The "Extra" in Extracurricular Activities for Gifted

Most typical high school programs are not meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. Programs for the gifted are often neither interdisciplinary nor differentiated as encouraged by Texas state guidelines. Gifted students can gain much from well-designed extracurricular activities. Grade weighting schemes in which gifted courses are weighted no heavier than honors classes may dissuade students who are competitive for class honors from taking such courses. They can be encouraged to select gifted classes by being offered class-associated extracurricular opportunities. Such activities provide hands-on learning experiences, develop social relationships, and improve student motivation. Academic contests and group excursions to plays and ballet performances may also provide gifted students with extracurricular challenges they would not ordinarily encounter in the school environment. (DB)