Tutor HuntResources Maths Resources
Supporting Mathematically Gifted And Talented Students
Are we neglecting mathematically gifted and talented students (MGTs) in our schools?
Date : 30/01/2016
Author Information
Uploaded by : Ken
Uploaded on : 30/01/2016
Subject : Maths
In this brief article I will discuss the
challenges facing mathematically gifted and talented students in our secondary
schools and at home. Many mathematically gifted and talented students (MGTs) face
many challenges due to curriculum limitation and lack of teachers who are
trained to diagnose and support MGTs. The inability to diagnose and support
such students is particularly critical since many students end up performing
way below their potential. As a parent or teacher, before classifying your
child as dumb or lazy and disruptive, ask yourself, could they be
mathematically gifted and talented or could they also be suffering from a
learning disability? If a student is performing poorly, it does not necessarily
mean they are dumb. It may be they are mathematically gifted or talented but
they have not been diagnosed and do not get the support they need.Remember geniuses do not always come in form
of bright and well-behaved children. Genius is sometimes hidden under some form
of “dumbness”, disruptive behaviour or even misdiagnosed learning disability. MGTs learn better when they are encouraged to
think freely, develop mathematical thinking in a creative way and “day dream”
about their own mathematical “pet” problems which are sometimes beyond the
scope of the class syllabus. They also enjoy working independently and
participating in intellectually stimulating group activities without excessive intervention
by the teachers. MGTs are also likely to be demanding, challenging, critical
and oversensitive and may even intimidate some teachers who are not trained to
manage such students. Some MGTs may experience social, emotional and
behavioural challenges. It is not surprising, therefore, that many MGTs may exhibit
disruptive behaviour in the classroom and may even appear unruly at home
because they are bored and no one seems to understand their needs.When a mathematically gifted and talented
student also suffers from a form of learning disability, and they are not diagnosed
as such, the teacher and parents find it difficult to manage such students. For
instance, MTGs with special learning needs like Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD,
dyslexia or dyscalculia pose special challenges to many teachers. They may be
classified as dumb because of lack of capacity to diagnose their problem and it
is also easy to do so. That way, they are taken to special needs (SEN) class where
their intellectual power continues to “die” gradually. Inability to diagnose
MGTs and to support them is a serious issue which affects the child for life. Many
of our greatest mathematicians and scientists were diagnosed with some type of
mental illness or disability. This did not deter them from becoming great
scientists or mathematicians because they had a chance of doing what they do
best. In today’s highly structured school system, however, this support system
is not always available.Could your child be mathematically gifted and
talented? Let’s support our MGTs.
This resource was uploaded by: Ken