

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Is group work working for all your students?

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Consider a group work evaluation.  Students should evaluate themselves as well.  Great for encouraging equitable work. (3-6th)

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Ever wonder about Math? (Upper elementary, maybe. Mostly geared toward Middle-High School)

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Our look at math conjectures continues with Goldbach's Conjecture, which states that all even integers greater than 2 can be written as the sum of two primes. Is this true for all cases? Another authentic, unsolved question.

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Our look at math conjectures continues with Goldbach's Conjecture, which states that all even integers greater than 2 can be written as the sum of two primes. Is this true for all cases? Another authentic, unsolved question.

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The Differentiator is based on Bloom's Taxonomy, Kaplan and Gould's Depth and Complexity, and David Chung's product menu. (K-12)

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Thinking Skills tell us how we want students to think about the content. I use Bloom's Taxonomy. Make sure students are actually doing the thinking you want! For example, "create a list of odd numbers" is not high-level thinking, despite the word "create."

Content is the topic you're teaching! Click "click to edit" in the objective above to change it. You can differentiate your content by using Depth and Complexity below.

Resources are where students will get their information. You might lecture, give them a book to read, show them a video, etc. You'll want to get way more specific than these options.

The product is how students' show you their thinking. It should match the level of Bloom's that you aimed for. ⚠️ Products tend to be over-emphasized! A cool-looking product does not mean that there was high-level thinking.
Product list adapted from David Chung and The Flip Book, Too by Kaplan, Gould, Siegel
Beware the negative side of putting students in groups! Group work is vastly overused and will limit what students can produce.

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It's the Differentiator from Byrdseed! This bad boy will help you write differentiated lesson objectives with Depth and Complexity embedded!

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A great article on Giftedness

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The lovable title character in Roald Dahl's Matilda is a precocious young girl who can teach the world a lot about gifted kids. Here are 12 lessons from the novel:

1. Signs of giftedness can often be seen early in a child's life. Matilda is depicted as an extremely precocious and advanced child, speaking perfectly by 18 months, reading by age 3, and multiplying double-digit numbers in her head by age 5.

2. Giftedness is innate, not taught. One myth about gifted children is that they are the product of pushy parents. This may be true with some high-achieving children, but it is not generally true of gifted kids, whose intellectual ability comes naturally, sometimes even without any parental support. By giving Matilda parents who have absolutely no interest in her abilities or education, Dahl illustrates that some children just have natural intellectual ability.

3. Gifted children love to learn and often have a variety of interests. Because of this, many gifted children love to read. It appeals to their need to constantly learn and take in new information. Before she is even in school, Matilda spends as much time as possible reading. When she starts school, she tells her teacher, Miss Honey, all kinds of interesting facts she learned from reading. "This child, Miss Honey told herself, seems to be interested in everything" (231).

4. Gifted kids often outgrow "children's" content early. Oftentimes, they view children's books as overly simplified and opt for more advanced content that provides greater depth and complexity to subject areas. At age four, Matilda reads Great Expectations in one week and thoroughly enjoys it. Though she doesn't fully understand everything in adult books, she understands enough to appreciate, enjoy, and learn from them. These books also challenge her intellectually in a way that children's books can't.

5. Gifted children often have a strong sense of ethics and morality. Matilda's dad frequently talks about cheating his customers, and Matilda speaks out against his actions. She plays tricks on her parents when they are mean to her in an attempt to achieve balance in an unjust situation. She also gets extremely upset when she is accused of things she did not do.

6. A supportive figure in a gifted child's life is incredibly important. The librarian who introduces Matilda to fantastic literature and Miss Honey, who encourages Matilda to learn more advanced concepts, keep Matilda challenged and interested in learning.

7. Acceleration is the best way to meet the needs of gifted students. When Matilda skips grades, she works well at the advanced level and is finally academically challenged while still being happy. Miss Honey explains to Matilda, "'While you were in my class you had nothing to do, nothing to make you struggle. Your fairly enormous brain was going crazy with frustration. It was bubbling and boiling away like mad inside your head. There was tremendous energy bottled up in there with nowhere to go... [Now you are] competing against children more than twice your age and all that mental energy is being used up in class. Your brain is for the first time having to struggle and strive and keep really busy, which is great'" (229-230).

8. Sometimes gifted kids just know things intuitively, without being taught at all. On Matilda's first day of school, Miss Honey asks her who taught her how to multiply. Matilda responds, "'It's just that I don't find it very difficult to multiply one number by another...I simply put the fourteen down in my head and multiply it by nineteen...I'm afraid I don't know how else to explain it. I've always said to myself that if a little pocket calculator can do it why shouldn't I?'" (73-74). Often, gifted children cannot explain how they know something; nor can they understand why they know something, while others don't. Matilda, like many gifted children, "just knows."

9. Gifted children have a deep, intense focus when interested in a topic. Before Matilda is old enough for school, she spends all day absorbed in books. When she starts school and Miss Honey differentiates her work by giving her a geometry book to read and study, Matilda "very soon became deeply absorbed in the book. She never glanced up once during the entire lesson" (91). This strong focus among gifted children when intellectually stimulated and challenged is common.

