Gifted and Talented

Literature review of the learner group

Giftedandtalentedchildrenarethoseidentifiedtohaveoutstanding
abilitiesandarecapableofhighperformance(Marland,1971).
Disturbinglyhowever,researchhasrevealedthatmanytalentedchildren
performfarbelowtheirintellectualcapability(Marland,1971).Thisis
becausethesestudentsrequiredifferentiatededucationalprograms
beyondthosenormallyprovidedbytheregularschoolprograminorder
torealiseanddeveloptheirabilities(Marland,1971).Talentedstudents
oftenhavetheabilitytoapproachmathematicsproblemsininnovative
waysandcandescribetheirownthinkingandprocesses(Siemon,2011).
Forthisreason,theyarelikelytoenjoybeinggivenopenendedtasksas
theygivethemmorefreedomtoexploremathematicsinwaysthatsuit
them(Siemon,2011).Giftedandtalentedstudentsoftenfinishsetwork
early,andsoteacherscansupportthesestudentsbyofferingextension
andsupplementarytaskstoextendtheirunderstandingofaconcept
(Siemon,2011).Characteristically,studentswhomaybedefinedasgifted
havebeendescribedashavingexceptionalreasoningabilityandmemory,
andhavinganexceptionalabilitytoidentifypatternsandrelationships
andsolveproblemsinunexpectedways(Siemon,2011).Researchhas
revealed
Teaching strategy
Basedontheresearchonhowgiftedandtalentedstudentslearn
mathematicsmosteffectively,ateachingstrategytobeusedinaStage3
classroomcouldbetoutiliseopenendedmathematicalproblemstoallow
themtopracticehigherorderthinkingandcreativity.Siemonetal.,

(2011)arguedthatgiftedandtalentedstudentsneedtheopportunityto
extendtheirunderstandingofconcepts,andthiscanbeachievedthrough
thefreedomthatopenendedproblemscanofferthem.
Learning activity
MA3-2WM selects and applies appropriate problem-solving
strategies, including the use of digital technologies, in undertaking
investigations
MA3-3WM gives a valid reason for supporting one possible solution
over another
MA3-17MG Locates and describes position on maps using a gridreference system
Students will be presented with the following problem, and will be
given rulers and A3 paper to solve it.

Willy Wonka went to Kandy Korners to see his friend. His

friend told him how the town was set up and where to find
the candy factory.
Sweet Street, Rocky Road, and Almond Avenue are all
parallel.
Lollypop Lane is perpendicular to Rocky Road and
ends at Sweet Street.
Chocolate Boulevard is diagonal to Almond Avenue.
Sweet Street, Lollypop Lane, Sour Patch Place, and
Chocolate Boulevard border the candy factory.
Draw Willy Wonka a map and put in the candy factory!
Figure 3.

The activity in figure 3 is appropriate for gifted and

talented students in promoting achievement of the
measurement and geometry, and working mathematically
outcomes stated, because it is an open-ended problem
that allows students to utilise higher order thinking and
creativity to solve it, skills that are proven to better
engage this group of learners (Siemon, 2011).