Chapter 13 Teaching Students with Special Gifts and Talents
13.1 Multiple Choice
1. The vast majority of children and youth who are gifted spend most of their school day in
A) special schools.
B) special classes.
C) general education classrooms.
D) resource rooms.
2. Children and youth who are gifted
A) are an over-represented group of students in special education programs.
B) are an under-identified, under-served, and inappropriately served population.
C) are served under IDEA 2004.
D) are candidates for inclusion under Section 504.
3. All of the following components are included in the federal definition of giftedness except
A) outstanding talent
B) high performance capacity in intellectual, creative, and/or artistic areas.
C) unusual leadership capacity.
D) outstanding academic capacity.
E) athletics.
4. All of the following components below are included in Renzulli’s three-ring conception of giftedness except
A) above-average ability.
B) over-achievement.
C) creativity.
D) task commitment.
5. Gardner and Hatch’s (1989. theory of multiple intelligences comprises ________ areas of ability.
A) eight
B) six
C) seven
D) five
6. In general, gifted students who are from culturally different populations
A) are over-represented in gifted programs.
B) frequently do not apply for gifted services.
C) are under-represented in gifted programs.
D) none of the above
7. The number of students who display exceptional abilities is uncertain because of the varying definitions and
measurements of abilities. The most commonly accepted prevalence rate of giftedness, however, is between
________ and ________.
A) 1%; 2%
B) 2%; 7%
C) 6%; 10%
D) 3%; 5%
8. Most researchers agree that giftedness results from
A) genetic influences.
B) environmental influences.
C) a combination of genetic and environmental influences.
D) none of the above
9. Clark (2002) distinguished between gifted, highly gifted, and exceptionally gifted students. According to this
author’s research, when compared to students who are gifted, a student who is highly gifted
A) tends to have more energy, thinks faster, is more focused on his or her interests, and exhibits a higher
degree of ability.
B) tends to be more isolated by choice and is more invested in concerns of a “meta-nature.”
C) seldom seeks popularity and social acclaim.
D) is often viewed as an underachiever by parents, teachers, and peers.
10. The majority of students who are gifted are identified by
A) their parents.
B) their general education teachers.
C) their special education teachers.
D) the results from state wide assessments.
11. When using cooperative grouping, the teacher should
A) expect the student who is gifted to assume leadership in the group.
B) be careful that the bulk of the work does not fall on the student who is gifted.
C) be careful that other students do not mimic the behavior of the student with special gifts.
D) not assign the student who is gifted to such a group.
12. Nine-year-old Shana has been identified as intellectually gifted in the area of mathematics. To accommodate her
special ability, she is currently working on algebraic equations in her general education class. This reflects the practice
of
A) acceleration.
B) alternative grouping.
C) enrichment.
D) special grouping.
13. Three (3. of the most common practices used in programs for students with exceptional abilities are
A) curriculum compacting, advanced placement, and credit by examination.
B) telescoping curriculum, combined classes, and grade skipping.
C) acceleration, enrichment, and special grouping.
D) mentorships, correspondence courses, and early entrance into college.
14. Sixteen-year-old Michael is gifted in the area of mathematics. Instead of spending a full year taking calculus,
Michael successfully passes a calculus examination. By passing this examination, Michael is given credit for having
taken this high school course. This is an example of
A) concurrent enrollment.
B) credit by examination.
C) advanced placement.
D) telescoping curriculum.
15. Kerry took advanced algebra in the eighth grade and received credit for eleventh-grade algebra. This is an
example of
A) concurrent enrollment.
B) advanced placement.
C) credit by examination.
D) early entrance.
16. ________ refers to techniques that provide topics, skill development, materials, or experiences that extend the depth of
coverage beyond the typical curriculum.
A) Curriculum compacting
B) Enrichment
C) Grade skipping
D) Advanced placement
17. ________ refers to techniques that provide topics, skill development, materials or experiences that extend the depth of
coverage beyond the typical curriculum.
A) Curriculum compacting
B) Telescoping curriculum
C) Advanced placement
D) Enrichment
18. Sixteen-year-old Joshua works with his peers on an activity of mutual interest (e.g., photography). This
arrangements is known as
A) enrichment.
B) curriculum compacting.
C) cluster grouping.
D) heterogeneous grouping.
19. Nine-year-old Camisha has considerable talent in the area of music. She is allowed to compose and then perform a
musical about the Civil War for her social studies class. This reflects a strategy known as
A) acceleration.
B) enrichment.
C) curriculum telescoping.
D) differentiated student production.
20. Groups of students who are typically under-identified as gifted include
A) females.
B) students from culturally diverse backgrounds.
C) students who are economically disadvantaged.
D) students with disabilities.
E) all of the above.