10. Gifted kids are still kids. "The nice thing about Matilda was that if you had met her casually and talked to her you would have thought she was a perfectly normal five-and-a-half-year-old child...Unless for some reason you had started a discussion with her about literature or mathematics, you would never have known the extent of her brain-power" (101).

11. Gifted children just need to find friends with whom they can connect. She is well-liked by her classmates and has several friends. Gifted children often form one or two really close friendships, and Matilda develops a meaningful peer relationship with Lavender, who is also bright. Matilda also has deep social relationships with adults, including Miss Honey and the librarian. She can talk to adults on a more intellectual level than she can with her classmates, which is typical of gifted children.

12. Gifted children are often mature and wise beyond their years. When Miss Honey invites Matilda to her cottage for tea, there are noticeable socio-economic differences. "[Matilda] seemed to be aware of the delicacy of the situation and she was taking great care not to say anything to embarrass her companion" (189). Matilda had never encountered a situation like that before and was not taught how to act in that scenario. However, she looks at the context and understands how to behave. Miss Honey even tells Matilda, "'Although you look like a child, you are really not a child at all because your mind and your powers of reasoning seem to be fully grown-up'" (195), and Matilda and Miss Honey "talked to each other more or less as equals" (231).
What other gifted characters do you love? Please share in the comment section below. Like this post? Sign up for our email newsletters to receive more like it!

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12 Lessons About Gifted Kids from Matilda

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The lovable title character in Roald Dahl's Matilda is a precocious young girl who can teach the world a lot about gifted kids. Here are 12 lessons from the novel: 1. Signs of giftedness can often be seen early in a child's life. Matilda is depicted as an extremely precocious and advanced child, speaking perfectly...

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Remember this from your university days?  Bloom's Taxonomy...it's VERY important!

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Remember this from your university days?  Bloom's Taxonomy...it's VERY important!

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Our HiCap students need more higher order thinking skills.

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The below 'Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs' chart is published under Creative Commons. Feel free to share on your own blog, school site or social network.
Over sixty years ago, our dear friend Benjamin Bloom chaired the committee of educators responsible for delivering what we all know today as Bloom's Taxonomy (a bit rich naming it after himself, but it does have a more catchy ring than Krathwohl's Taxonomy). As a key foundation to many modern teaching philosophies, learning methodologies and real-world games, Bloom's Taxonomy gives a theoretical progression to help classify learning objectives.

While this theoretical model is the backbone for many of our education systems and learning games, turning the theory it into real classroom tasks requires a more practical slant on the taxonomy. In an effort to turn a high level taxonomy into meaningful classroom learning experiences a number of educators have translated each definition into a set of actionable Bloom's Taxonomy verbs. The below chart visualizes each level of the taxonomy, offering verbs that can be used to traverse a wide range of thinking skills and provide hands-on ideas and inspiration for practical classroom activities.

Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs

Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs by Fractus Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Using and viewing the chart

For viewing and uploading to your own blog, site or social network, we recommend using the full size image (right click and save).

For printing or displaying on larger screens, we recommend downloading the hi-res image (right click and save).

Links and additional Bloom's Taxonomy material

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Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs - Free Classroom Chart

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The below 'Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs' chart is published under Creative Commons. Feel free to share on your own blog, school site or social network. Over sixty years ago, our dear friend Benjamin Bloom chaired the committee of educators responsible for delivering what we all know today as Bloom's Taxonomy (a bit rich naming it after himself, but it does have a more catchy ring than Krathwohl's Taxonomy).

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FREE Multiplication Activity: Multi-Digit Multiplication Logic Puzzle

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FREE Multiplication Activity: Multi-Digit Multiplication Logic Puzzle

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(4-5th)

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FREE Multiplication Activity: Multi-Digit Multiplication Logic Puzzle

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End of the Year Engage your students with this FREE end of the year math activity and get them practicing both their multi-digit multiplication skills and their critical thinking skills! Multi-Digit Multiplication Logic Puzzle {FREE}

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From the brains at Harvard...VTRs to revolutionize your class discussions & instantly differentiate (with 0 planning)! K-12

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Free article & great idea... unfortunately you have to buy the packet if you want her cute pre-made projects.  But I think it would be easy to make your own. (Elementary)

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One of my students' very FAVORITE enrichment activities is our monthly STEM Family Projects! In fact, it's the only homework I've ever assigned that my kids actually BEG for!

Each month, I send home an assignment sheet like the following with my Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade Gifted and Talented students. The objectives are very open ended to allow for as much divergent, or creative, thinking as possible. I encourage my students to think like inventors as much and as often as possible, especially when they're working through the STEM engineering process.

I also attach the following family letter to the first STEM project of the year to offer a more detailed explanation to parents. Since I am a specialty teacher, I keep these projects entirely optional so as not to pile on too many homework assignments on top of regular reading and math. I also allow them to work with partners outside of class, if they choose. Around 75% of my students choose to complete them each month, and they are so excited to share their creations with their peers.

On the back of their STEM assignment sheet, I copy this planning sheet for students to brainstorm ideas, make lists of needed materials, and sketch blueprint. We often talk about how important it is for engineers to carefully plan inventions before putting them into action.

I mean really...Aren't their imaginations and creations absolutely INCREDIBLE?!! And these aren't even all of them! They never cease to amaze me!

