2. Mrs. Cossa
22nd Year of teaching.
Currently at Builta and Clow
Hobbies: music, golfing, and reading.
Favorite pastime: shopping with my
daughters! One hates it the other one
loves it.
3. “The surest path to high
self-esteem is to be successful
at something one perceived
would be DIFFICULT!
Each time we steal a student’s
struggle, we rob them of an
opportunity to build self-efficacy.
Students must experience
success with difficult tasks to
feel capable and competent.”
Dr. Sylvia Rimm
4. Vision
At Indian Prairie School District, we believe that
gifted program services should encourage
students to:
• value and utilize their individual talents
• apply and value learning and knowledge
• communicate their ideas effectively
5. Mission
The mission of gifted program services is to address
individual academic needs, provide an
environment that allows risk-taking and personal
growth, and offer an enriched, accelerated, in-
depth and diverse curriculum.
6. Program Goals
• Provide consistent and challenging direct
instruction
• Promote excellence and rigor throughout the
curriculum
• Promote effective communication between
District and community
7. Elementary Service Delivery
Grade 2 Grades 3,4 and 5
150 minutes per week
pull-out gifted
resource
200 minutes per week
pull-out gifted
resource
Complimented by on-going collaboration with classroom cluster teachers
8. Bright Child vs. Gifted Learner
created by Jane Szaby and published by Good Apple to help parents recognize some of the subtle differences.
• Knows the answers
• Is interested
• Is attentive
• Has good ideas
• Works hard
• Answers the questions
• Top of group
• Listens with interest
• Learns with ease
• 6-8 repetitions for mastery
• Understands ideas
• Enjoys peers
• Grasps the meaning
• Completes assignments
• Is receptive
• Copies accurately
• Enjoys school
• Absorbs information
• Asks the questions
• Is highly curious
• Is mentally involved
• Has wild and silly ideas
• Plays around, yet tests well
• Discusses in detail
• Beyond the group
• Shows strong feelings and opinions
• Already knows
• 1-2 repetitions for mastery
• Constructs abstractions
• Prefers adults
• Draws inferences
• Initiates projects
• Is intense
• Creates new designs
• Enjoys learning
• Manipulates information
9. Characteristics of Gifted Learners
• Knowledge of basic skills
• Has ability to concentrate
• Enjoys academic pursuits
• Is persistent
• Enjoys the challenge of difficult activities
• Is curious
• Is perceptive
• Is verbally fluent
• Is able to approach ideas and problems from a different perspective
• Creates products of unusual character
• Is imaginative
• Is logical; can generalize
• Follows problem solving steps
Adapted from information by Susan Winebrenner (Education Consulting Service) and May V. Seagoe (“Some Learning Characteristics of Gifted Children”)
10. Curriculum Goals
• To broaden knowledge and skills through increased
pace, depth, and level of learning
• To develop advanced critical thinking
• To develop advanced research methods
• To develop advanced creative thinking
• To develop advanced oral and written
communication skills
• To apply problem solving processes in a variety of
situations
• To understand characteristics unique to the gifted
population
11. Elementary Gifted Education Instructional Framework
Project Arrow Program
Literary
Critical
Thinking
Problem
Solving
Research
Methods
Creative
Thinking
Literary critical
thinking is defined as
the application of the
following processes
in written and oral
expression:
•Analytical thinking
•Problem solving
•Interpretion
•Judgment
•Evaluation
•Synthesis of
information
•Formulation of
inferences
Problem solving is
defined as
engaging with a
task for which a
solution is not
known in advance
Research methods
include the BIG 6
Information
Literacy Model.
The expectations
for researching
within the Gifted
Program are
usually accelerated
and advanced
because of the
nature of student
interests,
inquisitiveness and
final products
Creative thinking
is defined using
the Torrance
Model which
includes fluency,
flexibility,
originality, and
elaboration
Affective and communication skills are addressed throughout each strand and
at each grade level.
17. SYSTEMS CHANGE
Grade 2 Ancient Greece
Athenian Secret
Literature Exploration
Grade 3 Ancient Egypt Literature Journeys
Grade 4 Neurology Literature Reflections
Grade 5 Economics Literature Connections
Core Curriculum Units
18. Owen Elementary
Year Long Map
Grade Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4
2 Ancient Greece
Athenian
Secret
Ancient Greece
Athenian
Secret
Literature
Exploration
Literature
Exploration
3 Ancient Egypt Ancient
Egypt
Literature
Journeys
Literature
Journeys
4 Literature
Reflections
Literature
Reflections
Neurology Neurology
5 Literature
Connections
Literature
Connections
Economics Economics
19. Streamlined Units
Literature Units
• 2nd Grade
• 3rd Grade
• 4th Grade
• 5th Grade
Systems
• 2nd Grade-Ancient Greece
• 3rd Grade-Ancient Egpyt
• 4th Grade-Neurology
• 5th Grade- Economics
20. Systems
2nd Grade
Students will independently be able to use their
learning to…
Understand that civilizations throughout time
contribute to one another.
3rd Grade
Students will independently be able to use their
learning to…
understand that our world is a collection of
interdependent systems that shape and define
our lives.
22. Grammar Highlights
Written especially for gifted
students by:
Michael Clay Thompson
3rd grade: Grammar Island
4th Grade: Grammar Town
5th Grade: Grammar Voyage
• A month long study
• Engaging story told
in creative way.
• A way to teach grammar
in context.
• Level 4 analysis
23. Cluster Grouping
A group of identified gifted students who are
“clustered” in the classroom of a teacher
who has been trained in curriculum
differentiation.
24. Differentiation
The process of adapting the curriculum
according to the ability level of the student.
It is specifically geared to:
CONTENT
PROCESS
PRODUCT
25. Curriculum Compacting
Process of compressing the required curriculum
into a shorter time period so students who
master the basic content faster can use the
time to do alternative activities.
26. Acceleration
Refers to the strategy of teaching content at a
faster pace, and usually a year ahead of the
designated instructional grade level
placement.
30. Schedule
Grade Levels Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays
2nd 9:30-10:20 2:30-3:20 B 9:30-10:20
3rd 2:30-3:20 2:30-3:20 10:20-11:10 U 10:20-11:10
4th 9:30-10:20 10:20-11:10 9:30-10:20 I 12:15-1:05
5th 12:15-1:05 12:10-1:05 11:50-12:40 L 2:30-3:20
Time Requirements T
2nd Grade 150 minutes A
3rd Grade 200 minutes
4th Grade 200 minutes
5th Grade 200 minutes
31. How is my child graded?
E= Exceeds Standards
M= Meets Standards
N= Falls just a bit short
DNM= Not meeting the requirements
32. Supplies
• Binder and Loose Leaf Paper
• School box: pencils, markers, glue sticks
We could use some help with
prizes, rulers, markers, glue sticks and ect.
