Although as teachers we often spend our time making sure that everyone can grasp what we’re teaching about, oftentimes we have kids in our classes who have already mastered the curriculum. So what teaching strategies do we use to reach those that already know what we’re instructing?
Today on TeachHUB.com, we examine those teaching strategies we can use to hopefully challenge the gifted kids who are at risk of becoming bored in our classes. Our centerpiece article, penned by frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, looks at curriculum compacting, or a pace-based method that can engage kids who have already mastered what we’re teaching.
Janelle suggests we first identify kids who are already familiar with our upcoming subject matter. How do we do that? A potential student:
· Finishes tasks quickly.
· Appears bored during instruction.
· Finishes assignments first.
· Is performing high academically in more than one area.
Janelle offers up seven steps that you can use to compact a curriculum, including:
· Identify students who should take the pre-assessment. Use your academic records and class performance to help you determine what student would benefit from this pre-test.
· Use the pre-assessment test to determine mastery of the topic or subject.
Janelle sums up her article like this: “Teachers like using curriculum compacting because it’s an effective teaching strategy that can be used in any grade and in any school district. It’s also flexible enough that teachers find it easy to implement. Just remember that meeting the needs of all learners takes time and patience, so go at a slow pace.”
Have you used curriculum compacting as a means to differentiate instruction with your gifted learners? If so, do you find this an effective form of teaching strategies? Please share your thoughts in the comment section, we would love to hear what you have to day on this topic.
