Many schools have tried many different programs over the years to meet the special needs of gifted children. Some have been successful; some have not. Some of these methods have included cluster grouping within the heterogeneously grouped classroom, accelerated promotions, enrichment classes including pullouts, and even schools built and dedicated to teaching only the gifted.
The schools that seem to have the most success are the ones that have the flexibility to blend these kinds of methods to best meet the individual student’s needs. Assuming that most schools use heterogeneous or varied-ability groupings, no matter what the instructional approach taken by the school might be, it is important that the gifted child receive full instruction each day, and ability grouping might be one of the best answers to make sure that happens successfully.
There are several ways to accomplish ability grouping with gifted students, and any attempt would be better than none at all. The two most common grouping methods involve using cluster groups in regular education classrooms, and performance and ability grouping pullout classes.
It is important that parents and teachers are aware of these practices, as traditional classrooms in America are not meeting the needs of our gifted children. In its Case for Developing America’s Talent report issued in 1993, the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Educational Research and Improvement estimated that many, if not most of America’s gifted children are failing to reach their full potential. While there are numerous causes for this concern, given that schools customarily place children identified as gifted in regular education classes, the focus then shifts to the teacher’s ability to monitor and adjust instruction to meet the gifted child’s needs. One good way to make this adjustment is through cluster grouping.
Cluster Grouping
The idea here is that a teacher who has had training in working with gifted children is assigned a small group of children in an otherwise regular education classroom. This group of students receives most of the same instruction as the other children; however, as a form of differentiated learning, they are then allowed to work together to process and practice the skills and information apart from the other students.
They might also do more extensive research on the topic and work towards advanced levels of understanding gaining some fresh perspectives by using higher-order thinking skills and abstract thinking. For example, they might choose to write about the topic in multiple styles and genres – including expository essays, narratives, creative, poetry, persuasive, literary analysis, cause and effect and many others.
Performance and Ability Grouping Pullout Classes
Another option for schools that are serious about meeting the needs of the gifted students is a pullout class. There are several forms of pullout classes that range from all-day activities to one period enrichment opportunities, so it is difficult to speak in general about all of the different types. Rather than address the kinds of classes, it might be more valuable to focus on educational philosophy as to why it is done.
Consider for a moment if a child were a gifted clarinetist for her age. Would it make sense to have her sit through the basic music lessons with students who have no music background, or to allow her to work with the music teacher on more advanced lessons to push her abilities? The same would hold true for athletes or artists or writers. So why do some people argue that allowing gifted students to benefit from a special program is unfair or elitist? Aren’t gifted children entitled to an education that benefits them and their special needs?
Some people will continue the argument that by removing the gifted students from the regular education classroom cooperative learning groups become less effective without their leadership. In reality, however, one of two conditions usually applies with gifted students in cooperative groups – the regular education students are more than happy to let the gifted student do all the work, which is not productive for the regular education students; or the gifted student becomes the pseudo-teacher trying to bring everyone else up to his or her level of understanding, which is not productive for the gifted student.
This is not to say that cooperative learning techniques don’t work with gifted students – they are good socializing exercises and helps everyone learn how to work with each other.
