ABSTRACT
A seasoned teacher just accepted a new position as a teacher of the gifted on the condition that she finish her certification in gifted education. Because gifted students, in particular, learn at a pace and depth that may be faster than their same-age peers, especially in areas of interest and strength, a curriculum design for gifted learners must include ways to incorporate habits of experts. Serve student strengths and design curriculum with the students' strengths in mind, understanding that an evidence-supported curriculum designed for a group of gifted learners who are ready for advanced work in math, for example, will still need to be modified based on individual needs. Differentiation and curriculum design for gifted learners assumes that students need a differentiated curriculum in order to grow and learn and that it is unlikely that other students would need that same level of intervention. Curriculum design for gifted learners begins with the students and their particular needs, strengths, readiness levels.
