Gifted Weekly

Exposure to the concepts behind differentiation is common, but the practical application can be unclear or forgotten amid other teaching demands. How many of these are regularly integrated into our lessons?

Part 3, reviewing this gifted differentiation meta-analysis, considers four more approaches:

• homogeneous collaboration
• multiple pathways
• mixed-ability collaboration and peer teaching
• acceleration

Homogeneous collaboration

Creating groups based on similar ability levels provides the structure for homogeneous collaboration at an appropriate skill level. When grouping by ability level is avoided, the progress of gifted students has been shown to level off or even decline (Brown & Rogan, 1983; Reis et al., 2004). See more on this at No Challenge = Low Growth for Gifted Students.

Multiple pathways

Another frequently used approach for differentiation is providing a range of input and output options for students, which is often fueled by student choice and learning style assessments. Many teachers cite their use of choice boards, which can be quite motivating for gifted students. Assessments could include demonstrations, oral presentations, creative works, audiovisual products, and gamified opportunities.

Mixed-ability collaboration and peer teaching

In many classrooms, grouping students across broad ability levels is a fallback approach that can keep high-ability students from being challenged. To educate gifted students, “more attention” (Simensen & Olsen, 2024) must be paid to instruction directed at their ability level.

Acceleration

When students are not challenged, by themselves or by those who provide them with an education, their trajectory of growth will falter. For a specific look at math and acceleration, visit this Gifted Weekly post.

Confidence and connection [have] been found to increase when students are appropriately challenged, with the opposite being true when students are not engaged or finding productive struggle in their classwork. Mullet et. al, 2018; Tan et al, 2020

TAKEAWAYS & RESOURCES:

Use MagicSchool.ai choice board generator to provide multiple pathways for students to produce content and demonstrate understanding.

For more ideas, consider the following:

“Multimodal and multi-sensory approaches include accessing or producing information in various written, visual, performance-based, or oral forms.” (Nicholas et al. 2024):

• demonstrations or simulations
• project presentations
• exhibits
• use of diagrams, graphs, or manipulatives
• drama or performance
• audio-visual advertisements
• news articles, posters, or pamphlets
• game-based learning: creating or playing board or digital games

(List and quotation pulled from Nicholas et al., 2024.)

SOURCES

Nicholas, M., Skourdoumbis, A., & Bradbury, O. (2024). Meeting the Needs and Potentials of High-Ability, High-Performing, and Gifted Students via Differentiation. Gifted Child Quarterly, 68(2), 154-172. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1177/00169862231222225

Reis, S. M., Gubbins, E. J., Briggs, C. J., Schreiber, F. J., Richards, S., Jacobs, J. K., Eckert, R. D., & Renzulli, J. S. (2004). Reading Instruction for Talented Readers: Case Studies Documenting Few Opportunities for Continuous Progress. Gifted Child Quarterly, 48(4), 315-338. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1177/001698620404800406

Simensen, Anita Movik, and Mirjam Harkestad Olsen. 2024. “Gifted Students’ Actualization of a Rich Task’s Mathematical Potential When Working in Small Groups” Education Sciences 14, no. 2: 151. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020151