There are students in our classes that we always remember – for the ways they stretched our understanding of how students learn and the strategies we implemented. Students who are multilingual and gifted require a concentrated look at their learning needs and characteristics. Since language is the primary mode of expression for students acquiring primary or secondary languages, it is paramount that teachers are knowledgeable of characteristics that indicate giftedness and simultaneously incorporate methods that support them in reaching their potential. Students who are gifted can motivate teachers professionally to seek understanding of behaviours observed in the classroom and relevant pedagogy.
Multilingual gifted learner characteristics and strategies
Internationally recognised organisations define English language or multilingual and gifted learners in global terms. According to the IRIS centre’s (2024) glossary, the term ‘English language learner (ELL)’ is the preferred term for ‘a student engaged in learning English as an additional language. Sometimes referred to as English learner, limited English proficient (LEP) or multilingual learner (ML)’. The American National Association for Gifted Children (National Association for Gifted Children, 2019) defines gifted students as ‘students who perform, or have the capability to perform, at higher levels than their peers in one or more domains’. Beyond definitions there are specific characteristics of multilingual gifted youth that may be observed in the classroom.
Giftedness is not defined by race nor ethnicity
Students who are multilingual and gifted come from all racial, ethnic and cultural populations, as well as all economic strata. It is important that teachers reflect on their own perceptions of the social and economic groups from which youth who are gifted originate. Social and economic factors play heavily into a gifted youth’s perception of themselves and their potential. Limited economic resources can result in restricted life experiences. Expressions of their augmented abilities may not be acknowledged by a parent or mainstream teacher, so their potential could possibly be framed in deficit ways. This places the English teacher in a very important place, where they not only see their attributes as exceptional, but also have the expertise to support them in reaching their potential. In this way, the English teacher is uniquely positioned to reframe gifted potential as assets.
The American National Center for Research on Gifted Education’s (2018) 15 Tips for Identifying Gifted EL Students, targets four areas to support youth who are gifted EL students. The four areas are: to adopt universal screening processes; create alternative pathways to identification; establish a web of communication; and view professional development as a change agent.
Adopting universal screening processes allows for multigrade gifted assessment. Additionally, the selection of the instrument can be culturally diverse, multimodal (not just relying on speaking and listening, but also reading and writing), and include a series of assessments rather than just one.
Creating alternative pathways to identification opens up the identification process to a variety of variables and expert opinions. Selecting L1 language and achievement tests as measures of giftedness promotes identification on many levels. Additionally, advocating for the employment of multilingual school psychologists opens the pathway to identification in the students’ primary language. Another pathway is establishing a protocol for identifying youth who are gifted by critically analysing district data for students of high potential and seeking them out for enrichment programmes and support. This provides a pathway to grow their potential prior to identification, and establishes a set of indicators to where the identification can occur over time and not in a singular snapshot assessment.
Establishing a web of communication is supportive within the school setting and in the community. Communicating about student development between teachers and resource personnel, as well as across departments (general and special education), supports a schoolwide approach to identification. Building rapport with parents and community members extends the web of support for all students, including students who are gifted and can positively impact asset-based identification.
Viewing professional development as a change agent is another area of support. Provide regular professional development to teachers and staff on the characteristics of gifted and talented youth. In doing so, a supportive school culture can evolve. Intentional hiring of teachers from diverse populations can also provide a variety of models to youth who are gifted.
Success strategies
Davis (2018) promotes schoolwide strategies that address identifying high potential. Beginning with universal screening, where all students complete an aptitude assessment (such as the CogAt cognitive ability test). Students who demonstrate their potential are invited into the enrichment programmes and activities. Universal screening results are more concrete than teacher referral and can highlight students from all ethnicities and backgrounds. Next, intentionally reaching out to families of colour by the school or teacher can provide information about high-potential, gifted and talented youth through literature and conveniently scheduled meetings. Marginalised communities are often unaware of the gifted and talented programme and what that label means for their child. The teacher becomes an important bridge between enrichment activities and facilitates parent authorisation for their child’s participation. Then, provide professional development to staff and teachers to empower them in providing culturally responsive teaching in every classroom. In doing so, the instruction includes authentic artifacts of the cultures of the students, while supporting them in their first language development. Maintaining high standards of instruction and performance for students through scaffolding or multimodal instruction also supports students in reaching their high potential.
Rich learning experiences cultivate potential
All students benefit from a variety of developmentally appropriate activities and strategies. However, for youth who are gifted, the need is greater. Many youth who are gifted, are voracious consumers of content – it’s like they’re eating pies at a pie-eating contest. The nature of their giftedness is to intake more information at an accelerated rate. This characteristic necessitates directed learning opportunities specific to their area of giftedness to realise their potential.
Success strategies
Gifted youth thrive with a balanced life of learning and socialisation. With intentional planning by the teacher and/or parent, this can support the gifted child in augmenting their learning in their area of giftedness, while stretching them to acquire socialisation skills. Although enrichment programmes for gifted and talented youth exist, they can be costly and propel the student into the unknown socially. Other alternatives are enrichment programmes within the school and local communities. After school or lunch time enrichment time for students who are gifted can be very casual and/or structured – with a focus of socialisation and exploration. Outside school, selecting enrichment activities in the local library, or parks and recreation programmes, allows students who are gifted to encounter their school classmates, as well as have the option to enrol with a friend. In this way, they can learn new things in low stress environments with people and places with whom they are familiar (Potter, 2015).
