The diversity of skills, talents, and interests of students that we serve in our schools requires a remarkable range of teachers' skills, time, and resources. This brief article focuses on differentiation and the ways that teachers can adapt and differentiate the regular curriculum to meet the academic needs of all of their students. Challenges…

A critical need exists in engineering education to draw on the non-traditional divergent thinking and risk-taking necessary for making radical technological breakthroughs. Literature suggests that individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) characteristics demonstrate unparalleled creativity and risk-taking potential. While…

This article includes an introduction to the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), with its three components: a total talent portfolio for each child, curriculum differentiation and modification, and enrichment opportunities from the Enrichment Triad Model. Also included is a brief history of the SEM and a summary of 30 years of research underlying…

The article reviews findings in research about gifted readers, instructional materials, and curriculum. Promising teaching strategies are examined including interest assessment, learning styles evaluation, curriculum compacting, and enrichment. Innovative current programs and practices are briefly described. (Author/DB)

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model, originally designed for academically gifted students, is currently used to develop the gifts and talents of a much wider pool of students. One SEM component, the Total Talent Portfolio, focuses attention on student interests and learning-style preferences. This article explains how SEM, combined with curriculum…

Presents a plan for compacting and streamlining the regular curriculum in order to relieve gifted students of the boredom that often results from unchallenging work and to provide the time gifted students need to pursue acceleration and enrichment activities after prerequisite competencies have been mastered. (Author/RH)

Twenty-three pairs of twins were studied to determine factors influencing special program inclusion, impact of inclusion, and nature of academic programs when only one twin was included. Twins included in special programs were generally characterized by the traditional academic view of high-achievers, while nonselected twins preferred more…

Explores the multifaceted nature of giftedness and describes the Total Talent Portfolio (TTP), a framework for talent development of gifted students that requires giving equal attention to interests and learning styles as well as to cognitive abilities. Explains the major dimensions of the TTP. (CR)

Students' preferences for creating potential products were explored through use of "My Way ... An Expression Style Inventory". Analysis of data from 3,532 students allowed examination of content and construct validity for the instrument. The article suggests practical applications for the inventory in talent-development programs such as those…

To develop an educational program that works for every student, it is important to consider that learning style differences do exist and that learning style matching can positively affect achievement. Methods to help teachers assess student preferences are discussed. (DF)

This article reviews research on the Schoolwide Enrichment Triad Model, which combines the previously developed Enrichment Triad and Revolving Door Identification Models of gifted education. Research reviewed addresses: model effectiveness, creative productivity, personal and social development, underserved populations, self-efficacy, curricular…

This book is a manual for the administration and interpretation of the Learning Styles Inventory, Version III (LSI-III). Part 1 is reproducible (so each teacher who administers the LSI can have a copy) and answers the following concerns: what the LSI-III is and what it measures; administering and scoring the LSI-III; interpreting students' scores…

This article focuses on an educational versus psychological definition of learning styles and offers a rationale for matching student and teacher style based upon this definition. A survey of various matching approaches is provided along with a classification chart that visually differentiates among alternative matching strategies. The Learning…

Through a continuum-of-services approach, the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) provides numerous enrichment and acceleration alternatives designed to accommodate the academic strengths, interests, and learning styles of all middle-level students. Major components include the total-talent portfolio, curriculum modification, and enrichment…