INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY for Highly Capable Learners

TABLE OF BEST PRACTICES in INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY for Highly Capable Learners

Preferences and Modifications of Instructional Delivery that are most effective with Highly Capable learners: INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY PREFERENCES PREFERENCES Lecture, Discussion, Pacing, Process Modification Content Modification Projects, Indep. Study, Hands On Mentoring Powerful academic effects when highly capable One-to-one tutoring - (ES Learning rate for highly capable is 8 Self-structured tasks learners are given abstract and/or complex 2.0!) times faster than below-average learners. content

Mentorships: Highly capable students are significantly Powerful academic effects when highly capable Academic (ES .57) more likely to retain science/math Self-imposed deadlines learners are progressed rapidly through the Socialization (ES .47) content accurately when taught 2-3 times "regular" curriculum Self-esteem (ES .42) faster than "normal" class pace.

Significantly more likely to forget or mis- Auditory learners love Highly capable learners tend to be more analogical To work on projects alone or with learn science/math content when they discussions. Visual learners in their processing and therefore "get" the themes like-ability peers must drill and review more than 2-3 don’t. of true interdisciplinary curriculum times. Highly capable learners as decontextualists tend to Independent studies that are Structured environment AND open- learn most successfully when they are given the based on learning new content ended tasks whole concept, in depth, up front and then allowed to break it down through analysis Self-directed tasks, simulations, Discovery Learning best especially if The three forms of Enrichment (in order of most games organized around Ideas and Concepts. effective): Concept development (in-depth exploration of a Much higher gains when majority of New and different is preferred concept) academic interactions are with highly over “hands-on” Extension (going broader and deeper with regular capable peers. curriculum) Exposure (introduction to new ideas and interest Highly capable fear taking risks. So, teach areas) creative thinking and encourage No matter which form is implemented - it must be divergent thinking. programmatic (an integral part of the school curriculum and day) not provisional (an add-on)

Informal organization by J. Bonzon and Jenn Angelis fromhttp://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/timely-topics-gifted-education/common-core-state- standards-national K. Rogers’s “Research Synthesis on Gifted Provisions” at http://austega.com/gifted/16-gifted/articles/41-research-synthesis-on-gifted-provisions.html