Parallel Session Proceedings »
5.3.7 Gifted and Multilingual Learners: How Can We Effectively Identify and Serve Them?
To support the changing landscape of P-12 students, those in the field of gifted education must also adjust to meet the identification and service needs of potentially-gifted students. Much has been written and echoed concerning the need to consider diverse populations and potential in gifted education (e.g. Constanello & Diaz, 2002; Davis & Rimm, 1989; Ford & Whiting, 2008; National Research Council, 2002). However, much less practical information has been shared regarding how to support, identify, and serve our ever-changing group of potentially-gifted students. With the world’s shift to a multicultural and multilingual society, it is no longer enough to simply recommend a nonverbal measure in lieu of a more traditional assessment. Instead, professionals need to take a holistic look at their student population to determine the cultural facets that may impact the way strengths are exhibited and understood. This session will present practical tools that can be used by educators, psychologists, and administrators to create models for talent development and identification, scaffold experience and opportunity, and match strength and growth opportunities.
Specifically, we will begin with an abbreviated overview of characteristics often found in multilingual gifted learners, demonstrating some of the differences from traditional lists of characteristics. We will also address common mistakes in identifying multilingual gifted learners, such as not matching identification to service and using advanced achievement as the gateway measure. The concept of local norms will be emphasized. Three models will be shared, demonstrating different paths to identification that include opportunities for scaffolded experiences and attention to individual strengths. Participants will also have opportunity to see multiple measures that can be used in the screening and identification process, learning that multiple measures should be permitted and used in order to capitalize on the wide-range of student strengths. Presenters will also share methods for supporting multilingual gifted learners who are entering and participating in traditional gifted programs, emphasizing the need for on-going teacher training as the gifted student population and according identified strengths change from year-to-year.