Clockwise from top left corner:

*Acorn jewelry (necklace and earrings)

*Finger puppets to represent the student's family

*Shark made from painted rocks

Other creations included a cross bow made from branches, catapult made from branches, birdhouses, wooden boat, artwork created with printmaking and nature scenes, and so much more.

When students bring projects back to class throughout the month, we display them on this shelf for all classes to admire.

I allow each child a few minutes to present their project to their class, using the following questions to guide them.

Students are assessed and given feedback for projects using the following rubrics, although since they are optional, it is not counted toward a grade.

Interested in purchasing my entire year package for STEM Family Projects?? Click below!

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When Your Kids BEG for Homework! STEM Family Projects - Teach Outside the Box

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One of my students' very FAVORITE enrichment activities is our monthly STEM Family Projects! In fact, it's the only homework I've ever assigned that my kids actually BEG for! Each month, I send home an assignment sheet like the following with my Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade Gifted and Talented students.

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Interactives, Professional Development, A gold mine of differentiation for all disciplines.

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Interactives, Professional Development, A gold mine of differentiation for all disciplines.

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Annenberg Learner site (look midway down the page on the left to select subject matters and grade levels) K-Adult

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Who loves the Smithsonian? MEEEEEEE!!!!!! 

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Who loves the Smithsonian? MEEEEEEE!!!!!! 

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Just for teachers.  Perfect to beef up any lesson! (Pre K-12th)

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Standards based lesson plans, activities, and teaching tools on art, history, science, and technology. Field trips, professional development, and access to Smithsonian museum collections and research.

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Free printables & a great article (K-12)

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The Depth and Complexity icons are tools that will take students of any age deeper into a study of any content area. Each of the eleven prompts acts as a different lens, prompting students to look at a topic in a new way. They will help you to take your advanced students deeper into grade-level material rather than moving them onto a new topic.

Sound too good to be true? Read on!

👋 And, by the way, I co-authored the book about the entire Depth and Complexity Framework!

Table of Contents

The Back Story

The overarching goal of Depth and Complexity is to move students towards expert knowledge of content. Bette Gould and Sandra Kaplan (yes, people developed this framework!) looked to understand how an expert understands their field differently from a layperson. Through interviews, they saw that these experts knew things like repeating patterns, required rules, ethical dilemmas, changes over time, and essential vocabulary within their field.

They identified eleven of these traits and assigned a name and a symbol to each. The idea is that students can use these same ways of thinking to move closer to an expert's level of understanding.

A Quick Example

Rather than just asking general questions about content, the Depth and Complexity prompts help you to quickly increase the level of content knowledge required in a question.

A task like "Compare and contrast Lincoln and Washington" is ok, but too broad. It's unlikely to push advanced students. They can too easily settle into the obvious and surface-level (both are humans, both are men, one has brown hair, one has grey hair).

Instead, ask students to "Compare and contrast the ⚖️ ethical dilemmas Lincoln and Washington faced" and suddenly there's room for a deeper understanding.

Or say "Compare and contrast the 🚦 rules that Lincoln and Washington created as presidents."

When we add a thinking tool, we should always see the expectations for knowledge increase.

About Those Icons

Each tool is represented by an icon that gives students a shortcut to expert thinking. Each icon acts as a visual trigger.

The tools' icons especially benefit younger students or those learning English. They unlock access to higher levels of thinking than those students' vocabulary would otherwise support. But their use should not be limited to just those students.

Even as a grown man, I use the graphical icons when I take notes for my own purposes. If I spot an interesting pattern, I'll draw the patterns icon to call it out. When I see a student draw an icon on their work, I know that they are calling out a certain way of thinking.

A final note about the graphical icons: beware relying on pretty clip art. Instead, draw the icons by hand as you teach and encourage students to do the same. The Depth and Complexity prompts are ultimately students' tools and students should use their tools whether or not they have access to the clip art.
Sidenote: Read about why I now actually advocate for using emoji as the icons.
The Basics

Here are the eleven prompts of Depth and Complexity along with a teeny explanation and a link to full articles.

❓
Unanswered Questions
Perhaps the most under-used of the prompts. It's so much more than "What questions do you have?" Instead, push students towards what we don't yet know about this topic? Or what can't we know? Consider questions that are truly unanswered to humankind.

📚
Across Disciplines
How does this topic represent an intersection of other fields? How do language arts and math appear in a topic?

📈

Trends

How a topic is currently changing and what forces are causing those changes? Trends is the prompt I'd most like to get rid of.

So that's the eleven prompts. Yeah, there are a lot. But (1) no need to use them all at first and (2) you'll be surprised how quickly you start to pick them up. Oh! I also made an introductory Depth and Complexity PDF as part of the book I wrote with Lisa Van Gemert.

The Number One Problem

Without a doubt, the biggest problem I now see in my own, early implementation of depth and complexity was this: pairing an icon with a low level of Bloom's.

1. Identify the rules in this math problem.

2. List the important details about George Washington.

3. What are the patterns in the solar system?

Do you see it? ☝️ Every one of those questions only requires a list as an answer. Even though I might be taking the content deeper, I'm still asking super low-level questions. I'm at the bottom of Bloom's.

