rage - just lost a whole post on gifted and talented. be very glad - probably karma as i have ranted so much today.
points of rant -
1.nomenclature - gifted and talented vs average or struggling
2. there being a national register of gifted and talented children
2.not being frank that what labour wants to do is reintroduce setting/streaming
3. pretending that individualised option is a reality in most schools
but mainly the words!!!
but doesn’t this
General Characteristics of Gifted, Talented and More Able Pupils - he or she may:
- be a good reader
- be very articulate or verbally fluent for their age
- give quick verbal responses (which can appear cheeky)
- have a wide general knowledge
- learn quickly
- be interested in topics which one might associate with an older child
- communicate well with adults - often better than with their peer group
- have a range of interests, some of which are almost obsessions
- show unusual and original responses to problem-solving activities
- prefer verbal to written activities
- be logical
- be self taught in their own interest areas
- have an ability to work things out in their head very quickly
- have a good memory that they can access easily
- be artistic
- be musical
- excel at sport
- have strong views and opinions
- have a lively and original imagination / sense of humour
- be very sensitive and aware
- focus on their own interests rather than on what is being taught
- be socially adept
- appear arrogant or socially inept
- be easily bored by what they perceive as routine tasks
- show a strong sense of leadership
- not necessarily be well-behaved or well liked by others
sound like characteristics that lots of HE kids you know have? And isn’t it sooooo meaningless in the HE world of individualised education!

5 comments
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Saturday, 14th April 2007 at 1:12 am
Tim
The one which really bugs me is the brainlessness of the suggestion that only some children have Special Educational Needs.
Saturday, 14th April 2007 at 8:16 am
Chris
i’m just chuckling, H has been chuntering/ranting about this a lot lately
Saturday, 14th April 2007 at 9:54 am
t-bird
well OBVIOUSLY all home educated children ARE gifted and talented (but we already knew that didn’t we!)
Saturday, 14th April 2007 at 7:48 pm
Jan
The first time I went to a HE camp I observed that a lot of the children seemed special and unusual in a wide variety of good ways. Then it dawned on me that children are supposed to be special and unusual, it’s squeezing them into a mould that makes them seem ‘normal’.
Sunday, 15th April 2007 at 11:15 am
Alison
“And isn?t it sooooo meaningless in the HE world of individualised education!” Absolutely Helen