ABSTRACT
Students who receive appropriate instruction and support for their talents produce quality pieces of writing, find outlets for expression in theater, debate, and other speaking forums, and use literature and poetry to enhance their lives. Some children seem to love words from a very early age. Children who have an environment where books are readily available, where someone reads to them often, and where opportunities to interact with books and words are abundant, develop a special interest in all things about language. Students who show precocity in the area of English and the language arts require specialized instruction. The inclusion of poetry, principled rhetoric, impassioned speeches, and historically important language events such as debates become necessary components of the language arts curriculum for gifted learners. The field of English education has a history of innovation and retreat, but during the last 30 years, the call for a student-centered approach remained loud and clear.
