Reading Instruction for the Gifted: A Survey of Programs

Abstract

This article presents the results of a nationwide survey undertaken to determine how school systems are providing for the reading instruction of gifted students. Most districts make special provision for the reading instruction of the gifted within regular classroom settings, but a large number make no special provision at all. A smaller number of systems have special extraclassroom programs and some combine these with programs in the regular classroom. Additional data obtained from the survey and presented in this article include information on grade levels in which the special reading needs of the gifted are being served, how teachers are selected for the special programs, the curricula of reading programs for the gifted, the use of required reading lists, programs for gifted students who are poor readers, and teacher viewpoints on desirable features of reading programs for the gifted.