PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THE GUIDED RESPONSE. ANSWER 1-3. RESPOND TO PEER 1 THEN PEER 2 ON A DIFFERENT PAGE. SEE ATTACHED FILE ON TEACHING STRATEGIES

Guided Response:  Respond to your peers. 

1. Discuss which of the traditional teaching strategies mentioned in the text (accelerated, compacting, enrichment, independent studies) you would use with that child.  

2. Be sure to justify your choice of strategy by using evidence from your peer’s initial response that leads you to believe this would be the best strategy for this child. 

3.  In addition, discuss what the positive outcomes of using this strategy with this child would be.

PEER1

Age: 5

Grade: Kindergarten

            Lamoni is a five-year-old boy who attends Kindergarten at the Blue Roof Academy in Coalville, Utah center. The Kindergarten is made up of two separate classes of five and six-year-old children. The classroom floor plan has many different rooms with open designated areas for learning. The playroom is set up with what the Theme for the week is. For this week they are learning about farm animals.  They also have a kitchen area where the children do hands-on science and art projects.  They also have a library that is full of books of all sizes and shapes.  And areas for the students to sit or snuggle into a bean bag and read.  Tables around the room are provided for the students to work on puzzles and math manipulatives for counting and sequencing patterns.  

    The classroom is bright with lots of color and artwork on the wall.  The tables and chair are kid sizes for comfort and placed all around the room for students to work in small groups and individually.

    After observing Lamoni for a distinguished amount of time, in his school, and at home  I have noticed that he does exhibit behaviors of a child who would be considered gifted.  As I observed his classmates drawing, the children’s papers looked like scribbles and pictures of stick figures and random shapes, Lamoni was very focused on his drawings. He displayed a high level of concentration. He very carefully thought about the images, placing people at a certain distance,  carefully drawing bodies, faces, and hair. He shows his passion for drawing, by staying at the table for extended amounts of time than I’ve ever seen a preschooler be able to do. During circle time when the teacher would read books and, as other students started losing interest and became distracted, Lamoni sits on his feet, head held up high, and is engaged in learning about the different types of animals. You could see his desire to learn, regardless of the topic he just wanted to learn. Lamoni uses spoken words and sign language more advanced than his peers.  He, also speaks and signs, his feelings rather than acting out his feelings. If someone hurts him, pushes him, or takes a toy, he will talk and sign to them how he feels rather than get even. Watching my four-year-old boy express his feelings as he does is more than what most adults I know do when they’re upset! I find Lamoni’s use of language remarkable,  having eight children none of my other children use both languages (voice/asl) at the same time as Lamoni does.  Maybe he has an advantage being the youngest; he has watched his siblings talking and signing.  

    The one negative thing I noticed as I was observing the class Lamoni, became bored when the teacher asked the students to write the letter they were practicing for that week.  He did the assignment asked and completed it quickly. He already knows how to write, and fingerspells his ABC’s. Writing the letters and learning about them is boring, he says to me all the time.  Practicing what he already knows is hard for him to understand, as a parent, I want him to have all the advantages he can have and not be held back because of the other students in the class. I was glad I had the opportunity to see and later talk with his teacher.  Now Lamoni is given other writing assignments when the students are doing their ABC’s.

    Characteristics of a child that has gifted and talented behaviors are a high level of attentiveness, quick learners, the complexity of awareness, leadership capacity, general academic ability, perfectionist, and a higher level of compassion.

PEER 2

      I observed Ella, age 5 in a public-school kindergarten classroom.

           The kindergarten classroom had several cooperative learning centers set up around the room, such as a writing center, a math center, dramatic play center, science center and weather center. Center activities are changed on a weekly basis. A variety of material and manipulatives are set at various tables in the room to peak or accommodate students’ varying degrees of interests.  The classroom also had a library and reading area, complete with comfy chairs and floor pillows. 2 short tables and 1 long table faced the dry erase board and overhead monitor. Each child had their name on a section of the table where they sit.

               Ella seems to be a very inquisitive child and motivated to learn, especially about dinosaurs.  She loves to read. Her language development skills are advanced for her age, as I overhear her naming a few dinosaurs by their classifications and scientific names.  Ella reading level is also advanced for her age. Her teacher mentions she is reading on a 3rd grade level.  She frequently sits in the library area and reads to her classmates. Because of this interest, the classroom teacher set up a table of small dinosaurs and informational books with pictures about dinosaurs. Ella is found at this table numerous times a day.        Early identification and intervention are essential for the growth and development of young gifted children (Smutny, 1998). Students who are gifted demonstrate innate abilities that are exceptional. Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports) ( Powell & Driver, 2013).