Giftedness with a cognitive disability or typical ability
Giftedness can exist in one content area in conjunction with a cognitive disability or typical ability. Youth who are gifted are commonly gifted in one content area and cognitively typical or disabled in other content areas. Only five percent of individuals who are identified as gifted are academically gifted in maths and language. This means that the other ninety-five percent are gifted in one content area. This is important for teachers to know so that the academic expectations of the youth who are gifted are appropriate to their area of gifted and typical development. Alternatively, youth who are gifted can also have a diagnosed learning disability, referred to as ‘twice exceptional’. Twice exceptional students are youth who are gifted while simultaneously having a diagnosed cognitive disability that requires specialised interventions and accommodations.
Success strategies
First, it is important to identify the area(s) of giftedness, then monitor the student’s learning experience in other content areas. In conjunction with the parent(s), teachers can observe areas in which the characteristics of giftedness surface, such as academic achievement, intensity and elevated sense of justice, perfectionism and unlimited curiosity. If typical achievement is evidenced in other content areas, then the teacher and parents can focus their efforts on supporting the student in reaching their potential in their area of giftedness, as well as providing typical support for all of the other content areas.
Secondly, it is important to monitor for potential cognitive disability. Students who are twice exceptional display a disability in one or more content areas as well as giftedness in other content areas. Most often, the disability masks the giftedness, however, the knowledgeable teacher and parent can be vigilant of the dual diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis of cognitive disabilities and giftedness result in the child having a better understanding of their learning trajectory and positively contributes to their socioemotional wellbeing (Winebrenner, 2012).
Structured socialisation is a benefit
Youth who are gifted can struggle to socialise with age-appropriate peers due to their accelerated intelligence. To be clear, it’s not that they are uninterested in age-appropriate friends, it’s that the acceleration of their learning predisposes them to develop different interests and, often, vocabulary. The knowledgeable teacher can discuss with the youth who is gifted what they are interested in and incorporate this into their instruction – thereby ensuring common interests among classmates. Youth who are gifted also experience a wider range of emotions, and experience them more deeply than their peers. Teachers can partner with parents to incorporate lessons on socio-emotional wellbeing, as well as giving names to the emotions that could be felt by students. In this way, youth who are gifted can learn in a supportive environment to name the emotions that they are feeling, increasing their ability to communicate with others, while cultivating their socio-emotional development.
Success strategies
Brown (2015) recommends that students who are gifted socialise with students who are typical and gifted. Within the classroom, teachers can pair gifted students with other high-performing students, which can contribute to their academic and social growth. Outside the classroom, it is important that students who are gifted have the opportunity to socialise with other students who are gifted. This builds perspective of who they are among a community of gifted individuals (not the only one each year in their classroom), and supports them in seeing their giftedness in the context of other students who are gifted. Additionally, when they socialise with other students who are gifted, they are validated in the characteristics of gifted individuals, and are freed to express their potential.
One intervention does not fit all needs
Like all children, youth who are gifted develop academically and socio-emotionally. The knowledgeable teacher regularly conferences with youths who are gifted to maintain a pulse on their interests and passions. The changes in strategies could be as basic as using different research materials (websites, books, podcasts) or could be a different level of content of instruction. One way to approach the level of content for gifted students is to assess if they can score an 80% pass rate, if so, they are demonstrating mastery. Then, they are ready to engage in different learning. Incorporating a variety of strategies based on their changing needs, sustains engagement and reduces off-task behaviour.
Success strategies
Regular conferences with students who are gifted opens the door to teacher and parent communication. Like typical children, students who are gifted can pivot in their interests and passions. By regularly talking with the student who is gifted about their interests, genres of reading and academic discoveries, the knowledgeable teacher can integrate them into the instruction. Once the teacher and youth who is gifted come to agreement about exploring a certain topic of interest, the teacher can create a choice board of different expressions of this interest. The student who is gifted can research their topic and self-select or choose how they want to share the learning. This approach allows for differentiation, autonomy and multilingual expression of their passions and interests. The choice board could include: a PowerPoint on a topic; a short video of the youth discussing their discoveries; the application of their discoveries in the real world; a traditional essay; creating a comic book; or acting out their learning. Based on the same discussion, the teacher can seek enrichment resources like websites, books, podcasts or invited speakers from which the gifted student can learn. By differentiating for the student they are simultaneously expanding the world of the whole class.
Classroom relevance
Identifying and supporting the learning needs of students who are multilingual and gifted builds bridges of linguistic and academic support. Since language is the primary mode of communication, it is especially timely to be aware of meeting the needs of students who are gifted. The knowledgeable teacher views equally the potential that each child brings to the classroom and looks beyond superficial outer definitions. They provide abundant opportunities for deep learning based on their own curriculum, as well as the interests of their students who are gifted. While they strive to meet the needs of the identified gifted area, they are simultaneously vigilant for performance in other content areas indicating typical and/or disabled performance. They are cognisant of the crucial role they play in the life of a student who is gifted and, as the chief academician in their young lives, their influence in modelling and socialising with peers can be equally impactful. Awareness and instructional implementation will bring the learning of the student who is gifted to life – inside and outside school!
