The ABCs of Challenging Gifted Students

September 8, 2022 byBob Engler

6 min to read

Student and Learning Coach working together on laptop

Gifted students come with all kinds of talents, such as an almost-intuitive ability to grasp abstract concepts, read anything they can find, persist in solving problems, and think critically and creatively.

And while no talented learner exhibits all the characteristics of giftedness, families find that their budding geniuses do best in learning environments that empower them to:

Personalize a curriculum that appeals to their interests.
Accelerate studies in subjects they have mastered.
Go deeper into material that intrigues them.
Prepare for college through advanced courses and dual enrollment.
Receive individualized coaching and immediate feedback.

The typical brick-and-mortar schools may provide some of those opportunities. The flexibility of online education, on the other hand, presents all of them to challenge gifted learners to achieve their full potential. The research bears out results: Online students typically retain up to 60% more information than their classroom peers, who average about an 8% to 10% retention rate.

Talented kids’ brains are always “on,” and here are some suggestions to motivate gifted and talented students to build on their strengths:

Aim High

Gifted students learn differently than their peers.

They master new material and remember it more easily, understand relationships between abstract and concrete concepts, and tend to be more focused and passionate about topics of interest.

Parents can leverage virtual learning to strengthen those qualities for students in high school through honors classes, online Advanced Placement® (AP®*) classes and tests, and dual enrollment to keep them engaged and to challenge them in ways that match their academic needs.

“He also likes the idea of dual enrollment once he reaches the high school level so that he can be working on his associate degree while still in high school.”

— Amoe C.

Activities to keep younger students engaged and motivated include journaling and developing relationships with their online teachers and counsellors to receive a higher-caliber workload or supplementary material.

Be Prepared

Exceptional learners push themselves to grasp new concepts and sometimes get a little over their heads.

That can be a good thing.

Productive struggle is an entry point to reasoning, problem-solving, and finding resources to break through learning roadblocks. Challenging gifted students to learn from their mistakes prepares them for the real world, increases their cognitive abilities, and spurs personal growth.

Before frustration sets in, though, you may need to lend a hand or enlist your student’s online teachers, especially if they are prone to self-imposed perfectionism.

“If they are struggling to understand a concept, I can spend more time with them on that subject and not just push them on ahead … I see them learning to problem-solve and think outside the box.”

— BreeAnn A.

Productive struggle can be uncomfortable at first. However, by allowing your student to work through problems—with help as needed to ward off frustration—they gain confidence and discover that persevering to solve tough challenges can be its own reward.

Coach

Parents who serve as their students’ Learning Coaches are part cheerleader, part emotional mentor, and part educational strategist.

“Don’t stress! You and your child are both learning something new. Instead of telling them what to do and how to do it, look over what needs to be done with your child and make a plan together on how to get there.”

— Teresa I.

At Connections Academy®, Learning Coaches have the full backing of state-certified teachers, technology support, and access to numerous online tools, including the Resource Hub and virtual events with staffers, academics, and other Connections Academy families.

As a Learning Coach to a gifted child, you can help foster their curiosity and research skills by encouraging them to find answers to all their burning questions about their special interest or hobby with a trip to the library. You never know what they will find!

Dedicate Study Space

Create a safe, energizing learning environment that reinforces your values and inspires your child prodigy. Get their minds flowing by inviting them to personalize their learning space according to their interests. Let them pick out motivational posters to hang, for instance, or paint for the walls.

“My boys love that they no longer have to worry about bullies, and if they need help, we are always right here to help them.”

— Carrie G.

Gifted kids also are creative, too, so set up a separate project area. When they make things that are connected to the concepts they are learning, they are building critical-thinking skills, an innovative mindset, and persistence in solving problems.

Children pursuing activities for gifted students.

Enrich and Accelerate

Face-to-face schools typically teach a “one-size-fits-all” model. Some allow gifted kids to skip a grade and put them in with older students, but that can be intimidating. Another strategy is to leave highly motivated students stuck in courses they can get through quickly. That is a surefire recipe for boredom and frustration and can cost them opportunities to pursue their academic passions.

Those strategies are the outline of the enrichment versus acceleration debate among academics: Is it more effective to teach several years of content in a single year or allow students to investigate topics in detail and develop their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills?

The flexibility of online learning settles the argument.

By giving students the freedom to personalize their curricula, they can learn at their own pace. Gifted students can accelerate through easily mastered topics and delve into concepts that pique their unique interests, challenges, goals, and abilities.

“Online school gave my students the freedom to do the lessons in what order they want and to focus more on lessons they don’t understand.”

— Tasha. H.

Include activities that challenge gifted and talented students to connect underlying concepts with the real world in their online curriculum. Students gifted in math, for instance, can explore how architects use geometric principles. Talented science students can discover the physics of climate change, and students who excel at reading can explore any or all literary genres.

Gifted students gardening to learn more about plants.

Find Time for Fun

Your budding genius may revel in nonstop enrichment activities, and that might seem like the right way to ensure success. But resist the temptation to over-schedule their online school day.

“When they aren’t doing schoolwork, toss in a board game, book time, or start a family garden.”

— Tracy J.

While your child’s brain may be years ahead, remind yourself that your scholar is still young emotionally, socially, and physically. So, provide a healthy dose of mental stimulation, but be sure to allow time for your child to play, goof off, make friends, and just be a kid.

Get More Information About Activities for Gifted Children

Connections Academy provides curricula choices and resources for gifted students beginning in third grade and continuing through middle school. Its high school honors program comprises a rigorous curriculum that fulfills graduation requirements in English, history, math, and science in a challenging academic environment.