These resources will be helpful in your efforts to find, support and challenge high ability learners. Some are activities for students while others are planning tools students and teachers can use when tweaking or developing learning experiences, big or small.
Student Activities
- Diffy (in English and French).
- My Mind Works in Different Ways
Resources and Information for Planning
- 18 forms of acceleration
- Alternatives to teacher’s questions in discussions
- Choice: A Way to Share Responsibility for Curriculum Differentiation
- Collection of teaching materials (online and print) organized by differentiation strategy
- Criteria are Critical
- Lists of options from the Possibilities for Learning survey
- Opening Up Curriculum
- Prompts for open-ended activities
- Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy
- Social Issues: A Great Place to Develop Metacognitive Awareness and Knowledge
- Streamlining Math Drills
- Tiering with Venn Diagrams
- Weird assessment criteria
Books on Curriculum Development for High Ability Learners
Betts, G. T., Carey, R. J., & Kapushion, B. M. (2017). Autonomous learner model resource book. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Dixon, F. A., & Moon, S. M. (Eds.) (2015). The handbook of secondary gifted education (2nd ed.). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Heacox, D. (2009). Making differentiation a habit. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Heacox, D., & Cash, R. M. (2014). Differentiation for gifted learners. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Karnes, F. A., & Bean, S. A. (2014). Methods and materials for teaching the gifted (4th ed.). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Kingore, B. (2008). Differentiation: Simplified, Realistic, and Effective: How to Challenge Advanced Potentials in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. Austin, TX: Professional Associates Publishing.
Maker, C. J., & Nielson, A. (Eds.) (1996). Curriculum development and learning strategies for the gifted (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Maker, C. J., & Schiever, S. W. (2010). Curriculum Development and Teaching Strategies for Gifted Learners (3rd Ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Renzulli, J. S., Gubbins, E. J., McMillen, K. S., Eckert, R. D., & Little, C. A. (Eds.). (2009). Systems & models for developing programs for the gifted & talented (2nd ed.). Mansfield, CT: Creative Learning Press.
Roberts, J. L., & Inman, T. F. (2014). Strategies for differentiating instruction: Best practices for the classroom (3rd ed.). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Smutny, J. F., Walker, S. Y., & Honeck, I. E. (2016). Teaching Gifted Children in Today’s Preschool and Primary Classrooms: Identifying, Nurturing, and Challenging Children Ages 4-9. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Press.
VanTassel-Baska, J. L., & Little, C. A. (Eds.) (2016). Content-Based Curriculum for High-Ability Learners (3rd ed.). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.