Recommendations for reading on curriculum for gifted students?

Next year I'll be starting an enrichment elective for 35 gifted kids at our middle school. I'm very excited about the opportunity but I have little to no idea where to begin building the curriculum. I will, of course, rely on my trusty friend Google, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any good books I should look into.

I have plenty of ideas from my 5 years of working with AVID but I really want to push these kids to think and analyze - and I'd rather just not throw more history stuff at them (since that's what I know and will surely use as my crutch!).

Ideas please!

Tags: gifted

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Hmmmm, I may be able to help. Peek around my website (the kids section is under construction) you might see something to inspire you, our Center's website. Also look at my gifted ed blog and my primary source blog. What subjects? How long? What age? How many at a time? If you have specific questions, I'll be glad to help, I've taught gifted kids for 25 years.

The work of Carol Tomlinson, Joseph S. Renzulli and Sally M. Reis are worth reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through your blogs. Thanks for sharing this wealth of information and insight.
I would start the year with interest inventories and use that to help students identify a topic for an in-depth independent study that you would facilitate. Plan the rest of your year based on those topics and invite guest speakers, take field trips, and have student presentation on those topics.
Good call on the interest inventories. I could send you a shorten version of Renzulli's interest-alyzer.
Sounds great! Can you post it here for all to see?
Marie, It comes from the CD Rom that accompanies this book. http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/item_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=80. I've borrowed a copy of the book, on Tuesday I'll see if I can save if off the CD that accompanies the book.. N
There are plenty of competitions that you might want to look into such as Science Olympiad, Odyssey of the Mind, Future Problem Solving, Lego FIRST competition, and Future City. Interest inventories are always a great place to start. Nancy's website is a fantastic resource. You can show the kids a wealth of possible independent investigations, and how to use technology to gain an audience for their work

Your post doesn't make it clear on your training in gifted education. If you are not a certified gifted teacher, I would start with The School Wide Enrichment Model by Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis. I would also strongly recommend Counseling the Gifted and Talented by Linda Silverman or The Social Emotional Development of Gifted Children by Neihart, Reis, Robinson and Sidney Moon. Gifted students have unique emotional needs that need to be addressed and they are best met by an enrichment teacher with a kind, caring, educated attitude. Some of the most powerful enrichment teaching addresses the socioemotional aspects of giftedness not their intellectual abilities.
I am trained but I'm pretty sure that 30 odd hours of training isn't enough. I'll definitely check those two books out, thanks.

Thanks for all the ideas all. I'll definitely start with an interest inventory.
Kev, Let me know if you want to see the Renzulli's interest-alyzer.
I'd love to see it. Want me to PM my email address?
Kev, I found a great 'shortened' version online and have print copies at school, I'll post the link here tomorrow after I find it. The 'full' version is quite extensive. N.
Kev, OK, I've tracked down the document but do not have a digital copy. It comes from the CD Rom that accompanies this book. http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/item_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=80

I'm tracking down the book, but let me know if you have it. I can also send hard copies through the mail.

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