And, now that I'm aware of it, I see it everywhere. Just do a search for "depth and complexity worksheets" and spot all of the low-level questions out there. It's almost impossible to find any examples where the icons paired with high-levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Even the "official" products feature low-level questions.

Instead, try to:

Compare/Contrast: How is Poe's 👄 language different from Lewis Carrol's?

Evaluate: Which author most effectively uses 👄 language to create their tone?

Synthesize: What would happen to the tone if we used some of Carrol's 👄language in The Raven.

See how we can go beyond "List the language" to really get kids thinking?

To help you avoid this common problem, I built a tool that combines Blooms and Depth and Complexity and I've also written a whole article just about making sure to avoid low-level questions.

How To Introduce It

Since there are so many different tools, it's perfectly fine to introduce them slowly over several weeks if necessary. There's no need to overwhelm yourself or your students. In these articles, we'll look at pairs or trios of tools that work nicely together.

Always introduce a prompt of Depth and Complexity using a topic that students are already familiar with. Then, once they understand the tool's use, take it to grade-level content. I always like to practice with a hamburger, our school, a bicycle, video game systems - anything that kids already know about.

Introduce a Few Per Year

The school I taught at began introducing depth and complexity in kindergarten with just a handful of prompts (maybe 🏠 Big Idea, 🌻 Details, 👄 Language of the Discipline, and ❓Unanswered Questions). By second grade all the prompts were in play. Then, teachers of older students began combining multiple icons or integrating the content imperatives.

But not everyone is in a school like this. If you're taking it on all by yourself, how do you introduce depth and complexity all at once without exploding your kids' brains?

Introduce them Together

Personally, I like the following sequence. It pairs up prompts that (in my opinion) add to each other. Spend a week or so on each group so that students get a chance to really understand their meanings. No sense in rushing.

1. 🏠 Big Idea and 🌻 Details: I introduce these first since they're the easiest to grasp and are clearly opposite. Because they're opposites, they work well as a pair. Details give us Big Ideas.

2. 🚦 Rules and 🌀 Patterns: These can seem similar so introducing them together allows you to highlight their differences. Rules represent things that must be followed or there's a consequence (hierarchies, laws, social norms) and Patterns represent things that often repeat, but don't have to repeat.

3. ⚖️ Ethics, 👓 Multiple Perspectives, and ⏳ Change Over Time: I think Ethics and Multiple Perspectives go hand-in-hand. How do different folks see the same problem? But we can also use Change Over Time to supplement Ethics. How has a problem changed? I'd also emphasize that we can combine these prompts with Rules, Patterns, Big Ideas, and Details as well.

4. 👄 Language of the Discipline and 📚 Across The Discipline: we can talk about the word "discipline" here.

5. ❓ Unanswered Questions was my most under-utilized prompt, so I might introduce it all by itself to give it the spotlight. Often I just had students "make a list of things you don't know." But does that really stretch their thinking? We have to do something with their unanswered questions.

Oh. And, I don't know, throw Trends in wherever you want 😝 I think it's superfluous.

Combining The Prompts

Yes. Once they know how to use each prompt on its own, you (and your students) can start putting Depth and Complexity tools together. I love asking students to support or refute statements based on a combination of icons.

Here are some possible statements:

1. 🌻 Details come together to form 🌀 patterns.

2. ⚖️ Ethical problems lead to the development of new 🚦 rules.

3. New 🚦rules lead to new ⚖️ ethical problems.

4. 👓 Multiple perspectives create ⚖️ ethical problems.

5. 👓 Multiple perspectives can come together to solve ⚖️ ethical problems.

6. 👄 Language can ⏳ change over time and develop new meanings.

7. 👓 Points of View can ⏳ change over time. What appears foolish at one time may wise later; and vice versa.

8. When a 🌀 pattern changes, it becomes a 📈 trend.

9. A ⏳ change leads to new 👓 perspectives.

10. 🚦 Rules depend on the 👓 point of view.

11. 🏠 Big ideas are built from 🌻 details

12. A 🏠 big idea can ⏳ change over time

13. New 🚦 rules create new 🌀 patterns

14. 👓 Different people will view a 🌀 pattern differently

15. ⏳ Changes lead to ⚖️ ethical issues.

16. 📚 Combining disciplines leads to new ⏳changes.

Ok... so how would you use these? After finishing a unit, try asking students to prove or refute them.

For example:

In Abraham Lincoln's life, is it true or false that "New 🚦rules create new 🌀patterns?"

In Ancient Greece, show that "⚖️ Ethical issues lead to new 🚦 rules."

In Hatchet, is it true that "📚Combining disciplines leads to ⏳change?"

Students will search for specific evidence to show whether these statements are true or not. Have them go across multiple disciplines. Or ask students to focus solely on math or European history or Where The Red Fern Grows. Or ask students to consider their own lives when examining these statements.

Try generating your own statements using a combination of depth and complexity. You'll probably find that some prompts go together very naturally, while some don't seem to fit.

Better yet, see what your students can come up with.

Student Reflections

The prompts of depth and complexity can apply to students themselves. Try them with reflections:

Examine the change over time in their scores. What big idea does this point to?

Spot the patterns in the type of questions they've missed. Create a plan to solve this.

Did they simply misunderstood a rule?

Has there been a recent trend upwards or downwards?

