June 30, 2005

Gifted children can thrive in summer

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – With school out and several weeks of freedom ahead, summer is a time nearly all students look forward to, but before long, that sense of freedom can turn into boredom.

But not for all children, according to Nancy Bangel, program coordinator for the Gifted Education Resource Institute in Purdue University's College of Education. She says gifted children sometimes fare better during the summer because they often feel unchallenged during the school year.

"Summer gives them a chance to push themselves and pursue activities not offered during the academic year," Bangel says. "They actually often do better in the summer because they can find ways to entertain themselves. They feel less bored and can delve right into their hobbies."

Such activities often include reading material that goes beyond what is offered in the classroom, as well as the time to hone musical and artistic talents.

Bangel says one of the most popular ways gifted children like to spend their time in the summer is by taking classes. Some see it as a way to get basic, required subjects, such as physical education or government, out of the way so they can have time to take more advanced courses during the school year. Others see it as a way to explore new subjects, such as languages or art.

Regardless of subject area, children of higher ability tend to get more out of summer courses that give them a chance to work at a faster, more challenging pace.

"They seem to enjoy getting through a class in a month's time," Bangel says.

That gifted children often feel more intellectually stimulated during the summer highlights a common issue facing such students: They are often misunderstood by both teachers and their peers.

New concepts in a typical class during the school year are usually repeated, on average, eight times by a teacher, she says, but gifted students often pick things up after hearing them about two times. The excessive repetition can quickly lead to boredom.

The key, says Bangel, is to help train teachers not only to identify gifted students but also to make the classroom a more challenging place for them. For example, if the subject is spelling word, Bangel advises teachers to break out a group of gifted spellers and teach them not only how to spell the words but also what their root words are and how they relate to other words, she says.

"Even though classroom work comes easy for them, they still have a need to learn something new," Bangel says. "These kids are starving for an opportunity to use their brains."

Purdue, through its Gifted Education Resource Institute, is one of the few universities in the nation that works with preservice teachers at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to help these future educators identify and create challenging curricula for gifted students. For undergraduates, an introduction to gifted education course is offered as an elective.

The institute offers graduate programs in gifted education and a licensure program for K-12 educators in Indiana. It also provides training to future teachers through hands-on opportunities and training in connection to Super Saturday, a program that offers a wide variety of classes to gifted children in the spring and fall, and the Super Summer program.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Source: Nancy Bangel, (765) 496-2706, bangeln@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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