Mathematics for Gifted Students

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Mathematics for Gifted Students Most teachers have encountered challenges in teaching students who are talented in math and with strong logical

nurture the needs of mathematically gifted students.

Traits of the Math Gifted Student Whether a math problem requires

reasoning. Unfortunately, most programs for

computation skills, problem-solving,

gifted learners are poorly designed, placing

deductive reasoning, or inferential thinking,

a burden on the classroom teacher to find the

the mathematically gifted student has

most effective approached to adequately

unusual precision, speed, and accuracy in

meet the need of exceptional learners

solving the challenge (Brigandi, et al.,

(Kozlowski & Chamberlin, 2019). There is

2018). Mathematically gifted learners can

hardly a consideration for the resources

identify the relationships among topics,

available for these students, the appropriate

concepts, and ideas even without the

assessment tools, and how teachers can

intervention of an instructor guiding them on

accelerate and enrich the abilities of these

the specific content.

learners. The article addresses the challenge of meeting the learning needs of mathematically gifted students and how to

2 The enhanced abilities that these learners possess are associated with their enhanced understanding of mathematical functions and processes. They may skip the successive steps and be unable to explain how they arrived at an answer.

For example, Taraji, an enthusiastic 6th Grade algebra learner, often seems disinterested in the hour-long math lesson, scribes her notebook and seems preoccupied. Whereas the teacher demonstrates to the rest of the class the successive steps in solving an algebra task,

3 she flips through a storybook on her desk.

The concept of number patterns is manifested as she predicts the possible episodes releases of a movie series she has been watching. Parents of mathematically talented children may note that they have unusual interests in numbers and figures, for example enjoying a game of numbers from

After all, she can solve all the linear

an early age. The child may note a

algebra equations in just an hour. Like it is

relationship between product pricing at the

the case with many gifted learners, she

grocery store outlet, time sequencing of

hardly listens to the teacher and does not

events, and measuring distance.

document assignments in her book. She also hardly makes eye contact with the teacher, she considers the step by step process of completing an algebraic equation as a waste of time and she can derive solutions at an equation by just looking at it.

The traits demonstrated by

Whereas previous studies have

mathematically gifted students begin to

indicated that mathematically gifted students

manifest as early as the pre-school years

have enhanced ability in math compared to

(Fung, et al., 2018). For example, a

their peers, there are limited interventions

preschooler begins to understand the

that have been made to accommodate these

concept of number patterns but will want to

learners’ needs (Firmender et al., 2017).

attribute the concept with real-life situations.

Students who are gifted with mathematical

4 thinking and problem-solving need

Students who are gifted

significant support to cover concepts in-

mathematically tend to prefer a more linear

depth and breadth by providing

approach than the spiral model that is

opportunities for solving even more

adopted in the curriculum. For example,

complex mathematical problems in a topic

when a topic on the application of decimals

that they have studied (Hsieh & Kuo, 2016).

is introduced, the children with this

Challenges teaching Mathematically

enhanced mathematical ability can be

Gifted students

allowed to delve much further into the

As asserted by Fung et al. (2018),

complex aspects of the topic compared to

mathematically gifted students often

their counterparts, they also need to be

demonstrate uneven paten of mathematical

exposed to the practical application of

understanding and development as they have

mathematical concepts in real-life examples.

enhanced ability in concept development

A major challenge when teaching

than computation. These learners display

mathematically gifted students is the

zeal in wanting to know more about how

misunderstanding about the learner’s ability

and why mathematical ideas are computed

and poor understanding of how the teacher

the way they are and the process. Such

can nurture it (Lee et al., 2020).

learners also want to learn all they can about

Misunderstanding about the nature and

a given mathematical concept before they

talent of mathematically gifted students

proceed to new concepts. Thus the strict

abound, yet teachers and administrators have

classroom environment may frustrate them

limited understanding of how to nurture the

when they are compelled to stick to a

skill of children whose abilities are beyond

schedule.

their age and grade level. By the time these

5 learners arrive at the kindergarten for their

examination of concepts, and extensive

initial task involving numbers, they have

practice and drill to ensure that learners

already established their unique model about

master the concept. The exceptionally gifted

the sense of numbers, sequences and

learners in math may perceive such a

patterns, approaches to computation, and

simplistic approach as a waste of time and

problem-solving. Teachers, on the other

switch off focus during the lesson.

hand, strive to follow a rigid curriculum that

Approaches to Teaching Mathematically

hardly recognizes the abilities of these math

Gifted Students

geniuses.

A major problem with formal

Firmender et al. (2017) emphasize the critical role of assessment in supporting

instruction in the classroom setting is that it

the needs of learners with exceptional

does not possess sufficient challenge for the

abilities in math. Instructions in math

gifted learner because it touches on a single

lessons should be integrated in such a

math concept, failing to nurture the multiple

manner that assessment offers information

abilities of these math gifted students

for the teacher to apply when making

(Manuel, & Freiman, 2017).

instruction decisions during a lesson.