Or you can apply the prompts to problems in class:

Is there a problem in your class? Frame it as an ⚖️ ethical issue.

Compare/contrast how 👓 different people are seeing this same ⚖️ problem differently?

Is there a new 🚦rule that we need to follow to fix this?

These tools can easily go beyond the academic and into the social realm.

So Much More To Learn!

Once you get the basics, there's always more to learn about these thinking tools. It's a multi-year journey. I've been working with them for over a decade and am still surprised by their flexibility and power. Don't be afraid to experiment and see what new ideas you and your students can create.

Gosh, if you've made it this far, you may be interested in the whole darn book!

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Depth and Complexity Icons: Everything You Need to Know!

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The Depth and Complexity icons are tools that will take students of any age deeper into a study of any content area. Each of the eleven prompts acts as a different lens, prompting students to look at a topic in a new way.

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Fantastic Project Based Learning for the classroom!

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Fantastic Project Based Learning for the classroom!

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Awesome resource! Be aware, this takes time and planning.  Not an instant go-to lesson idea.  Would work for a variety of grade levels (5th-12th)

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Implementing Genius Hour in Your Classroom - Minds in Bloom

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Genius Hour is a concept popularized by Google and 3M. Check out this guide for implementing Genius Hour in your classroom to inspire your students.

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What to do with those math students who need more...

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What to do with those math students who need more...

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Try this...what do we notice? (4th/5th - 8th)

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Photo by Jake And Lindsay
It's easy to fall in love with trying to use the latest technology in the classroom. But, I think it's better to begin with a specific need, and then find the best tool that meets that need.

In other words, rather than saying "what can I do with these iPads," it's better to ask "what will help my students to ______."

Multiplying By Decimals

In this example, I want students to develop curiosity about multiplying by decimals.

At this point, they don't know how to do the calculation. I don't want them to get bogged down in the steps. Instead, I want them to see the big picture and ask interesting questions.

The perfect tool for this is a plain old calculator. It will handle the calculations for them, so their minds are freed up to see the numbers.

Plus: no need to check out iPads, worry about wifi, or avoid district internet filters.

One To Many

No need to give a calculator to every student. In this exploration, we want kids sharing their tools. This sets up discussion and conflict. I'd recommend one calculator per group of three students.

Set Up A Pattern

Give groups a set of problems which will create an interesting pattern. Set the stage for discovery!

Remember, students do not know how to multiply with decimals by hand yet. They're just using their calculators.

Ask students to look for patterns. Your groups may notice things like:

multiplying by smaller numbers makes a smaller product

multiplying by a decimal gives a product less than the original number

sometimes multiplying by a decimal results in a decimal, and sometimes it doesn't

The Roaming Helper

Your job during this time isn't to instruct. Instead, you'll roam around, troubleshooting, encouraging, and even confusing!

Troubleshoot: Help kids solve their issues with the calculators or group members.

Encourage: Congratulate them on spotting even the simplest patterns. Celebrate their mathematical discoveries. Most kids never get to figure it out in math.

Confuse: Do they think they see a pattern? Add some complexity by recommending new numbers. Push them past simple understandings.

Further Exploration

When you make a discovery on your own, there's a natural pull to keep going. Your students might want to explore further!

Let them try many different decimals. Multiply by: 0.1, 0.01, 0.001. Try: 0.9, 0.99 0.999. What patterns do they see?

If you're lucky, groups might even ask about dividing by decimals. Or what if we multiply a decimal by a decimal? Even a simple calculator can handle these operations, so let them go for it (feel free to demonstrate calculator use as needed).

Let your students experiment and explore. They're getting a feel for the numbers before getting their hands dirty with the algorithm.

The Big Chat

Save time at the end for a whole group discussion about their discoveries. Let them do the talking and explaining. Say things like:

Did anyone else see that?

Jane, did your group find anything different (you know they did because you checked in on them)?

What do you think would happen if... (especially great if a group tried this already)?

Anyone disagree with this pattern? Do we need to add something?

Can we summarize these findings in five words?

What Else?

I've used calculators to play with exponents, percents, and adding negatives, but I'm sure you can come up with even more uses for the plain-old calculator. Let me know what you come up with!

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Photo by Jake And Lindsay It's easy to fall in love with trying to use the latest technology in the classroom. But, I think it's better to begin with a specific need, and then find the best tool that meets that need.

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My brain already hurts a little (3rd/4th and up)

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Photo by English Teacher
We've looked at teaching math using inductive thinking. Now we're going to dive into math games that capitalize on gifted students' intuitive abilities.

Nim

Nim is an ancient math game, and there are now several variants of the original. Here's my favorite:

Nim: The 100 Game

Two players begin at zero, and take turns adding between 1 and 10 to the current sum. Whoever reaches 100 wins.

1. Student A begins with 5

2. Student B can add from 1 through 10, arriving at 6 through 15.

3. Student A can then adds between 1 and 10 to the new total

4. And so on.

5. Eventually, one student will add and make 100, winning the game.

Why is this inductive? After a few games, students will probably catch the pattern and form their first generalization: The Key is 89!

From there, students will begin to identify more patterns, building on their first generalization.

