The traditional form of education which is based on the age needs and demands of a child does not seem to be effective for gifted children who have special academic and social needs at an earlier age. Their readiness and motivation to reach higher academic results and achievements are not included to the curriculum of traditional education. To illustrate, the lock-step organization of American education does not take such deviations from the age into account, thus violating gifted children`s demands for further academic development and some more academic challenges in a traditional curriculum (Roeper Review, 2002, Vol.24, No.3) Moreover, it is often claimed that acceleration options involved in some educational establishments may affect gifted children negatively as they can be socially harmed. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to analyze acceleration and its impact on gifted children and other related topics to this socially important issue of modern society.
Acceleration can be defined as process of an earlier presentation of educational curriculum to children who are considered to be gifted with special academic and social demands. Acceleration is mainly understood as a process of learning specific subject faster than it is traditionally meant, but also a process of grade skipping or earlier college or school entrance. According to the article published in Roeper Review (2002, Vol.24, No.3), acceleration is defined as “any of a number of curricular and administrative modifications that permit students to reach educational goals at a faster than usual rate or an earlier than usual age.” Another definition of acceleration can be found by Colangelo at al. who also center their understanding of this process around earlier and faster development of gifted children: “Acceleration is an educational intervention that moves students through an educational program at a faster than usual rate or younger than typical age” (p. 5). These definitions are even expanded by NAGC idea that acceleration also involves “allowing a student to move through traditional educational organizations more rapidly, based on readiness and motivation” (nagc.org). This notion that readiness and motivation of gifted children is not less important than their special abilities at an earlier life stage can serve as a demonstrative example of their openness to the changes included in the process of acceleration. To be more specific, only children`s desire to develop further academically can bring benefits and positive effects in future life. I suppose that those gifted children who are not ready to face possible challenges caused by acceleration – for example, new social attitudes, social labels or stereotypes, etc – can be harmed emotionally by acceleration practices. This proves that not only parents should be involved into decision making process, but also children. Only their readiness and motivational background can bring visible results and acceleration can benefit “many highly capable individuals by better motivating them toward schooling, enhancing their involvement with extracurricular activities, promoting more challenging options in the middle school and high school years, and preparing them to begin contributing to society at an earlier age” (nagc.org).
Among other benefits …