Accommodating mathematically gifted

Therefore, students who demonstrate

students in the regular classroom hardly

exceptional achievement in math should be

considers the intensity of challenge that

carefully evaluated to establish the extent of

gifted learners require to undertake for a

their talent and create a profile of their

given topic (Hsieh & Kuo, 2017). The

strengths and weaknesses so that the teacher

regular classroom lessons are focused on a

understands the areas of focus to address.

narrow range of topics, a minimal

Administering grade-level assessments to

6 these students can help assess the learner's

lesson with visual logic, inferential thinking,

capability to indicate areas of strength in

and deductive reasoning to draw the

math. For children who score almost the

attention of these learners.

cumulative mark in their grade level

Future Teaching Strategies for

assessment consistently, they should be

Mathematically Gifted Students

assigned an above-grade-level achievement

One of the most effective ways of

test to ascertain their true level of

facilitating learning in a mixed classroom to

understanding.

enable exceptionally gifted students in math

Program evaluation and curricular

learn effectively is the use of differentiated

collaboration are needed from an

instruction. In practice, differentiation of

administrative perspective to conduct a

instruction is adopted upon establishing

needs assessment of these students and

sufficient ground for an individualized plan

determine the effective approach to

for each gifted student. The classroom

instruction and curriculum focus required to

teacher then implements the program which

assist these learners. To meet these students'

includes enrichment experiences,

needs, most concepts and topics in the

differentiation of instruction, compacting the

curriculum can be condensed (Kozlowski &

course content flexible cluster grouping,

Chamberlin, 2019). For instance, students

mentoring, and enhanced integration of

with exceptional math talent can learn about

technology to the lesson (Prast et al., 2018).

ratios and portions together with simple

Highly gifted students may also need intense

fractional sets. Besides, some measurement

modification such as grade skipping in math.

concepts can be integrated into other

Through daily ongoing assessment and

learning areas such as science to enrich the

consistent teacher monitoring, it will be

7 possible to establish a strategy that

to enhance learning. For example, once

effectively caters to the mathematically

these gifted students have mastered basic

gifted student's needs.

algebra concepts, the teacher provides

Through enrichment and grouping of

additional learning opportunities in concepts

mathematically gifted students, the teacher

addressing divergent thinking and individual

can effectively meet the needs of these

and group activities that enable students to

students. The enrichment process has been

connect the algebra conceits with real-world

designed so that these students are exposed

scenarios to enhance concept mastery.

to a wide array of topics than those in the

Acceleration and technology use can

regular curriculum, which allows the teacher

also be considered to derive effective

to evaluate them. In contexts where math’s

instruction for mathematically gifted

students are grouped based on their ability to

students. Considered that these

understand a math concept, the teacher

mathematically gifted students have already

effectively covers the content based on the

mastered the basic skills, the additional

understanding of learners in the group

tasks, and enrichment tasks offered by their

(Chalwell, & Cumming, 2019). Remarkably,

teacher may not offer sufficient challenges

approaches such as pretesting and

for them. As a result, some degree of

compacting of the curriculum can help the

acceleration is important based on their

mathematically gifted learner undertake

demonstrated ability. Nonetheless,

challenges that gauge their understanding

acceleration should only be applied if it

(Sak & Ayas, 2020). Within a setting of

meets the students’ affective needs and only

homogenously grouped students, the teacher

be allowed when it provides the learner ideal

can also apply the Enrichment Triad Model

instruction pace based on their earning.

8 Indeed, many advances in

evidence-based enrichment practice. Gifted

technology could help the classroom teacher

Child Quarterly, 62(3), 289-305.

meet the student's learning needs by offering

Firmender, J. M., Dilley, A., Amspaugh, C.,

tools to explore complex problems and

Field, K., LeMay, S., & Casa, T. M. (2017).

mathematical ideas. The internet is a

Beyond doing mathematics: Engaging

resourceful tool that these students can be

talented students in mathematically creative

guided to access to explore the additional

writing. Gifted Child Today, 40(4), 205-211.

learning they need to develop their skills.

Hsieh, M. C., & Kuo, Y. L. (2016). What's

The instruction approach to teaching

Past Is Prologue: A Survey of

students with exceptional math ability

Mathematically Talented Students in

should also be based on the students'

Taiwan. International Journal of Intelligent

individual needs, thus the need to develop an

Technologies & Applied Statistics, 9(3).

individualized plan for each student.

Fung, J. J., Yuen, M., & Yuen, A. H. (2018).

References

Validity evidence for a chinese version of

Chalwell, K., & Cumming, T. M. (2019).

the Online Self-Regulated Learning

Radical subject acceleration for gifted

Questionnaire with average students and

students: One

mathematically talented students.

school's response. Australasian Journal of

Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling

Gifted Education, 28(2), 29.

and Development, 51(2), 111-124.

Brigandi, C. B., Weiner, J. M., Siegle, D.,

Kozlowski, J. S., & Chamberlin, S. A.

Gubbins, E. J., & Little, C. A. (2018).

(2019). Raising the bar for mathematically

Environmental perceptions of gifted

gifted students through creativity-based

secondary school students engaged in an

9 mathematics instruction. Gifted and

students. Gifted Education International,

Talented International, 34(1-2), 79-90.

36(2), 154-169.

Lee, K. H., Kim, Y., & Lim, W. (2020).

Risks of aiming to kill two birds with one stone: the affect of mathematically gifted and talented students in the dual realities of special schooling. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 1-20.

Manuel, D., & Freiman, V. (2017).

Differentiating instruction using a virtual environment: A study of mathematical problem posing among gifted and talented learners. Global Education Review, 4(1).

Prast, E. J., Van de Weijer-Bergsma, E., Kroesbergen, E. H., & Van Luit, J. E. (2018). Differentiated instruction in primary mathematics: Effects of teacher professional development on student achievement.

Learning and Instruction, 54, 22-34.

Sak, U., & Ayas, B. (2020). EPTS Curriculum Model: Optimum curriculum differentiator for the education of gifted