Naturally, anyone who can beat the teacher wins a prize! I've heard people say they require two wins against the teacher. This gives you a chance to judge whether they understand the strategy before revealing your own.

Build on students' patterns by changing the rules a bit:

Reach 21 by adding between 1-3.

Reach zero by starting at 25 and subtracting up to 4.

Nim: Heaps

Another Nim game uses three "piles," each containing a small number of objects. Players alternate turns, taking any number of objects from a single pile. The object is to be the last one to remove an object.

After a few rounds, kids will start to spot patterns and formulate strategies. If they get abstract enough, they can even reach a mathematical proof of the winning strategy!

Visual Games

Moving beyond purely numeric games, let's check out some visual games.

Cram

Cram is a visual game played on a grid of squares. 4×4 or 6×6 are common, but encourage your students to try other (even irregular) board sizes. Two players compete, placing 2×1 rectangles onto the grid. The last player to successfully place a piece wins.

Here is a sample Cram game played on a 4×4 grid. Eventually, red cannot make a move.

Sprouts

Sprouts is a dot and line game played with just paper and pencil. Students draw a small set of dots to begin (even two dots is enough). The object is to continue connecting those dots with lines.

1. Connect two dots with a line (curvy is fine).

2. Put a new dot somewhere on that line.

3. Repeat.

4. Each dot can only have three lines connected to it.

5. Lines may never cross each other.

6. You lose when you can't draw another line.

In this sample, there is only one dot remaining in the end with fewer than three connections, so the player cannot make a new line.

Chomp

In the game of Chomp, players play with a rectangular grid and remove squares each turn.

Players decide who goes first.

Players pick a piece near the bottom right and remove it, along with all pieces to the bottom and right of it.

Whoever removes the top-left square loses.

Here's a sample game:

After a couple plays, kids will realize the importance of taking that last square under the losing box.

Aren't These Just Games!?

Sure, these may be games at heart, but you can take them to the next level by requiring students to develop strategies, write them out, and then use them to challenge you to a match!

Unlike a game like chess, these activities are very simple. Students can quickly formulate strategies, test them, and build on them.

These are all great activities for:

warmups

"may do" activities for early finishers

five-minute fillers

Warning! Your kids may get really into these, requiring you to create tournaments, devote wall-space to their strategies, or incorporate other classrooms!

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Sure, these may be games at heart, but you can take them to the next level by requiring students to develop strategies, write them out, and then use them to challenge you to a match! Unlike a game of chess, each of these activities are incredibly simple, so students can quickly formulate and test strategies.

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What do I do with kids who finish early???

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What do I do with kids who finish early???

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Try this...words within words (2nd and beyond)

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In need of some nice word puzzles that will keep your gifted kids busy? Ask them to find as many words as they can within another word.

They must use only the letters within the words.

The letters can be in any order.

They can use as few letters as they need.

Snowy

For example: can you find five words within "snowy?" How about ten?

There's even more, including: soy, sown, and on.

Mermaid

Can you find ten words within "mermaid?"

Too easy? What about 20? 30? There are actually more than 50 words within "mermaid!"

Develop An Algorithm

Go beyond a simple word problem by asking students to develop a set of steps, or an algorithm, to find as many words as possible. Rather than randomly grabbing letters, what pattern can be employed? Get kids thinking about the most efficient way to solve the problem.

A True Challenge

I had students who ate these puzzles up. They'd end up with a dictionary in hand, double-checking words and even finding new words to use! Kids loved to collaborate and figure out which words they were missing.
Update: I've included 70+ of these puzzles in a big PDF of advanced vocabulary resources.

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In need of some nice word puzzles that will keep your gifted kids busy? Ask them to find as many words as they can within another word. They must use only the letters within the words. The letters can be in any order. They can use as few letters as they need.

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Interesting Article

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Recently I've become a bit obsessed with the word "smart" in schools. And I think we have a problem.

I don't know when it happens, but students learn that some kids at school are "smart." Everyone knows who the "smart" kids are. Survey your students and they'd probably name the same five kids.

"Smart" is extremely common praise at school.

What Does "Smart" Mean?

I got to wondering: what does "smart" even mean? It's a surprisingly difficult word to figure out. But in school it has a pretty specific meaning. Take a couple moments and ask your class to define it.

Class, I've noticed that sometimes we say people are "smart" at school. Why do we call people "smart"?

I'll bet your students think that "smart" kids:

"know a lot"

finish tests quickly

are never called over by the teacher

always have an answer

don't make mistakes

In short, kids think their peers are "smart" when school appears to be easy for them (please see this Calvin and Hobbes comic for a wonderful example of this).

But "easy" isn't what smart should mean! And it certainly shouldn't be something we praise kids for. "Easy" often means they already knew it!

"Smart" Is Slippery

The more I thought about it, the harder it became to define "smart." I even looked it up:

Smart (adj): having or showing a quick-witted intelligence.

Oof! That's not very helpful. So what does intelligence mean?

Intelligence (noun): the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.

Wow. "The ability to acquire knowledge?" That doesn't seem right. Perhaps no one knows what "smart" actually means?

It might be fun to have your class survey parents, friends, siblings, etc and gather a bunch of definitions of "smart" to see what the patterns are.

Make "Smart" A Bad Word

But if we don't have a clear definition of "smart", let's get rid of it. It's too vague. It has weird connotations at school. Make it a bad word.

