Batavia Local Schools 
Gifted Education

Differentiation in Language Arts
and Social Studies

             According to Joyce VanTassel-Baska in Differentiating the Language Arts for High Ability Learners (2003), gifted children need language arts curriculum differentiation in five areas.

·        Literature:  Gifted children should be encouraged to read broadly across subject matter.  They should be allowed to read about things that interest them. 

·        Writing:  Gifted children should be encouraged to develop skills in expository and persuasive writing, focusing on the writing process.  They should also experience writing in other styles such as narrative and informative.  Older students may be encouraged to copy the style of their favorite author.

·        Language Study:  Gifted children should be encouraged to study syntactic structure of English, develop vocabulary, develop an appreciation for semantics, linguistics, and the history of language.

·        Oral Communication:  Gifted children should be encouraged to develop oral communication through both listening and speaking.  Emphases should be placed on evaluative listening, debate, and discussion.  Oral interpretation and drama productions provide outlets for creative learners.

·        Foreign Language:   Gifted children who possess advanced verbal skills should be encouraged to explore early foreign language study.  This could be done through computer software.

          Other useful techniques for gifted children are:  

·        Bibliotherapy:  Gifted students read a book about a similar life situation that they are facing at the time.  Bibliotherapy involves a reader, a book, and a leader who will read the same book and prepare for productive discussion of the issues the book raises (Hasted, 1990).

·        Exploring Poetic Language:  Gifted students should be encouraged to explore the quality of words, the power of metaphoric language, and the complexity and subtlety of meaning through group poems and individual poems (Smutny, 2001).

·        Exploring the Elements of Fiction:  Gifted students should be encouraged to improvise and think divergently about the stories.  Teachers can ask “If you could change this, what would you change it to?  Why?  How?” Fractured fairy tales are designed to be funny by changing familiar stories in an unexpected way.  Asking higher level questions when presenting a fractured fairy tale helps students analyze the changes that were made (Smutny, 2001). 

·        Biographical or Historical Fiction:  Gifted students should be encouraged to read biographies and historical fiction to consider new points of view.  Writing their own biography or historical fiction enables them to explore different perspectives both critically and creatively through researching facts and creating a point of view (Smutny, 2001).