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Meeting the needs of gifted and talented students

Gifted and talented students benefit from rigorous, relevant and engaging learning opportunities based on the Australian Curriculum content. These learning opportunities should take account of each student’s individual strengths, abilities, interests and goals. Planning with the 3 dimensions of the Australian Curriculum allows teachers to support gifted and talented students in meeting their full potential. 

 

ACARA acknowledges the range of models to be considered when planning, including: 

  • Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent 
  • Renzulli’s Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness 
  • Tannenbaum’s “Sea Star” model of identification of potentially gifted students.  

Please consult your state, territory or sector for models to be considered. 

 

To ensure that appropriate adjustments are in place for gifted and talented students, their parents or carers should be consulted about the adjustments. As with students with other diverse needs, these adjustments can be made across one or more of the following:  

The content, process, products and learning environment should be adjusted in response to student goals, abilities and interests.

  • The process of adjustment starts with learning area content; teachers, in consultation with students and parents or carers, consider the cognitive expectations above the student’s current year level. 
  • The general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities can be used to extend and enrich teaching and learning opportunities. 
  • Gifted and talented students should be encouraged to achieve educational standards beyond those of their peers. 
  • Teachers may be able to engage students in the curriculum decision-making process, giving them an opportunity to learn how to take responsibility for their own learning. 
  • Students may require different levels of adjustment over time to reach their potential. Gifted/talented students may also have disability and/or English as an additional language or dialect. 
  • Gifted and talented students may have the capacity to learn at a faster rate than other students.  
  • Some students learn best when they have opportunities to pursue independent projects based on their own individual interests. 
  • A student’s giftedness (natural ability) may not be reflected in achievement. 
  • Learning environments should be stimulating and designed to address cognitive, physical, emotional and social needs of gifted students. 
  • Teachers can provide opportunities for gifted students to interact with other gifted students across year levels or with other school communities through collaborative projects. 
  • Teachers can guide students in creating their own goals and setting goals that are specific, measurable, challenging, realistic and achievable within a reasonable time frame. 
  • Gifted and talented students may benefit from being given different ways to acquire content, to process or make sense of ideas, and to develop solutions, or apply it in different contexts. 
  • Pre-assessment and ongoing formative assessment are critical to ensure that learning area content and adjustments align with student needs.  
  • Ongoing formative assessment, particularly pre-assessment, is critical to ensure that learning area content and adjustments align with student needs. 
  • When evaluating the adjustments made on behalf of a student, the effects of the adjustment on the following should be considered: 
    • the student’s ability to achieve the intended learning outcomes 
    • the student’s ability to access and participate in learning programs 
    • opportunities that foster the student’s proactiveness and agency for learning. 

Refer to jurisdiction and sector specific information for more advice and policy direction.