I've tried eliminating "smart" from my own vocabulary. It takes work. I really have to think. What about this person am I praising? What did they do with their brain that impressed me? What do I mean by "smart"?

Brainstorm specific compliments that could replace "you're smart" with your class.

Class, it seems like "smart" means lots of different things. I don't think it's a very helpful word. It's a shortcut word. So from now on, let's try to be more specific. What could we praise someone for rather than just calling them "smart"?

You made an unexpected connection!

You understood that very quickly.

You used some information that no one else knew!

You noticed something that I didn't notice.

You explained that idea so clearly, a five year old could understand it.

Create a classroom collection of specific "smart" praise. This will absolutely be a year-long project. Be aware of moments to call out actions you notice and add to the "specific praise" list.

If It's Easy, Don't Say "Smart"

Finally, if something's easy for a kid, do not tell them they're smart. Point out how easy it was, congratulate them, but get them working on something interesting stat.

Always "easy" is an educational emergency.

In the next article in this series, we'll look at how "smart" becomes a burden for bright kids as they get older.

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Recently I've become a bit obsessed with the word "smart" in schools. And I think we have a problem. I don't know when it happens, but students learn that some kids at school are "smart." Everyone knows who the "smart" kids are. Survey your students and they'd probably name the same five kids.

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Funny, insightful & packed with great insight from a mom of gifted kids.

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Parents often wonder if their verbally precocious young child is gifted and they are unsure where to turn. When new to the journey of raising gifted kids, parents tend to rely on IQ tests to elicit a number that they hope will provide them with insight into their child. Tests are not the only way to measure intelligence. In fact, they are rarely necessary to determine giftedness when you know what to look for. With many kids, their unique asynchronous attributes punch you in the face letting you know where they fall on the gifted spectrum. Parental observation and experience is often quite spot on when determining a child's neuroatypical wiring. Advanced cognitive abilities, uneven development and acute sensitivities are the hallmark for giftedness.

If your kid monologues for 20 minutes straight about any topic in great detail, you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid knows more than you about most topics and has the research to back it up stored away in his brain, you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid has a wild sense of humor and an affinity for the abstract, you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid has an imaginary friend or has created a detailed imaginary world with its own language, you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid sleeps with dozens of books on his bed, then you may have a gifted kid.

If your kid has the vocabulary of a well-educated adult while still in diapers, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid's development exceeds most milestones, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid confronts existentialism as a three year old, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid obsesses about his interests with laser focus and all encompassing enthusiasm, you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid has a highly developed moral code and a rigid sense of justice, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid is well versed in the plight of all oppressed beings, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your toddler teaches himself to read, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your toddler understands algebra and applies it to every day life, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your toddler can powerfully articulate heartbreak, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your toddler enjoys putting together 200 piece puzzles for hours on end, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your baby has a large vocabulary and starts forming sentences in her first year, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid likes to move his body and talk non-stop in order to release the energy coursing through his veins, then you might have a gifted kid.

When you take school and a schooling mindset out of the equation then you can observe gifted children expressing themselves authentically. Gifted children are highly curious, deeply inquisitive, incredibly funny and staunchly idiosyncratic. They are asynchronous across most areas of development and are so many ages at once. This one feature of glaring uneven development is the key to determining and understanding giftedness. It can also be incredibly confusing even when you do know its role in the gifted make-up as their intellect screams adult while they are clearly confined to their child like body and emotions. Gifted children are often quite brilliant in some areas and may be completely challenged in others. Many gifted children, boys especially, have a flurry of ideas that easily come out orally but are difficult to produce in the written format. Their hands just cannot keep up with their ideas and it thwarts their written expression. Common sense is often not part of the gifted child's makeup as their minds tend to focus more deeply on the abstract. While convergent gifted children exist, in theory, I have yet to meet many. Divergent thinking is almost always part of the gifted profile unless the conditioned world has played too much a part in shaping that person's identity.

Gifted children are often observed doing things that seem just plain odd. My children both tend to squat on tables to read or draw versus sitting in chairs. One child uses almost all objects for other than their intended purpose. They live in a state of going against the grain, effortlessly. Gifted children tend to be non-conformists for a multitude of reasons and this one attribute makes it unhealthy for them to be in situations that don't honor their authentic zeal.

Gifted children seem to learn through osmosis. They are little innocuous sponges existing in life while absorbing and assimilating relevant information through their pores. They defy the adage that practice makes perfect. For both my children, the mere passage of time improves their knowledge and abilities without having to work at it. While many things come easily to the gifted child, they can be quite disciplined when interested in challenging endeavors. Gifted kids can become so consumed with a passion that their level of knowledge is filled with breadth and depth. The beauty of the unschooled child is that time is not limited so they can pursue their goals and become specialists in their field of study.

Gifted kids tend to have androgynous brains and blur the lines of social convention lending more strength to their idiosyncratic, asynchronous profile. When truly embracing the atypical nature of a gifted child, their uniqueness is allowed to shine freely bringing a sense of joy into the family life. When a gifted child's nature is stifled to fit into socially acceptable limits, this may thwart optimal development leading to anxiety and depression. Following the child's lead and supporting his/her true nature is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give. When children feel unconditionally loved, honored and accepted for who they truly are, they are able to develop authentically and with confidence.

