News from the GATE District Office
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a framework that categorizes learning objectives into six levels, from basic knowledge to advanced creation. For gifted students, it encourages deeper thinking and creativity, helping them reach their full potential by challenging them at every level. This approach ensures that their learning experiences are both enriching and stimulating.
Parents can support their gifted children using Bloom’s Taxonomy by encouraging activities that span all six levels of learning. Here are some practical ways to do this:
- Knowledge and Comprehension: Help your child recall facts and understand concepts by discussing what they learn at school and relating it to real-world examples.
- Application: Encourage them to apply their knowledge through hands-on projects, such as building models or conducting simple experiments.
- Analysis: Foster critical thinking by asking them to compare and contrast different ideas or solve complex problems.
- Synthesis: Support creative endeavors like writing stories, designing new inventions, or composing music based on what they’ve learned.
- Evaluation: Teach them to evaluate their work and others’ by discussing what they did well and what could be improved.
By engaging in these activities, as well as asking leveled questions, parents can help their gifted children develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of their learning, ensuring they are both challenged and supported.
GATE Curriculum Corner
Gifted and talented students thrive on opportunities to enhance their logical thinking skills. Engage your child with these riddles at home and challenge them further by asking them to explain their reasoning behind each answer.
- Four friends went on a leaf-collecting adventure. Alex collected more leaves than Ben but fewer than Charlie. Ben collected more leaves than Dana. Who collected the most leaves?
- In an apple orchard, there are three types of apples: red, green, and yellow. There are twice as many red apples as green apples and three times as many yellow apples as green apples. There are 12 green apples. How many apples are there in total?
- In a quaint village, the townsfolk celebrate the arrival of autumn with a treasure hunt. The treasure is hidden in one of four locations: the Pumpkin Patch, the Apple Orchard, the Corn Maze, or the Haystack Hill. Clues are scattered around the village to help find the treasure.
A. The treasure is not in the Pumpkin Patch, but it is either in the Apple Orchard or the Corn Maze.
B. If the treasure is in the Apple Orchard, then it is not in the Corn Maze.
C. If the treasure is not in the Haystack Hill, then it must be in the Corn Maze.
D. The treasure is not in the Corn Maze.
Getting To Know Your Gifted Child
Gifted students often face unique challenges that can contribute to anxiety. Their high intellectual abilities may come with heightened expectations - both from themselves and others.
- The National Association for Gifted Children developed an anxiety tips sheet for parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. You are encouraged to look at the strategies they share to manage anxiety as they can be applied to any situation your gifted child is experiencing anxiety.
- Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) has additional information about anxiety for caregivers and teachers.
Upcoming Opportunities
Explore a curated list of summer programs for gifted children by visiting the Davidson Institute’s comprehensive guide.