Suggestions for Tier 1 reading instruction with gifted learners
- Gifted learners perform at higher levels compared to others of the same age, experience, and environment in one or more domains.
- Students are often able to decode with little effort and struggle to remain engaged with grade level texts because their reading is advanced.
- Gifted learners should be reading more primary-source documents, assigned short reading selections that encourage more in-depth analysis, and reading a variety of genres and authors.
- Assessments for gifted learners need to be performance based and promote higher-level learning outcomes. These could include portfolio techniques and focus on comprehension and critical thinking, not on fluency.
References
Position statement. National Association for Gifted Children. (n.d.). https://cdn.ymaws.com/nagc.org/resource/resmgr/knowledge-center/position-statements/a_definition_of_giftedness_t.pdf
VanTassel-Baska, J. (2015). Common core state standards for students with gifts and talents. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 47(4), 191–198.
Recommendations for instruction with twice exceptional students
- Gifted students with dyslexia, or twice exceptional students, often show up as weakness with decoding first, then affect fluency and comprehension. They often go undiagnosed because their strength in some areas will mask the weaknesses they are experiencing in other areas.
- It is necessary for twice exceptional (2e) students to have increased progress monitoring to determine if materials are the appropriate level, and also to watch for signs that the disability is affecting performance in other areas.
- The use of the RTI model allows 2e students to have both their gift be nurtured and their disability be remediated.
References
Gifted and dyslexic: Identifying and instructing the twice exceptional student. International Dyslexia Association. (2020, April 4). https://dyslexiaida.org/gifted-and-dyslexic-identifying-and-instructing-the-twice-exceptional-student/
Yssel, N., Adams, C., Clarke, L. S., & Jones, R. (2014). Applying an RTI model for students with learning disabilities who are gifted. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 46(3), 42–52.