STRATEGIES FOR RIGEROUS
ADVANCED AND
GIFTED CLASSES
Learn how to amp up the rigor and provide
high impact instruction to these specific
student populations. Begin and understand
how these classes differ from your basic
students. You will begin to see what the
teacher must ensure to provide a
challenging and engaging curriculum for
these types of students.
How do we differentiate for our advanced
and/or gifted classes?
 PACE
 DELIVERY
 PRODUCT
 DEPTH
 BREADTH
CHANGE THE PACE
Many advanced or gifted students will either already
know the concepts to be taught, or will learn them
very quickly. If a student can show mastery of the
topic of instruction, their time is better spent
extending their knowledge through an enrichment
or extension activity.
CHANGE THE PACE

Pre-testing
Learning Contracts

Curriculum Compacting
Independent Study

Tiered Activities
Learning Centers

Most Difficult First
Anchor Activities

Alternate Assignments
Discovery Learning

Project Based Learning
Mini-lesson
CHANGE THE DELIVERY
Gifted and advanced students need instruction in skills they
have not yet mastered, but whole class modeling and
repetition of concepts may be frustrating.
Students may need to participate in the first lesson on a
new topic, and then work independently to complete the
task. They may not need lessons that review the same
topic, but could be ready to move forward and need
instruction on the next step.
Gifted and advanced students may also work on the same
skills using higher-level texts or books with more abstract
concepts.
CHANGE THE DELIVERY

Mini-Lessons
Open Ended Questions

Different Resources
Learning Contracts

Independent Novel Studies
Teacher Conferences

Curriculum Compacting
Flexible Grouping

Independent Study
Response Notebooks

Learning Menus
Project Based Learning

Technology
Discussion Groups
CHANGE THE PRODUCT
By changing the product, gifted and advanced
students are allowed an opportunity to apply their
knowledge of content to their other talents and
abilities. An alternative product may also allow
students to apply their knowledge by delving
deeper into the standards.
Many gifted and advanced students are interested in
technology or the arts. Allow students to use these
interests to create their final product. Remember
that you don’t need to know how to use a piece of
software or technology - the student does!
CHANGE THE PRODUCT

Choice Boards

Tic-Tac-Toe Menu

RAFT (Role, Audience,
Format, Topic)
Podcasts

Game Show Menu
Movie Making

Student Choice Option
Game creation

Learning Menu
Technology

Debate
Living Museums
Websites
Wikis
ADD DEPTH
Gifted and advanced students often quickly master
the facts of a new concept. They should be
encouraged to delve more deeply into concepts that
are covered in our standards.
These students need to focus on the problems and
issues rather than the basic facts and information.
Allow the student to choose one specific area of the
topic of study that interests them and encourage
them to become an “expert” on that topic.
ADD DEPTH

Tiered Activities
Students as Experts

Open-Ended Activities
Totally Ten Menu

Higher Level Questions
Increase the Complexity

Bloom’s Taxonomy
Decrease the Structure

Curriculum Ladders
Socratic Seminars

Text Based Discussions
Debate
ADD BREADTH
Gifted and advanced students often are able to make
connections between ideas, subject areas, and
concepts. Encourage students to see the “big
picture” by connecting what they are studying to
other curricular areas, the world, and/or current
events, and examining how one influences the
other.
Use choice and flexibility to allow students to find an
interest that they are passionate about and connect
that passion to the broader topic.
ADD BREADTH

Tic-Tac-Toe Menu
Choice Boards

Interdisciplinary Units
RAFT Assignments

Orbital Studies
Interest Centers

Totally Ten Menu
Case Studies

Your Own Idea Option
Role Play/Simulations