Gifted Education – What is acceleration?

Academic acceleration is an intervention whereby gifted students progress through the curriculum at faster rates. Literature suggests this to be one of the most effective approaches used in gifted education, especially for students identified in the highly and profoundly gifted range. 

There are many methods of acceleration, some examples include:

• Grade-skipping, where one or more full grade levels are omitted, for example a student may move from Grade 3 directly into Grade 5 
• Early entrance to school, where a student begins their schooling (usually Kindergarten) at a younger age than normal
• Grade telescoping where students work through the curriculum of two or more grades in less than the normal number of academic years
• Subject-based acceleration, where a student does the work of a higher grade level for a particular subject either:

• • In their own classroom but working on higher grade material
  • By attending a higher-grade classroom for that subject
  • Through dual enrolment – also enrolling in a higher level of schooling for a particular subject, e.g. studying a university subject while still in high school.

Decades of research show that thoughtful and carefully planned acceleration benefits a gifted student academically and does no harm socially or emotionally. Please read the article here provided by the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented for more information. 

Gifted and Talented Program
Parent Communication and Engagement Survey 2024

Thank you for supporting your child in the Gifted and Talented Program during Term 1. Following our Gifted & Talented Parent Information Evening earlier this term, we would appreciate your feedback on how we can continue to increase parent engagement and connection with the Gifted and Talented Program. Please complete the short survey here, which will shape future communications and events. 

What’s coming up in Term 2?