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November 2013 | Volume 55 | Number 11
Pages 5-5

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Road Tested / Ten Tips for Teaching the Twice-Exceptional Student

Daina Lieberman

You know the kid—the girl who struggles to read your science textbook but wins first prize at the science fair, or the boy who refuses to complete any work but aces every assessment. Often, that kid is twice exceptional (2e)—gifted, but also negotiating a learning disorder, attention difficulties, or just plain learning differences. In 2006, nearly 70,000 K–12 students were identified as 2e, and those numbers will grow as more districts classify these students.

Studies show that 2e students perform better when they receive some combination of gifted programming, as opposed to solely special education services. With the right amount of support, 2e students can thrive in advanced classes. Here are 10 ways to help your 2e students:

  1. Build relationships.
    Work with 2e students to improve their weaknesses and build on their strengths. A child who trusts you is likely to ask for help when needed.
  2. Differentiate instruction.
    Although these students receive accommodations and modifications, some may not self-advocate. Differentiation based on learning profile, interest, and level of readiness will help students learn their strengths and continue to be challenged. Provide multiple, meaningful activities or learning centers to extend their thinking. I often use "Think Tac Toes" as a summative assessment, which lets students choose three activities to complete (create a video, make a Facebook page for a character, write an additional scene, etc.) from a board of nine.
  3. Group homogeneously.
    It may sound blasphemous, but giving advanced students opportunities to work with other students at the same level can often push their development. In a differentiated classroom, students are at different levels for different skills, so there is time to work in mixed groups as well.
  4. Reach out to staff.
    Asking psychologists, social workers, or counselors to observe your class can offer different perspectives and solutions to persistent challenges.
  5. Remediate.
    A frustrated student who comes across as lazy may simply need more guidance or encouragement to overcome his disability.
  6. Teach critical and creative thinking.
    Explicit strategies, like encapsulation, mind mapping, visualization, questioning, point of view, and analogies keep 2e students engaged and draw on their problem-solving skills.
  7. Communicate.
    Parents, or the students themselves, may hold the key to unlocking the social-emotional causes that precipitate academic or behavioral problems. Sometimes an honest discussion yields a simple solution.
  8. Modify with technology.
    Options to type instead of handwrite or record and play back notes or an essay draft can be a relief for 2e students. Even low-tech solutions like graphic organizers can help with sequencing, organizing, and making connections.
  9. Teach organizational skills.
    Help students set up deadline reminders on their personal electronic devices, create study plans, and reflect on how their effort and planning relate to an assessment outcome. When one of my freshmen failed quizzes because he didn't know how to study (he had never heard of flashcards), I had the entire class share studying strategies.
  10. Finally, be flexible.
    Despite myths about giftedness, 2e students are just as diverse as all our students. Become comfortable with a messy, noisy classroom; your students are learning.

Daina Lieberman is an English teacher and IB Middle Years Program Coordinator at South Lakes High School in Reston, Va., and an ASCD emerging leader.

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gifted students, differentiated instruction, special education

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