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Enrichment is putting shiny rims and a lot of chrome on a car.
Acceleration is souping up the engine.
One looks good, one performs better.
Ideally you would have enough money and time to do both, but if not... it depends on whether you want to win a race or just look good cruising down the street.
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I'm still quoting your enrichment is the speed bump for gifted kids line.
This whole enrichment vs. acceleration thing drives me crazy. Enrichment is my district's fig leaf for not doing anything for my kid.
For pete's sake, even the NCTM says that mathematically gifted elementary school kids need acceleration.
Hell will freeze over before they give my kid the right level of math.
This whole enrichment vs. acceleration thing drives me crazy. Enrichment is my district's fig leaf for not doing anything for my kid.
Did you see the letter I wrote to our local newspaper?
Here's the salient passage:
In K-5, Math TRAILBLAZERS takes more time to teach less content, and the district has deliberately slowed the progress of mathematically gifted children over the strenuous objections of their parents. Gifted children are to be “enriched,” not accelerated.
Enrichment means asking children to solve simple algebra problems without teaching them algebra.
game on
The NCTM recommends acceleration???
Really???
I dunno -- here's one of the first articles that come up on a search for "gifted":
Differentiating the Curriculum for Elementary Gifted Mathematics Students
Michelle Muller Wilkins, Jesse L. M. Wilkins and Tamra Oliver
August 2006, Volume 13, Issue 1, Page 6
Abstract:
This article describes the Mathematics Investigation Center (MIC), a tool to help elementary teachers differentiate the curriculum for their gifted mathematics students. Using the same mathematical theme that the rest of the class is studying, the activities provide depth for the gifted students by shifting from a computation level to a problem solving level.
That's my school.
Have them do algebra problems without teaching algebra.
Have them do long division without teaching long division.
This is called working from "first principles," according to TRAILBLAZERS.
Of course, that's one article... here's another:
In My Opinion: A Call for Early Intervention for Mathematically Gifted Elementary Students: A Russian Model
Yong S. Colen
January 2007, Volume 13, Issue 5, Page 280
Abstract:
For mathematically gifted elementary students to achieve a higher plane of mathematical learning, the education community needs to foster their ability much earlier than at the traditionally accepted secondary school level. This article advocates establishing elementary schools that cater to these students.
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