The Ultimate Program for Gifted Learners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Ultimate Program for Gifted Learners - Essay Example It gives them a place and an identity in the world. They help him carve for himself a good standard of living and a decent status in society, depending on the upbringing he gets. Nevertheless, these are not good enough for a child gifted with special learning abilities and talents. Funds and resource material are important and necessary to discover and hone the skills of the pupil with special learning abilities. However, these are just some of the tools to be put in place for such students. Unlimited funds and resource do not necessarily guarantee success for an aspiring pupil seeking to discover his special talents and abilities. Equally important is confidence building measures and emotional factors that play a vital role in shaping the future and lives of these students. Nothing can replicate their worth and value. They comprise the bond of relationship between the tutor and the taught. A very large premium is placed on the intelligence and integrity of the tutor, for these are the standards the student will seek to emulate. It is customary in schools to allow brilliant students, especially in the lower classes, to skip a grade, in order to accelerate their education and put them up at a grade which will be a match for their level of intelligence. We so often come across students too young for the grade they are in. However, their performance is brilliant. They are promoted in a double measure. This is done in order to introduce them to a curriculum which will prove to be a match to their special learning skills which is superior to their peers. A fourth-grade student who shows extraordinary skills in mathematics, science and English, qualify for grade-skipping and is promoted to the sixth grade, even if the rest of the students in the new class are senior to him by a couple of years. Education acceleration helps accommodate him at a level where he could enthusiastically prove himself and gain confidence. These students automatically qualify for the program. (http://www.projectappleseed.org/gifted.html) 2. The next group of students who may qualify are those who consistently remain among the first five rankers in a class of 40-45 students. These are the ones who possess extraordinary learning skills and leadership qualities. It is necessary to consider this group of students even if they do not necessarily qualify for grade skipping, in order to ensure that no deserving student is left out of the program. Also, gifted children with Learning Disabilities (LD) must be given the opportunity to seek admission in the program. Until recently, students with the LD tag were written off as below average students. Ultimately, most of them ended up as dropouts. However, times have changed. Students with learning disabilities are no longer treated as misfits. It may be difficult to identify their