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HOW TO ENGAGE GIFTED AND TALENTED
STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

Giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average. The
federal government defines gifted children as “those who give evidence of
high achievement capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic,

or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields.” However, there
aren’t any national standards for identifying gifted students, and it’s
usually left to states or school districts to recognize gifted children and

determine what programs best meet their academic needs.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GIFTED
STUDENTS

Gifted students learn at a faster pace than regular students and also tend to
finish their assignments more quickly and crave more intellectually
challenging assignments. They also may act out in class if bored or

understimulated. Gifted children span all races, genders, ethnicities and
socioeconomic levels. According to the National Association for Gifted
Children, six to 10 percent of the student population is academically gifted

or talented.

GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS IN
THE CLASSROOM

Gifted learners are least likely to receive special attention from teachers.
Research shows when teachers differentiate instruction, they are most
likely to do so with students who are struggling academically, because
they perceive this group to be most in need of help. Additionally, not all
teachers are prepared to support gifted students. A national study by the
Fordham Institute found that 58 percent of teachers have not received
training focused on teaching academically advanced students in the past
few years.