How to K-2

 Identifying high-potential students from historically underserved groups requires innovative approaches. A university-school district partnership developed and implemented K-2 enrichment lessons that engage students in higher-order thinking while helping teachers recognize exceptional potential beyond traditional literacy and numeracy measures. These activities shift teachers’ perceptions as they observe students' divergent thinking, leading to more equitable identification for Talent Development Services, including cluster classrooms and the Rising Scholars Program. 

Carol and Cori help districts lay the groundwork for equitable identification for gifted services starting in the earliest grades.  

 How do you improve equitable identification in early elementary? Learn about open-ended, active lessons that ignite all students’ curiosity and facilitate critical and creative thinking in high potential, at-risk students. We will share 3 field-tested K-2 enrichment lessons that allow you to see your students in new ways and to identify student strengths that may not appear on formal assessments.  

 As part of a three-year Javits grant, a university and school district collaborative research team developed and implemented district-wide K-2 enrichment lessons to identify early elementary, high-potential students from historically underserved student groups in a mid-sized school district. These whole class enrichment activities were designed to identify students for Talent Development Services, including cluster classrooms and a Rising Scholars Program that serves high ability, underserved learners who are twice exceptional and/or come from linguistically diverse, culturally diverse, and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The benefits are clear: teachers’ perceptions of their students undergo a transformation when teachers are tasked with looking for divergent or surprising thinking. Students benefit from participating in these activities that facilitate higher order thinking skills and activities that do not rely on literacy or numeracy for engagement or success. These enrichments are strong additions to your planning toolkits for narrowing the Excellence Gap at the student, classroom, school, and district levels. We will share these field-tested enrichment lessons, discuss design processes, and offer strategies for using these enrichments to elevate equitable identification and to provide individual and systemic educational services for underserved gifted populations.  

 When gifted learners feel their school work is not relevant to the real world or their future goals, they may begin to disengage from school. Motivate your students using practical strategies based on research.  Participants will leave with big ideas and small steps.

Carol Malueg and Cori Paulet have worked or consulted on 5 Javits research projects between them.  They have presented at numerous state and national conferences.  They delight in sharing research-tested strategies for finding and supporting gifted children in early elementary.