What Are Some Key Principles in Developing an Effective English and Language Arts Program for the Gifted/Talented?
Frederick B. Tuttle, Jr. (1979), writing about English programs for gifted students, identifies four principles for developing an effective program. • Design a curriculum that builds upon the characteristics of the intellectually gifted. While all students need to develop “basic skills,” gifted students can often acquire these as they develop their other, more advanced abilities. • Provide for continuity. Teachers and administrators at all grade levels should arrive at a consensus regarding the different components of the program and the procedures for carrying it through the grades. • Select teachers on the basis of their ability to work with the intellectually gifted and the talented. These teachers should be vitally interested in the gifted, highly intelligent, and emotionally secure, and possess advanced knowledge of their subject matter. • Evaluate success within the program on the quality of the work produced rather than by tests of mastery of lower level skills. This will often
