Screening and Identification
Who are the Gifted in Your Neighborhood?
Let’s play a little game! Imagine it is the middle of the first quarter. There are ten students in your class who seem to stand out from the others. They are unique in various ways and you are trying to decide whether you should refer them to the LEA representative or child study committee for possible screening for the gifted program.
Elizabeth is a very quiet child. She rarely raises her hand to respond to questions nor does she participate in class discussions voluntarily. She is fairly consistent in turning in homework and you can detect that she is a second language learner when you read some of her writing. Elizabeth is so shy that she cannot stand up in front of the class to present materials - unless you are up there with her, reading her presentation. She is an outstanding math student.
Margaret is a child who seeks attention. She often prefers to be alone, fails assessments on a regular basis, and daydreams. Margaret is nervous as exemplified by nail-biting and specific phobias. She is a sickly child but is very patient with others.
Kevin does not believe in homework. He very rarely turns it in and when he does it looks as though it traveled on a slow boat from China under all the luggage! He is often out of his seat, loves to play around, and has a fantastic sense of humor. Kevin is an expert in the field of science – he seems to have an extraordinary knowledge of all strands of this subject.
Maria has a very strong sense of justice. She becomes very defensive when she feels others are laughing at her or not following the rules. Maria has a fantastic imagination but when she puts her thoughts in writing there is no logical organization. She does not like to make mistakes which cause problems when new information is introduced, however, once she finally grasps the concept, it’s there forever.
Joshua is the king of disorganization. No matter how few papers and books he has, he never has enough space to contain everything! Joshua also likes to work quickly so he can get back to what he loves most – reading. (He always has a very high level pleasure reading book in hand – sometimes on topics that are way above those expected for his age level.) Joshua has to continuously be reminded to go back and check his work because his rapid pace of completion often causes him to make careless mistakes.
Herman is a very sickly child. He is considered to be unsociable and prefers to be alone. Herman loves to read and play the violin. He is the son of immigrants but has an excellent command of the English language. Herman is a very nervous child.