Gifted education facts for kids

Gifted education (also known as gifted and talented education (GATE), talented and gifted programs (TAG), or G/T education) is a term for special ways to educate (teach) children who have been identified as gifted. There is no definition of a gifted student which everyone agrees on.

In 2011, the National Association for Gifted Children published a position paper that stated what a gifted student is. The word "gifted" describes people who demonstrate outstanding aptitude or competence in one or more domains. A student who is not gifted in one area, such as music, may be considered gifted in another, such as language. An "aptitude" is defined as an exceptional ability to learn or reason. "Competence" is defined as documented performance or achievement in the top 10 percent of the population.

The main approaches to gifted education are enrichment and acceleration. An enrichment program teaches additional, related material, but keeps the student progressing through the curriculum at the same rate as other students. For example, after the gifted students have completed the normal work in the curriculum, an enrichment program might provide them with additional information about a subject. An acceleration program advances the student through the standard curriculum faster than normal. This is done through many different approaches.

Gifted and talented education has a long history of thousands of years. Plato (c. 427–c. 347 BCE) was in favour of providing specialized education for intellectually gifted young men and women. In China's Tang Dynasty (580-618 CE), child prodigies were summoned to the imperial court for specialized education. Throughout the Renaissance, those who showed creative talent in art, architecture, and literature were supported by both the government and private patronage.

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  Queen Elizabeth High School in Calgary offers the GATE Program to both Division 3 and 4 (in total, Grades 7–12)