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11 Developing Gifted Social/Emotional and Academic Skills in a K-Fifth Gifted Community
The school environment should allow time for k-5th grade gifted learners to come to together to collaborate, work together, and interact with their intellectual peers. The gifted teacher should provide a safe learning environment where the social well-being of each gifted child is nurtured and developed. Through positive relationship building and the facilitation of the gifted teacher, children can emerge as leaders, group members, build relationships with other ages, ethnicities, genders, and interests. The can develop social and emotional skills for interacting in a diverse society. The gifted teacher must design a learning environment where gifted learners can work independently, in small and large groups, and self select learning of interest. Through self-selection of activities, student become motivated to pursue their learning passions. They develop and understand the importance of effective communication in working with others of varying ages who have a variety of gifts. They develop their understanding and appreciation of other cultures. They develop and use relevant strategies to enhance oral and written communication. They develop an appreciation for gifted learners who are twice exception, and English language learners have a safe place to develop their language proficiency. Together, kindergarten through 5th graders teach and learn from each other through structured activities: pattern blocks, Cartesian coordinate puzzles, logic puzzles, chess, and many other activities which the students often create themselves.