Mathematically Gifted Students

Mathematically Gifted Students

Student-centered approach instruction is a strategy in teaching where the process of planning, teaching, and assessment revolves around the needs and abilities of varied learners. When opportunities arise that require students to solve problems, the teacher guides them to apply what they already know to learn new knowledge in mathematics (Van de Walle, 2017). While teaching using the student-centered approach in mathematics, the instructor does not encourage learners to memorize a rule to solve the problem but teaches them to use thinking, reasoning, and evaluating to find the solution to the problem. Problem-solving is, therefore, incorporated into all content areas as an effective processing skill. This paper aims to review strategies teachers can employ while teaching mathematically gifted students.

How to Teach Students Gifted in Mathematics

Dealing with mathematically gifted learners can be a challenge to teachers at times. Mathematically gifted students differ from the rest of the learners because they learn at a fast pace, have a deeper understanding, and show high interest in what they do (Davidson,2019).  However, when one applies the right strategies, it can help navigate these challenges and motivate these learners to keep on performing well. One of the methods I would use to teach students gifted in mathematics is the inquiry-based strategy. This is a good strategy to teach these learners because they tend to comprehend information quickly, leading to the discovery of new knowledge.

Additionally, the inquiry-based strategy opens up an opportunity for open-ended questions with multiple paths to the solutions (Davidson,2019). While incorporating the student-centered approach, the teacher should allow these students to design their own ways of finding solutions to complex questions. This will help them to discover more than what the teacher thought was possible.

Teaching the Gifted and those Experiencing Delays in One Classroom

When teaching a classroom consisting of gifted and struggling learners, it is important to strike a balance and ensure that all these learners are taken care of. The teacher should spend less time concentrating on one group of learners, leaving others behind (Akhter et al., 2018). All student’s needs should be adequately attended to. In such a situation where some children are gifted while others are experiencing delays, I would focus more on the learners’ strengths rather than their shortcomings. I would ensure I offer all learners equal opportunities by being consistent in leading them through solving problems.

Additionally, since I understand that gifted learners learn at a faster pace than others, I will ensure I create tiered assignments that help to challenge their complex skills. One of the activities that I would use to challenge gifted learners is the use of puzzles. This is a great way to engage these learners during instruction. These may come in the form of logic and reasoning puzzles, brain teasers, or riddles. Technology and the power of the internet can also be an important resource to help keep gifted students engaged at all times. (483)

References

Akhter, N., Din, M. N. U., & Khan, A. M. (2018). The Mathematics Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions of the Student-Centered Approaches and Professional Learning Experiences.  Global Social Sciences Review, 3(4), 87-101.

Davidson, A. (2019). Ingredients for planning student-centered learning in mathematics.  Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 24(3), 8-14.

Van de Walle, J. A., Lovin, L. H., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2017). Teaching student-centered mathematics: developmentally appropriate instruction for grades pre-K-2 (Volume I) (Vol. 1). Pearson.

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Required Texts and Resources:
● (Van de Walle, J.A. (2018), Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics: Developmentally appropriate instruction for Grades PreK-2, (Vol 1) 3rd Edition; Pearson

ASSIGNMENT: Read Chapter 6 about Mathematically Gifted Students.

Post on the discussion board how you would teach students gifted in mathematics. In your normal classroom, some children will be gifted while others are experiencing delays. How would you handle this? Include an activity you could use that would challenge the gifted students. Post with at least 350 words or more. Write the number of words in parenthesis at the end of your post. (374) Then respond to two classmates for full credit.