Content Based Curriculum for High Ability Learners

By Joyce L. VanTassel-Baska

Book Overview

Content-Based Curriculum for High-Ability Learners provides a solid introduction to curriculum development in gifted and talented education. In bringing together experts from the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary, this text brings cutting-edge design techniques and aligns the core content with national and state standards. The text is divided into three sections. The first section identifies the basic principles of curriculum development: accelerated learning within the core content areas, use of higher order process skills, development of creative student products, and concept development and learning. The second section incorporates these techniques into a chapter on each core content area: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Key concepts, such as differentiated curriculum, grouping practices, acceleration, and assessment are woven throughout the text. In addition, each chapter on a core content area provides concrete examples from classroom-tested curriculum units. The third section focuses on the roles of teachers, program coordinators, and administrators during curriculum design: selecting resources and materials, making appropriate instructional choices, and assessing student learning. The final section also offers suggestions for aligning curricula with content standards, identifies exemplary programs, and encourages educators to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their curricula.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1882664787
• ISBN13: 9781882664788
• Release Date: September 1991
• Publisher: Prufrock Press
• Length: 450 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Published award-winning curriculum

Content-Based Curriculum for High Ability Learners by Joyce VanTassel-Baska and Catherine A. Little. Prufrock Press: Waco, TX 1-800-240-0333Written by recognized gifted curriculum leader VanTassel-Baska and her associates at the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary, this service publication of the National Association for Gifted Children illustrates award-winning curriculum units in language arts, social studies and science. It begins with a presentation of the Integrated Curriculum Model, which consists of an advanced content dimension, a process/product dimension, and an issues/themes dimension. Subsequent chapters cover acceleration, incorporating higher order process skills into content, concept development, and developing creative student products. The second section contains chapters on curricula for high ability learners in language arts, science, mathematics and social studies. Each chapter shows how the integrated curriculum model relates to curricular standards advanced by national organizations such as the National Science Education Standards developed by the National Research Council. The emphasis is on adaptation of existing curricula, with examples drawn from the William and Mary curriculum units. The book?s final chapters feature criteria to select appropriate content, resources and instructional strategies. A chapter on assessment deals with test reliability, validity, and authentic assessment concerns. A final chapter assists educators with aligning curricula with state standards. Because the book is very readable, it is particularly useful for educators relatively new to the field while also appropriate for experienced educators. While it does not recommend resources for curriculum decisions, the book provides solid guidelines for educators attempting to differentiate curricula for gifted learners within a diverse body of learners or within a special homogeneous classroom of gifted students.