If your kid gets so excited to share his wealth of knowledge with you but acts like he is mute in front of others, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid is very sensitive to scratchy clothes, weather, sounds, light, crowds, and scents, you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid is intellectually and/or emotionally intense most of the time, you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid enjoys arguing for sport, then you might have a gifted kid.

If your kid's mind never stops churning and has a hard time winding down for sleep, then you might have a gifted kid.

If some or all of these qualities describe you as well, then you might be a gifted adult.

Follow Me on Social Media:

facebook: Amy Golden Harrington / Gifted Unschooling
Pinterest: Amy Golden Harrington Vine: Gifted Unschooling Tumblr: Gifted Unschooling YouTube: Gifted Unschooling
For more blogs participating in this blog hop, CLICK HERE

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Parents often wonder if their verbally precocious young child is gifted and they are unsure where to turn. When new to the journey of raising gifted kids, parents tend to rely on IQ tests to elicit a number that they hope will provide them with insight into their child.

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FREE!

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Encourage your students to push through adversity and develop a growth mindset with these five classroom posters. You get a high-quality, 8.5" by 11" PDF to use in your classroom. Print copies for each student or have them professionally printed to display on your wall!

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Help!

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I found this amazing quote from Jim Delisle's article " Preventing Discipline Problems with Gifted Students" in Barbara Clark's classic book Growing Up Gifted:

Gifted students generally do not develop behavior problems when they are:

1. placed with a teacher who enjoys teaching gifted children and learning with them;

2. afforded frequent opportunities to learn with intellectual peers;

3. actively engaged in learning that is appropriately complex, challenging, and meaningful; and

4. provided guidance in how to understand and cope with their giftedness in society.

Here's some further discussion on these four points.

A. Enjoy Gifted Children

What a concept! Students' behavior will improve when they work with a teacher who enjoys them!

However, anyone who's had to wrangle two or three dozen gifted minds at once knows there's much more to the story than angelic scholars who eagerly obey your every whim. In fact, gifted students can present some interesting behaviors that throw off unprepared teachers.

It's worth examining the concepts of high-achievers and gifted learners, a misconception that is nicely illustrated (literally) at Bertie Kingore's site. Dr. Kingore states that high-achieving learners "absorb" while gifted learners "manipulate" information.

I think this difference is a big obstacle for many of us when working with our gifted students, since teachers tend to be high-achievers themselves.

A high-achiever takes your word as gold, files it away, and whips it out to ace the next test. However, a gifted student might look at your word from every angle, finding the half-truths, over-generalizations, and plain old errors.

If you're expecting students to simply consume your finely tuned lessons (as you would have done), you may feel disrespected, flustered, or belittled by students' relentless analysis of your information.

The thing is, we want students to manipulate, not simply absorb. However, when we're actually confronted by it, we can be quite taken aback. Here's some ways to begin enjoying your students abilities to quickly analyze information:

Discuss appropriate ways to allow them to manipulate information. Blurting out, "No you're wrong!" is rude. But, saying "Another way to look at it..." is appropriate.

Reward appropriate testing and manipulation of information. If a student finds an error in my work, and points it out politely, they are rewarded through our classroom's system.

Don't lecture so much. Let students explore and actively manipulate information as they learn. Be there to assist the process and act as a guide.

Learn From Your Students
This quote also mentions that gifted students should have a teacher who enjoys "learning with them."

This implies giving students a chance to research, discuss, and (perhaps!) even teach about their interests. This is not simply academically fulfilling for students, but also deeply respectful of them. As you allow more choice and interest-driven assignments, students' behaviors will transform. Plus, who doesn't feel younger knowing what's popular with nine year olds! 🙂

We also need to be constantly learning on our own. Take a class on painting. Learn an instrument. Pick up a new sport. Try anything that interests you, but you have no skill in. It'll help remind you of what it's like to be a learner.

B. Learn With Intellectual Peers

It's vital to get gifted students working with other gifted students.

However, be prepared to run into clashes of leadership, frustration, and students who coast while others handle all the work. Gifted minds often go along with intense personalities that do not mix well unless trained.

This earlier post discusses tactics for guiding group work with your gifted students.

C. Complex, Challenging, & Meaningful Learning

The whole point of identifying our gifted students is to provide learning that is appropriate to their abilities. If we're not meeting this need, it should be no surprise that students will act out. Here are a few past posts that highlight some complex and challenging ideas:

D. Understand & Cope With Giftedness

If we are to help our students cope with their unique needs, we have to have an understanding of them ourselves. Otherwise, we can make dangerous assumptions about our students' internal conflicts, leading to increased behavior problems.

If you haven't read Clark's Growing Up Gifted, it's definitely worth finding a copy (used, if possible - it's priced as a textbook). I always find something intriguing when flipping through it.

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What a concept! Students' behavior will improve when they work with a teacher who enjoys them! However, anyone who's had to wrangle two or three dozen gifted minds at once knows there's much more to the story than angelic super-computers who eagerly obey your every whim.

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Traits of Giftedness _ National Association for Gifted Children

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For links to reading lists, apps, games and more...

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For links to reading lists, apps, games and more...