Gifted Students in the School Setting

Related Topics of Gifted Children

Gifted children may be put in to a variety of different educational settings once they are in school.

In some cases, gifted children participate in regular classes with peers their own age.
An alternative to full-time schooling in the regular classroom could be the “pull-out” gifted program, in which gifted students leave the class for several hours a week to join a special group for advanced instruction.

Both of those options have benefits and challenges associated with them.
Keeping gifted children in regular classes may be useful in terms of their social development and/or may be necessary because of school resources. However, gifted children generally cover course materials faster than their classmates. As a result, they may become bored and develop a negative attitude toward school if they are not adequately challenged.

Underachievement in school is a common result for such students. In addition, some gifted children may feel compelled to hide their talents in order to fit in socially with their peers.
Pull-out programs may be beneficial in terms of offering gifted

students special instruction directed at their level of ability.

However, a gifted student who leaves class for several hours each week may feel self-conscious or not accepted. Pull-out programs can also make the pupils who don’t leave feel bad, as well.
Other types of programs may be used in different settings. For example, in multi-age
classrooms, gifted students may be able to work more independently or in small groups with other students with similar ability levels.
The type of programs available for gifted students can vary significantly depending on the
school they are attending and the resources available. Ideally, parents and school staff will work together to choose an educational setting that is right for each child.