Working with new students ~ can anyone help?

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

Since my caseload of LD kids is so small this year, our administrators decided to add a new dimension to my day ~ working with the 5th and 6th grade gifted kids!! Does anyone have any experience, background, or resources in this area? I’m still working with my 5th and 6th gr. LD kids, but I’m supposed to develop enrichment/extension activities for these others as well! No one has been specific about exactly what to do ~ “just work on extra projects that go along with the curriculum”, and there’s no way to pin them down. I think they don’t want to get specific in case it fails: that way it’s my fault for not developing the right program, and their necks aren’t on the line. :x Does anyone have any web sites or books they would recommend? Thanks, any information is appreciated!! :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 09/07/2003 - 4:18 AM

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As no one is specific, it doesn’t seem as if it matters specifically what you do. I’d go to a good bookstore and buy some ‘brainteaser’ books. Xerox some pages out of those to get started.

With GT kids,sometime I like to read an intriguing poem out loud. We discuss what it might mean. I read short stories out loud and break before the ending and ask them to make up an ending. Then I read the ending. We might look at an artist’s life and then their painting to see if we can see their life experience in their painting. Sometimes I hook my computer up to a screen and we look at an interesting website together. Gt kids like to be intrigued and there is much in life that is intriguing. What catches your fancy? Share those things with them.

I’ve called my program Discovery - a wonderfully broad term that suggests we’ll discover something every class. It also avoids suggeting that I’m working on specific skills with them. I find the students and the parents enjoy the Discovery focus and receive the enrichment that it is very well.

Get hold of an old book called New Games. It has some things in it they’ll enjoy. Tape some short documentaries on topics of interest - the Australian who does the wildlife shows offers lots of learning on his show and kids enjoy watching it.

Good luck.

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