13.2 True or False
1. Most students who are gifted are educated in special programs for most of the school day.
2. Giftedness was added as a separate category of students who qualify for special education as part of the re-authorization
of IDEA in 2004.
3. Movies typically portray gifted individuals in a positive light.
4. Most gifted programs favor students who are gifted in the areas of linguistics and mathematics.
5. Many definitions of giftedness do not address developmental concerns.
6. Fourteen-year-old David is a gifted dancer. Under the federal definition of giftedness, David would qualify for special
services.
7. A developmental definition of giftedness reflects the assumption that very young children may display only general
ability or specific skills; but, as these children move through the grades, evidence of ability or skills will manifest
within specific areas of study.
8. Jamal is a ten-year-old African American student who has great potential in the area of language. Unfortunately,
however, his opportunity to learn has been compromised by factors such as poverty and a poor education. As a result,
Jamal has not reached his potential in the area of language. Jamal may still qualify for special services when the federal
definition of giftedness is applied.
9. The term gifted, as it is defined by the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Act, goes beyond the
demonstration of just high levels of intelligence to include students with special talents.
10. Recently, Gardner has added an additional area of giftedness.
11. If Gardner’s theory were followed closely, students would be assessed in all of the areas of intelligence
identified by this researcher.
12. Although creativity is a common component in many definitions of giftedness, the term creativity has no universally
accepted definition in this context.
13. One paradoxical characteristic of some students who are gifted is that their inquisitive behavior is often
viewed as annoying by others.
14. Terman, a pioneer if the area of giftedness, equated giftedness with high levels of intelligence, and he believed that
giftedness was due solely to environmental influences.
15. The differentiated curriculum approach best supported by research is acceleration.
16. Research suggests that students who are gifted are often subjected to more stringent grading criteria.
17. Students who are gifted are not utilized as co-teachers very often.
13.3 Short Answer
1. A collection of student-generated products that reflect a student’s quality of work is called a ________.
2. ________ refers to the provision of learning opportunities according to students’ needs and abilities.
3. ________ refers to the practice whereby gifted students who have similar ability levels or interests are
grouped together for at least part of the instructional day.
4. Techniques that provide topics, skill development, materials, or experiences that extend the depth of coverage beyond
the typical curriculum are called _______ techniques.
13.4 Essay
1. As the special education coordinator of your school system, you have been presented with the following dilemma:
For the remainder of this fiscal year, you have $50,000 left in your budget. You have just been presented with a student
with severe physical and mental disabilities who requires expensive technology in order to benefit from an education
(approximately cost: $25,000). Also, you are well aware of the need to hire a gifted teacher to serve a group of students
who currently are receiving no services.
Describe and justify your decision regarding fiscal expenditures, and describe in detail how you plan to meet these
two very different demands. Finally, be sure to discuss how federal law applies to these two different populations.
2. You are a third-grade social studies teacher who has three students in your class who are gifted. Pick a social
studies topic or unit, and describe how you will adapt your instruction and the curriculum to accommodate these three
students.
3. Children and youth from culturally diverse groups are often under-represented in programs for students with special
gifts and talents. Describe procedures, using the content provided in this course, that will minimize this under-
representation.
4. As a new teacher, you have been employed to teach in an inclusive classroom. The philosophy of your school faculty
and staff is that all educators bear the responsibility for educating students with diverse abilities. Indicate how you plan to
accommodate the needs of those students who are gifted in your inclusive classroom while at the same time meeting the
needs of both students who are typical and those who are disabled.
5. Hallahan and Kauffman (2002) identified the following myths about students who are gifted. Dispel each myth below
by making an accurate corresponding factual statement.
Myth 1: “People who are gifted are physically weak, socially inept, narrow in interests, and prone to emotional instability
or early decline.”
FACT:
Myth 2: “Gifted children are usually bored with school and antagonistic toward those who are responsible for their
education.”
FACT:
Myth 3: “Students who are truly gifted will excel without special education. They need only the incentives and instruction
that are appropriate for all students.”
FACT:
6. Sternberg’s theory of giftedness includes three (3) types of abilities. Describe these three abilities, and give
an illustrative example of each.
7. Identify and describe six (6) of Gardner’s nine areas of intelligence. Give a specific example of each area of
intelligence.
8. Describe three (3) recommendations for improving the identification and assessment process for students from diverse
and socially and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
9. In 1993, the U.S. Department of Education identified several concerns related to the education of students who are
gifted in general education settings. Describe two (2) concerns cited by this agency for students who have gifts at
a. The elementary level
b. The secondary level
10. Renzulli, Reis, and Smith (1981) identified three phases of curriculum compacting. Identify these three (3) phases.
Chapter 13 Teaching Students with Special Gifts and Talents
13.1 Multiple Choice
13.2 True or False
13.3 Short Answer
13.4 Essay
