What are the advantages and disadvantages of acceleration? When should it be used?
There are many forms of acceleration, some of which provide the child with the opportunity to learn material at a faster rate (compacting, telescoping) and some of which mean that the child is moved to a more appropriate learning level, that is, where there is something new to learn. Either or both of these goals is legitimate for gifted students. The process is surrounded by myths about what the child will “miss” and social issues that may arise. Study after study has shown how successful accelerating gifted students can be most of the time. For a fuller description, see the report, A Nation Deceived, (www.nationdeceived.org). For a detailed description of acceleration strategies, see Re-Forming Gifted Education by Karen B. Rogers. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press, 2002. ISBN 0-910707-46-4. Back to the top 10. What do we negotiate at school for my young child who seems to be very advanced? As with any issue regarding education of your child, the place to start is talking to your
