Differentiation for Gifted Learners

Guest Post by: Don Treffinger, Ph.D.

In gifted education, differentiation of instruction for gifted children has long been a basic topic of concern. Often, however, I am puzzled to hear people discussing "the differentiated curriculum for the gifted," as though there were one kind of "gifted curriculum" — a single set of lessons or materials that will serve all high-ability students in the same way. I am not able to reconcile that with the knowledge that giftedness and talents manifest themselves in many ways among children and youth; strengths, talents, and sustained interests don't come "one size fits all." Differentiation should be a process of planning, design, and action that ensures appropriate, challenging, and developmental learning experiences for each learner.

 

Differentiation can involve modifications in content (what the student is learning), activities (what the student does to pursue the content), process (the kinds of thinking and learning strategies the student uses), environment (the setting or situation for the student's learning), and products (the ways the student demonstrates understanding and the ability to apply what was learned).

No single approach to instruction will meet the needs of every gifted student. Some high-ability students might excel in many content areas— but others may be strong in a particular area (writing or speaking, for example, while others shine in mathematics or science). Some students may work best when they are alone, while others thrive on interaction in a group. Some are naturally excellent in generating many ideas for any question, but may have to work much harder to focus their thinking or reach closure. Given a choice of products to demonstrate their learning, we'd see another array of possibilities. Will some want to write a paper? Create and present a skit? Develop a PowerPoint presentation or an iMovie? Consider the possible combinations of alternatives across each of the dimensions of differentiation, and the futility of a "one size fits all" conception of programming for gifted learners becomes clear.

Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson, at the University of Virginia, has been an articulate spokesperson for recognizing and responding to the uniqueness among all students, extending the message of differentiation to many educators within and beyond gifted programs. Learn more about her work at the ASCD website. Dr. Tomlinson has written an excellent article, "Differentiation at home as a way of understanding differentiation in school." It will appear in the September, 2005 issue of the National Assocation for Gifted Children's parenting magazine, Parenting for High Potential.

At the the Center for Creative Learning, we've worked with schools and teachers over the years to develop a model for gifted education programming. Our work on the "Levels of Service" (LoS) approach to gifted education and programming for talent development provides a variety of practical strategies for linking talent development and differentiation at the classroom, school, or school district levels. Our book, Enhancing & Encouraging Gifted Programs: The Levels of Service Approach acts as an educator's guidebook for implimenting this model.

In the LoS approach, we ask schools to consider how they are organizing their instructional program to provide students with appropriate, challenging, and developmental experiences through four different levels of service:

• Level I— activities and services for all students ("discovering and building"). Level I includes such activities as incorporating creative and critical thinking into classroom lessons and activities or understanding and responding to students' learning style preferences.

   

• Level II— invitational or self-selecting activities or services for many students ("curious and exploring"). This level might include science fairs, or participating in programs such as the Future Problem Solving Program or Destination ImagiNation®.

   

• Level III— higher level activities and services for some students ("enthusiastic and performing"). Level III might include providing students with advanced seminars or higher level courses in the areas of their strengths and talents.

   

• Level IV— highly individualized activities and services for a few students ("soaring and passionate"). This level includes such options as enabling middle school students to participate in high school classes (or college classes), early admission or graduation, dual enrollment, or advanced internship or mentorship experiences.

A comprehensive commitment to gifted and talented programming (beyond "the program") involves all four levels, as well as a collaborative partnership among the school, the home, and the community. The LoS framework can provide a useful framework, then, for organizing and managing the array of responses that result from a commitment to differentiation. Linking differentiation and the LoS approach is also the focus of an article in the current issue of our Creative Learning Today newsletter. To receive a free copy of this issue, in PDF format, and to be added to our free distribution list for future issues (two to four times each year), just send an email to me (mailto:don@creativelearning.com), with "Send CLT Newsletter" as the subject of the message.

 

About this Blog Entry's Guest Author
Don Treffinger, Ph.D., is the president of the Center for Creative Learning in Sarasota, FL. He earned a Masters degree and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Cornell University. Don has previously been a member of the faculty at Purdue University, the University of Kansas, and Buffalo State College. He is currently editor-in-chief of Parenting for High Potential, NAGC’s quarterly magazine for parents, and has previously served as editor of the Gifted Child Quarterly. Dr. Treffinger is the author of more than 350 articles, chapters, and books, including Creative Problem Solving: An Introduction, 4th Ed. He has written and conducted research on the nature, assessment, and nurture of creativity and Creative Problem Solving, as well as in the areas of problem-solving style, gifted education, and talent development. Dr. Treffinger has given presentations and workshops worldwide, and served as a consultant to numerous local, state, national, and international organizations. He has received the Distinguished Service Award and the E. Paul Torrance Creativity Award from the National Association for Gifted Children.