Strategies for Meeting the Needs of TAG Students
Differentiation: Differentiated assignments are ones that have been changed with the intent of meeting individual student needs. The content covered, the processes and skills to be used and/or the final product may be different.
Acceleration: Acceleration includes coursework that is at a higher level sequentially than the regular curriculum for the student’s grade level.
Choice Assignments: A selection of standards-based learning options/projects based on student interest and/or development that includes depth and complexity to address both motivation to learn and cognitive demand.
Cluster/Flexible Grouping: Strategic flexible grouping requires that groupings within the classroom change with the nature of the project and student abilities.
Collaborative/Cooperative Learning: Students share their expertise to create a common product.
Competitions/Contests: Students are offered opportunities to compete in various competitions and contests throughout the year.
Curriculum Compacting: Curriculum compacting provides a student with the opportunity to learn and demonstrate understanding of a portion of the curriculum in a time period shorter than usual. This often begins with a pre-test to determine if compacting or other adaptations are necessary. This change in rate may involve an entire unit or only specific portions of a lesson.
Extensions/Enrichment: Extension activities and enrichment materials offer the student opportunities to learn beyond or outside of the regular curriculum.
Higher Level Question Strategies: Use of higher order thinking skills to provide additional rigor and challenge during classroom discussions.
Independent Study/Research Projects: With independent study, a student is provided the opportunity to work independently, with teacher guidance, on a project or particular area of study. The student may be assigned a topic, select a topic from a given list of options, or design a
project.
Individualized Instruction: Individual instruction gives the student instruction using materials matched individually to the child’s specific need. This may include one-on-one direct teaching and/or self-directed materials and processes.
Individual Support: Students receive guidance in areas of social, emotional, organizational, and study habits skills to promote successful school experiences.
Mentorship: Students act as mentors to younger students in a structured setting.
Open-Ended Assignments: Open-ended assignments allow students to make their own choices within a framework or topic.
Regrouping with TAG Peers: Opportunity to engage with TAG peers.
Tiered Assignments: An instructional method that varies the level of learning (depth and complexity) of the assignment to provide all students an opportunity to engage in productive struggle and find success in academic growth.
