Special Education

1. FAST
LEARNERS
Maribel Fernandez
BSED-MAPEH 3
Humprey Ian O. Sagabaen
BSED-RVED 3
EDST 105

2. FAST LEARNERS
 Fast Learners are
people who learn
lessons, topics, or
concepts at a
faster rate, who
possess keen
intellectual
discernment and a
strong practical
sense.

3. FAST LEARNERS
 Fast learning (also
called speed or
quick learning) is
one of the
characteristics of
gifted learners.

4. CAUSES
Pre-natal – Hereditary
Post-natal – Environmental
Factors

5. Learning and Behavioral
CHARACTERISTICS
of Fast Learners

6. Learning Characteristics:
Verbal Proficiency
 Fast learners have
advanced
vocabulary for age
or grade.
 Use words easily
and accurately.

7. Verbal Proficiency
 Speak fluently and
elaborately.
 Read
independently a
great deal.
 Enjoy difficult
reading materials.

8. Reasoning Skills
 Fast learners have
excellent reasoning
skills.
 Tend to
intellectualize,
conceptualize, and
synthesize.
 Can see similarities,
patterns and
differences.

9. Reasoning Skills
 Can generalize
from one situation
to another.
 Find pleasure in
intellectual
activities.

10. Knowledge Base
 Fast learners know
a great deal about
a variety of topics.
 Have quicker
mastery and recall
of factual
information than
other children of
the same age.

11. Knowledge Base
 Are interested in
"adult" topics such
as religion, race
relations, peace
and disarmament,
politics, the
environment.

12. Learning Efficiency
Fast learners
can process a
great deal of
information
quickly.

13. Learning Efficiency
Have rapid
insight into
cause-effect
relationships.
Are very
observant.

14. Intense Curiosity
 Fast learners have
questioning and
inquisitive attitudes.
 Ask many unusual
or provocative
questions (not just
informational or
factual questions).

15. Intense Curiosity
 Are interested in the
"why" and "how" of
things.
 Are concerned with
what makes things
right or wrong.
 Have areas of
"passionate" interest
inside or outside of
school.

16. Originality
 Fast learners have
the ability to
generate original
ideas and solutions.
 Can reason out
problems logically.
 Find new and
unusual ways to
approach and solve
problems.

17. Originality
 Can analyze
complicated
material into
component parts.
 Enjoy difficult
problems and
puzzles.

18. Power of Concentration
 Fast learners are
goal-oriented
people.
 Persist in achieving
self-determined
goals.
 Have long
attention span.

19. Power of Concentration
 Work on tasks until
completion especially
when motivated or
inspired.
 Need little
encouragement from
others when working
on areas of interest
(intrinsically motivated
or inner directed.)
 Set high personal
standards.

20. Behavioral Characteristics:
Fast learners…
 Can become perfectionists
 Are success-oriented; tend to avoid something
where failure is a possibility
 Have a keen sense of humor; love absurdities,
jokes, pranks
 Can have poor social acceptance by age peers
 Listen to only part of the explanation; appear to
have low concentration
 Show dislike and boredom for repetition

21. Behavioral Characteristics:
Fast learners…
 Often prefer company of older students and adults
 Become focused or absorbed when interested
 Become impatient with interferences and
distractions
 Can be stubborn in their own beliefs
 Empathize with others; understanding and
sympathetic
 Show impatience with waiting for other students
 Are perceived as too serious

22. TEACHING
STRATEGIES

23. According to Maker in 1986
More time might
be spent on
higher levels of
thinking
Research skills
might be taught
earlier

24. According to Maker in 1986
Material might
be presented at
a faster rate
And the ideas
taught might be
more complex

25.  Give fast learners
additional, more level-appropriate
activities.
(they may not like the
idea that they have to
do extra work simply
because they learn
fast)
 Extra work will keep
them from being bored
or impatient when
others need to go over
a concept again.

26.  Encourage quick
learners to take on
an independent
project that is
related to your
lessons in content.

27.  Give fast learners
the opportunity to
share ideas
verbally and in
depth in class or
group discussions.

28.  Allow fast learners
to approach
problems and
learning in diverse
ways. Let them
think out-of-the-box.

29.  Fast learners may feel
frustrated about
themselves and with
other students’ lack of
ability to understand
concepts or
generalizations. Instruct
them to consider that
their feeling of
frustration is an
emotional impulse and
that having patience is
an issue of self-control.

30.  Remind fast
learners that being
smart does not
mean they are
better than other
students. How they
apply this gift is
more important.

31. References:
 Yewchuk, C (1998). Learning Characteristics of Gifted Students:
Implications for Instruction and Guidance. Retrieved January 10,
2014, from http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/apex/v12art06.php
 Norman, L. (n.d.). How to Help Quick Learners with Patience.
Retrieved December 03, 2013, from
http://www.ehow.com/how_8483577_quick-learners-patience.html
 Characteristics of the Gifted Learner Parent Survey [PDF file]. (n.d.).
Retrieved from
iu19giftednetwork.wikispaces.com/file/view/Parent%20survey.pdf
 Teaching Strategies for Students with Diverse Learning Needs [PDF
file]. (1996). Available from
www.nebraskasocialstudies.org/pdf/tsfswdln.pdf

32. Thank you very
much! ^_^