GiftedWorks

…Because all students deserve the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

- Kristin Baker, Educational Specialist.

The Rationale for Challenge

Three reasons why students should encounter continual challenge:

1.  Students are in school to learn.

There is a common misperception that advanced learners do not need to be taught. Perhaps you have heard something like this:

"Those high kids will be just fine."

"You can just let them go!"

Or even, "I take no responsibility for teaching your child," said with a smile.

Grade level skills are NOT everything. It is our responsibility as educators to take our students to the next level,  whatever that level might be.

The National Association for Gifted Children  has declared the Gifted Children's Bill of Rights, written by Del Siegle, NAGC President, 2007-2009:

You have a right to...

• know about your giftedness.

• learn something new everyday.

• be passionate about your talent area without apologies.

• have an identity beyond your talent area.

• feel good about your accomplishments.

• make mistakes.

• seek guidance in the development of your talent.

• have multiple peer groups and a variety of friends.

• choose which of your talent areas you wish to pursue.

• not to be gifted at everything.

2. Productive struggle builds resilience: Students must learn to strive.

One of the most important traits we can foster in gifted children is self-efficacy, and self-efficacy often grows through experience with productive struggle. Gifted children commonly experience early education as easy, requiring little to no focused effort for success. Then when they encounter genuine challenge, whether in fourth grade with long division or tenth grade with advanced algebra, they may experience a crisis: the “plateau” or the “performance cliff” or the “imposter syndrome.” They may doubt or discount their own abilities and even put aside their aspirations, as they lack the preparation to navigate through obstacles. By providing early levels of appropriate challenge with scaffolding, we can build resilience and problem-solving even in primary grades. Lee Ann Jung, in Thriving in the Zone of Productive Struggle, describes strategies to support students in this growth process.

Carol Dweck's work on mindset shows the importance of connecting effort with success. 

• If students continually "succeed" without expending true effort, they discount the result.

• They fail to develop the skills of persistence and effort.

• When they do encounter genuine challenge, they lack the strategies to work through their frustrations.

Elementary grades are not too early to learn to strive! Not only that, but waiting until middle or upper grades may leave students with a "fixed mindset." Students with a fixed mindset often give up more easily in the face of challenge, and they may accept failure as a reflection of self-worth or ability instead of connecting it to effort, with sentiments such as "I'm so bad at math. I'm dumb." compared to the healthier, growth mindset sentiment "I need to practice division more."

For more information on Carol Dweck's work, visit her website, MindSet.

3.  Behavior issues are minimized when kids are engaged.

Learning is the opposite of boredom, and learning is the antidote to boredom.

Students learn best in the Zone of Proximal Development, where they are presented with an appropriate level of challenge that piques their interest and encourages them to use what they know to expand their skills. An article worth reading is "Boredom and Its Opposite," from ASCD.

This chart reflects my action research on overcoming underachievement among gifted and high potential students, and points out the importance of balancing challenge and stimulation in maintaining engagement.

About Kristin Baker, Ed. S.