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The implementation of an exemplary gifted/talented program calls for certain modification of the regular classroom curriculum, tailored instructional materials and methods, special teacher preparation and selection, and the development and use of Individual Educational Programs for each gifted student in each subject.  The basic pattern for implementation should include a combination of the following:

• Enrichment of content
• Acceleration of content
• Individualization of Instruction
• A modified curriculum
• Specific goal-directed programs
• Special lectures, field trips, or seminars
• Individual studies

Individual programs shall be developed through the cooperation of the teacher and student.  Under the teacher's guidance the student may elect to produce from the following non-exhaustive list below:

• Products of choice
• Advanced readings
• Reports
• Major papers/works
• Experiments/etc.

Teaching and learning strategies may include the following:

• Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives:
  Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation
• Krathwohl's Taxonomy of Affective Objectives:
  Awareness, Receiving, Responding, Valuing, and Integration in a value structure
• Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model
• Sketching:  A method of getting images on paper without using words, using as few lines as possible.  The steps are as follows:
  1. concrete- objects, such as a tree or house
  2. abstract- feelings and ideas, such as patriotism or friendship
  3. sentences or question- combining thoughts in the form of statements or questions
  4. sequence- order of events in a story
  5. concepts- creative application or synthesis (example: personal note-taking, sketching a plan, etc.)
• Fluency- generating many ideas
  1. basic fluency- brainstorming many ideas
  2. verbal fluency- partner exchange of ideas
  3. reversal- generating ideas that are the opposite ("How could I go to the store?  Now, how could the store come to me?")
• Flexibility- alternative thinking
• Originality- unusual ideas (concrete, moving to abstract)
• Elaboration- adding many details
  1. figural- drawing many details
  2. semantic- adding many details in words
• Evaluation- making judgments after weighing ideas
  1. personal- looking at the pros and cons of an idea from one person's point of view
  2. issue- looking at the advantages and disadvantages of a situation from many points of view
• Mind Mapping- elaborating on an idea through sub-groups
• Productive Thinking- a creative process defined by E. Paul Torrance and others
• Decision Making- utilize a step-by-step process for making personal decisions
• Level I- teacher sets the criteria
• Level II- student develops the criteria
• Paired comparisons- used as a separate activity to rank possible choices
• Criteria Development- additional experiences in developing appropriate questions using flexibility techniques
• Level II- weighted criteria using paired comparisons and use of weighted grid
• Solution Modification- looking at alternatives using the modification triangle (issue evaluation, strengthen weak alternatives, combine strong and weak alternatives)
• Logic- technique for step-by-step deductive thinking and analysis
• Forecasting- looking at change in relation to the causes and effects
• Planning- thinking through a project before beginning it
• Enrichment Reading- literature study including novels, classics, historical fiction, and comparison of authors
• Independent Study
  • guided- teacher guides selection of topic, flexibility of categories, time line, steps, and product
  • personal choice- student chooses topic, categories, time line, steps, and product
• Communication- expressing one's thoughts, ideas, and feeling to others
• Pattern Writing- following patterns to compose certain types of writing, such as haiku (17-syllable Japanese poetic form), cinquain (five-line poetic form), etc.
• SCAMPER- a fluency technique
  S  substitute
  C  combine
  A  adapt
  M  modify, magnify, minimize
  P  put to other uses
  E  eliminate
  R  rearrange
• Creative Problem solving (through the use of such programs as Odyssey of the Mind and Future Problem Solving)

Materials will be developed by the New Deal I.S.D. in cooperation with classroom teachers, school administrators, counselors, central office staff, and Region XVII Education Service Center.

Differentiation for the gifted implies modification of student goals and objectives, instructional strategies, learning experiences, evaluation, and scope and sequence of the curriculum to meet their individual needs and interests.  Kaplan (1974) reminds us that:

The curriculum is not intended to be a prescribed route which all students must follow.  It should be considered a framework of learning alternatives serving as a resource for ideas or as a departure point for further study and activity.  Neither the student nor the teacher should be expected to use it in its entirety or in one specific sequence.

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