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Guides to Acceleration for Gifted Students

Resources to Help You Understand Acceleration Options for Gifted Students

Many characteristics of gifted children center around their intellectual strengths, such as their unique interests, creative problem solving, and their ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers. Acceleration is an affordable and effective strategy to meet the intellectual needs of gifted children, yet few parents and educators are taught what it is and how to implement it. To that end, the Davidson Institute has prepared the following “Best of Acceleration” articles to help parents and educators meet the needs of gifted children.

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Types of Acceleration

Academic Acceleration for 8th Graders and Younger

Long-term Outcomes of Acceleration and Nonacceleration

Radical Acceleration

Cost-effective Educational Options

Davidson Gifted Blog

Check out the latest expert articles from the Davidson Institute. Our blog covers everything - gifted education and support, parenting strategies for gifted children, social and emotional resources, gifted testing and identification, and more.

Online Programs for Gifted Elementary Students

Online Programs for Gifted Elementary Students According to the U.S.…

Finding and Building Community as a Profoundly Gifted or Twice-Exceptional Family

This article has been adapted from a virtual event presented…

The Profoundly Gifted Brain

This article has been adapted from a virtual event presented…

Social Engagement, General Enrichment, and Executive Function Support Program Comparison

This chart provides a comparison of the most popular social…

Davidson Gifted Perspectives Videos on Acceleration

This video series examines a number of different viewpoints related to acceleration.

Talking to classmates about an acceleration

Some parents have fears that accelerating their child will be misunderstood by their new class cohort. How would a child explain their acceleration or grade skip? What can parents say to guide their child?

Acceleration and off ramps

As a parent, it can be frustrating or confusing to make educational decisions for your child when anecdotal evidence and the findings from research don’t match up. With factors that are less predictable, like social changes and puberty, how do you know if acceleration is going to be the right choice?

Acceleration and Executive Functioning

When making acceleration decisions, some of the most common concerns that parents have are executive function and social dynamics. Can a student be successful in a higher grade if their executive function skills are still developing? Can a student be successful on an accelerated track if they are still developing their social-emotional skills?