ABC

NAGC has compiled a list of the most prevalent myths in gifted education, complete with supporting links with evidence explaining why the myth is untrue. Information contained on subsequent pages provides you with the arguments and facts needed to rebut, and hopefully dispel, these myths.  

 

The following information is provided through the courtesy of National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC), More information on giftedness and advanced learners may be obtained by visiting http://www.nagc.org. 

 

Myth: Gifted Students Don’t Need Help; They’ll Do Fine On Their Own

 

Truth: Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a coach? Gifted students need guidance from well-trained teachers who challenge and support them in order to fully develop their abilities. Many gifted students may be so far ahead of their same-age peers that they know more than half of the grade-level curriculum before the school year begins. Their resulting boredom and frustration can lead to low achievement, despondency, or unhealthy work habits. The role of the teacher is crucial for spotting and nurturing talents in school.

 

More information: While gifted students do have an extraordinary level of potential and ability, their high aptitude for learning can easily go to waste if it is not fostered properly. The facts clearly show that gifted students need teachers who will challenge them.  According to a 1991 study, between 18 and 25% of gifted and talented students drop out of school. Gifted dropouts were generally from a lower socio-economic status family and had little or no access to extracurricular activities, hobbies, or technology.  Following are some statistics, books, articles and links to webpages that will help to dispel the myth that “gifted students will be fine on their own.”

 

• Studies have shown that as they progress through school, American children are falling further behind their foreign counterparts. 

 

Myth: Teachers Challenge All the Students, So Gifted Kids Will Be Fine in the Regular Classroom  

 

Truth:  Although teachers try to challenge all students, they are frequently unfamiliar with the needs of gifted children and do not know how to best serve them in the classroom. The National Research Center on Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) found that 61% of classroom teachers had no training in teaching highly able students, limiting the challenging educational opportunities offered to advanced learners.[1] A more recent national study conducted by the Fordham Institute found that 58% of teachers have received no professional development focused on teaching academically advanced students in the past few years. Taken together, these reports confirm what many families have known: not all teachers are able to recognize and support gifted learners.

 

 

Myth: All Children are Gifted

 

Truth: All children have strengths and positive attributes, but not all children are gifted in the educational sense of the word.  The label “gifted” in a school setting means that when compared to others his or her age or grade, a child has an advanced capacity to learn and apply what is learned in one or more subject areas, or in the performing or fine arts.  This advanced capacity requires modifications to the regular curriculum to ensure these children are challenged and learn new material. Gifted does not connote good or better; it is a term that allows students to be identified for services that meet their unique learning needs.

 

Myth: That Student Can’t be Gifted; He’s Receiving Poor Grades

 

Truth: Underachievement describes a discrepancy between a student’s performance and his actual ability.  The roots of this problem differ, based on each child’s experiences.  Gifted students may become bored or frustrated in an unchallenging classroom situation causing them to lose interest, learn bad study habits, or distrust the school environment.  Other students may mask their abilities to try to fit in socially with their same-age peers.  No matter the cause, it is imperative that a caring and perceptive adult help gifted learners break the cycle of underachievement in order to achieve their full potential.  See ERIC digests on underachievement in gifted boys; underachievement of minority students. 

 

More information: Gifted students, just as any others, may underachieve. There are a number of reasons for why a student may be underachieving including a lack of motivation, lack of resources, learning disabilities, and social, economic, or psychological pressures. Regardless of why a gifted student may be underachieving, or to what extent he/she is underachieving, the child is still gifted, meaning he or she has the potential, based on a range of assessments, to achieve at high levels. Like others, high-ability students need to be motivated and taught in an appropriate manner suited to their needs so that they can reach their maximum potential. Below is a list of resources discussing underachievement in gifted students.