
The student should be given the appropriate credit or placement for work completed at a satisfactory level. Issues of credit and placement are important. To prevent students from exhausting their high-level math options before completing high school, they might be transported to a different building for math class, work with tutors individually, participate in a distance-learning program, or take a college math class while still in high school. When students skip a grade or move ahead only in math, challenging them in mathematics every year from then on calls for long-term planning. Not only are accelerated students more challenged academically, but they are more satisfied socially, because they are placed with their intellectual peers. How can I utilize educational acceleration to develop my child’s math talent?ĭecades of research clearly demonstrates that acceleration is an effective option for talented students.
Students appreciate that the model is tailored to their individual needs and allows them to move at a pace that is appropriate for their own development and maturity. Since the student is required to demonstrate mastery of each topic before moving ahead, unsuspected gaps in knowledge are not a concern. This model has been carefully researched and shown to be extremely useful for teaching math-talented students.
The student takes a posttest to demonstrate mastery. This prescriptive instruction is the heart of the model. The mentor works with the student on the topics that he or she has not yet mastered. Mentor then analyzes the information from this step to clarify what the student does and does not understand. The test proctor readministers items that the student missed, skipped, or did not have time to answer.
They take a diagnostic pretest that measures their specific achievements in mathematics. They take an above-level aptitude test to assess their mathematical abilities. In this individualized program, students go through several steps: Stanley at Johns Hopkins University, the diagnostic testing -> prescriptive instruction model was designed to match the level and pace of mathematics instruction to students’ abilities and achievements. How can I determine the individualized math education my child needs?ĭeveloped by the late Julian C. This work can occur either in or outside school. Students can enroll in computer-based or correspondence distance-learning programs. This may or may not result in acceleration. Talented students meet together to study mathematics. Working one-on-one or in a small group with a teacher, a student moves systematically through a predetermined curriculum. Students may advance one or more grade levels in math. The teacher provides challenging math work but does not accelerate the student in mathematics. Students are taken out of the regular classroom to attend a special class. Talented students who complete their work early or who have mastered the content presented in class can work on a math-related project on their own. Students who demonstrate mastery on pretests are permitted to work on more complex topics assigned by the teacher. Curriculum compacting within the regular classroom. The teacher presents challenging and interesting content that may or may not be related to the topics covered in the regular class. Enrichment within the regular classroom. A variety of programs may be implemented for math-talented students: What are some options to enhance math talent?īased on the results of the testing, a student’s abilities can be matched to the curriculum level. They determine what mathematical concepts students do and do not know, and this information is useful for good curriculum planning. The tests are called “above-level” because they have been developed for older students. Students need to take an above-level test, such as university talent searches offer, to measure their mathematical reasoning. Grade-level tests are not advanced enough and don’t accurately gauge these abilities.
Anecdotes shared by parents about their precocious youngsters are helpful in identifying these students initially, but the objective information determined from an appropriate assessment is essential in determining the extent of their abilities and providing them with a challenging level of mathematics.Īlthough IQ testing is useful, it doesn’t provide enough specific information to pinpoint students’ abilities in math. For example, they may learn to tell time at age two and begin adding and subtracting long before they enter kindergarten. Mathematically talented students often show an early interest in and facility with numbers.