The number of U.S. children attending after-school programs has been steadily increasing. In 2014, the most recent year for which data were available, approximately 10.2 million students, representing about 23 percent of U.S. families, were enrolled in an after-school program. Of the students attending after-school programs, the majority do so at…

The ultimate goal of gifted education programs is to cultivate students' competences through challenging, enriching, and engaging opportunities for talent development. The purpose of this review is to present two main approaches of enrichment programs for gifted learners in Taiwan: the programs following the law and the alternative programs…

This Wallace "Perspective" delves into what makes for a high-quality, voluntary summer learning program, one that provides children from disadvantaged communities with engaging academics as well as stimulating enrichment activities during the interval between the end of the school year and back-to-school time. Interest in these programs…

As numerous studies from 1906 on have confirmed, children lose ground in learning if they lack opportunities for building skills over the summer. Nonetheless, summer learning loss comes up but rarely in the national discussion of education reform. By the end of summer, students perform on average one month behind where they left off in the spring.…

The author describes the rationale and implementation of the Peninsula Enrichment Programme for Gifted and Talented Children (PEP) in Australia. PEP is a family-based, community run organization designed to present out-of-school enrichment/extension activities for gifted children. (CL)

Saturday programs can enrich schools' offerings to gifted/talented youths by providing in-depth, accelerated study in areas of interest, with the opportunity to study under high-level specialists. Important considerations in development of Saturday programs include teacher selection, training, and supervision; evaluation; financing; curriculum…

A well-planned field trip can be a valuable experience or a nightmare if a teacher has not provided for every possible contengency. Guidelines are included for organizing, planning in advance, chartering buses, knowing students, conducting, and evaluating the field trip. (Author/ND)

Discussed is the issue of how many different kinds of talents or gifts special programs will consider in both selection and educational aspects, focusing on how many different kinds of gifts and talents can be dealt with simultaneously and how much complexity can be tolerated. (DLS)

Tips on organizing a creative teaching experience for summer vacation time are offered. Program organization, student selection, course content, publicity, and funding are aspects to be considered when planning a summer arts program. (DF)

The development of the GATEWAY (Gifted And Talented Education With Artistic Youth) program is described. The Aiken County, South Carolina, summer program offers enrichment activities for students from grades 3-12 in music, drama, visual arts, and dance. Described are the student selection process and program activities. (JDD)

SHOP, or Search Handicapped Outreach Program, identifies gifted/learning-disabled students, develops enrichment activities using J. Renzulli's Triad Model, and implements effective delivery models to provide an environment in which the students can utilize their strengths and interact with gifted peers. (JDD)

Eleven suggestions are provided for implementation of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model to meet students' needs for enriched learning opportunities. Suggestions include respect the individual interests and styles of faculty; don't waste time trying to convince everyone; and be careful not to take credit for what others do. (JDD)

The Mentorship Academy Program of Blue Valley Schools (Kansas) uses a schoolwide enrichment model emphasizing the need to provide high ability students with opportunities to work with professionals on meaningful projects related to their interests. This paper discusses mentor and student selection, role of the mentor, evaluation and monitoring of…

Guidelines are offered to ensure a stimulating and challenging learning environment for gifted learners. Curriculum modifications are suggested in the areas of: (1) content (complexity, abstractness, and variety; organization; purpose and choice; interaction with peers; focus on issues, themes, or questions; and role of methodologist,…

This article describes the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) and examines the relationship between gifted programs and total school improvement using the SEM. Goals of SEM include a school SEM specialist, a strong research base, a broadened conception of human potential, and educational experiences grounded in a high-end theory of learning.…