Education
ACCELERATION
Let us fly!
Fourth in a series of educational parenting articles on ‘Raising Bright Sparks’. How acceleration doesn’t mean ‘pushing’ our brightest kids, instead it can be thought of as ‘releasing the brakes’.
Brisbane Schools & Education
C
hildren learn and develop at different rates and have different learning patterns and achieve at different rates. Those who achieve developmental milestones ahead of others at a similar chronological age are advanced in their development. Children who learn rapidly and grasp concepts more easily than others of their age are cognitively advanced or accelerated learners. Despite these differences, a child’s date of birth is used to determine when a child can enter formal education so children who have different rates of learning are placed together in school, according to their chronological age. This results in children with a wide range of abilities and skills being placed together in classes as students are not usually placed in year levels according to their stage of development, learning abilities or academic skills. Teachers may
use ability grouping to allow students with similar levels of academic skills to benefit from learning together. This strategy works very well for most students; however some very capable students have the ability to learn beyond the level that the rest of the students in their class are learning. For students to remain engaged in school they must learn at a pace and level that is well matched to their intellectual abilities and academic needs. Some students are already beyond the curriculum for that year level and they need opportunities to learn with students who are learning at a similar level. Gifted students have the ability to learn at an accelerated pace and need exposure to more advanced curriculum. Some of these students should be considered for one of the many forms of academic acceleration, including subject and year level acceleration.
Schools are becoming aware of extensive research that supports the use of academic acceleration as one of the most effective ways of providing for the intellectual, academic, social and emotional needs of gifted students. Despite this research, there is still much hesitancy about accelerating students. School administrators, teachers and parents may be reluctant to accelerate because of concerns about a student’s social and emotional maturity. It is important to consider the gifted student’s development and needs as part of any decision to accelerate; however the social and emotional characteristics associated with giftedness (especially sensitivity, intensity and the need to socialise with others at a similar developmental level) may be misinterpreted as emotional immaturity or social difficulties, especially by those unfamiliar with the traits of gifted students.
Brigidine College WE HELP WITH ALL SENSORY, LEARNING, MOTOR AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES Clinics at Yeerongpilly and Albany Creek
Tel: 1300 136 596 www.kidsmatters.com.au 16
Your Local Families Magazine – Brisbane Issue 5 - August/September 2014
Indooroopilly
Strength and Gentleness Join us for Visitation Day 4/5 Aug and 27/28 Oct 9.30 - 10.30am (07) 3870 7225 www.brigidine.qld.edu.au
A Catholic Girls' Secondary College