I have 1 very gifted student in my class. The rest of the students are below level readers. Any thoughts on ways I can challenge this little boy?:thanks:
Try differentiating assignments specifically for him, give him pretests, and giving him his own texts that are more on his level. For instance, he could have his own spelling lists with words that are on his level, and the same with math skills and projects. If you have a tape recorder, you could have him record him reading from a book more his level (after a bit of practice with fluency), and then you could let other students play the tape and follow along with his reading as part of a listening center.
You could also give him independent study projects to do on a topic of his choosing. Have him read a chapter book and do reading response or a project to show the plot of the story.
Are you the only teacher on the grade level? If not, I would coordinate with another teacher and try to make a small reading group of higher students. Last year I took a group of high 2nd graders, and I was able to do a lot of things with them that other groups weren't able to do. They also got to work on harder stories, and focus on higher levels of thinking. If this is the only 2nd grade class, try coordinating with a 3rd grade teacher.
He was tested and recommended for gifted last year but we have since lost our gifted teacher. I have been giving him enrichment activities in math and a few in reading but he completes everything so quickly. I'm just looking to compile a list of activities he can work on that will challenge him.
It will depend on what he's able to handle. If you know his reading level, he should be reading books there and working on activities that accommodate that. It can be the same stuff the rest of the class is doing, except that it's on his level. For instance, if the rest of the class is reading a picture book and doing assignments based on that, he could be reading a chapter book and working on similar assignments, word study and reading comprehension activity that fit that book. Same thing with math. Maybe the other students are learning to tell time. If he's already mastered that, he could do a lesson that's about the same thing, only with questions that are challenging for him. Is he ready for multiplication practice? Two-digit adding and subtracting? He could make a deck of cards and use them to practice mental math. Are there other gifted students in the grade that he can work together on group assignments? You may need to borrow another teacher's textbooks from third, fourth or fifth grade and get assignments from there. I don't think it's necessary that he be off in his own little corner doing his own thing while the rest of the class is doing something totally different. Differentiating and making the regular work more suitable to his level would be ideal.
If he's a gifted reader make sure he has something he can read and enjoy of his level, if he's gifted in math, let him work at his own pace in his math book. Spend a minute or two with him to show him how to work a problem and then let him sail. Show him how to check his own work. If you need to beg, borrow, or steal another grade level book with a teacher's edition so he can check his own work. Please help this kid so he doesn't develop brain rot and start to hate school.
