Literature+Review+for+Low+SES

 Overview

 The gifted student is an amazing and interesting character in the classroom. Whether they have been identified or are still lingering in the regular education classroom, we as teachers have a duty to serve their needs. This task becomes increasingly difficult as we watch the students come short of their goals and begin to struggle with the growing number of expectations in the classroom. As educators we can see their gifted qualities and their ability to achieve, but we do not always see how their home life is affecting their achievement.

 Our country’s economic status is in a major financial downfall and is taking many families around us as prisoners. With that said, there is a growing number of community members who are now considered to be from a low socioeconomic status. Families who once were living the ‘American Dream’ are now struggling to keep their homes. This growing trend of low socioeconomic status for families is important for educators to recognize since it can closely affect students in the classroom, especially gifted students.

 To become more informed we can look to research to gain more awareness and understanding about this socioeconomic status and its affects for students. More specifically, we can examine the studied affects of a gifted child coming from a low socioeconomic status family. It is important to look into the different researches being completed as well as the journal articles to gain a better insight into the issue. Many people will tell you that when playing a game the “best offense is a good defense.” That is, the best way to achieve in the classroom is to be well prepared. Teachers can strengthen their ‘defense’ and teaching strategies by studying the available research, which will help them to assist low socioeconomic status students better.

 Where Do I Begin?

 Looking for related research articles can be a daunting task if you have never searched before. In the past heading to the local library has been your best option. However, with access to the internet you can become connected to studies and articles that normally would not be available for you in print. A few popular online resources that can help you on your hunt are Google Scholar, ERIC resources, and even your college’s library resource. Come up with a few key words that you want to include in your search and you will be able to begin. Focus on words that are important to your interests such as, low socioeconomic status and gifted students and achievement. A search for these key words and phrases will allow me to find research articles that relate to exactly what I am looking for. In an academic search it is important to be patient and leery of sources. Public sources such as Wikipedia are not as reliable as academic journals. Different sites will contain different research sources, so try lots of different internet locations. You will be amazed to see what all you can find from your search. Being well informed and up to date with the related research can make you that much better of a teacher in the classroom. While the search can be frustrating the end result is well worth the hassle.  The Research

 Many parents and students ask about how you can become part of the gifted program at your school. For every school this process is different, and there can be many ways to obtain gifted status. Matthew McBee from the University of Georgia researched into this referral process of the gifted programs in the state of Georgia to find that teacher referral weighed much more heavily than testing score referrals. This power in teacher referrals resulted in a significantly lower number of referrals for students on a free or reduced lunch plan versus students who paid for their own lunches (McBee, 2006). The research shows teachers that our referrals may be swayed by the socioeconomic status of students without us even recognizing it. Finding new ways to identify these gifted students coming from a low socioeconomic status is important as teachers to focus on so as to appropriately refer students to the program. Sources of research suggest that nonverbal tests of intelligence can be just the right key to overcoming the lack of representation of low socioeconomic status students in the gifted program (Shaunessy, Karnes, Cobb, 2004). This different testing approach opens the door for students who do not speak English fluently or different cultural values. We often find ourselves reflecting on the struggles that low socioeconomic status families may encounter. These struggles can contribute to the students achievement in the classroom for many reasons. In particular the number of resources at home are limited affecting the child’s ability to adequately work on school assignments and other academic endeavors. This lack of resources is seen as a major downfall for students coming from a low socioeconomic status family. However, researchers have found that nothing can replace the power of positive parenting on achievement in the classroom. Demonstrating a positive attitude about education and encouraging the child’s academic progress is found to be much more affective in the gifted students’ achievement over lack or resources (Robinson, Lanzi, Weinberg, S. Ramey, C. Ramey, 2002). This is great for parents to recognize that even if they are considered to be of the low socioeconomic status, they can still positively affect their child’s academic development. Placing an importance on their education and focusing on the resources they do have can help students to reach their full academic potential. Friedman also discusses how families of a low socioeconomic status can produce sought after academic changes with the use of a “family empowerment model” (Friedman, 1994). Creating a bond between the school and the families can be used to strengthen the family empowerment model. This need for a partnership is important for teachers teachers to recognize and work on as well.

Through all of the available research and articles for this topic, the overarching theme is that there are many gifted students coming from low socioeconomic status families. It is our job as their teachers to find them and reach out to tap their academic potential in new and unique ways. Working to find these gifted students may be more difficult since their strengths are sometimes shaded by the struggles they have stemming from their low socioeconomic status. We cannot let their economic status allow us to ignore their giftedness. But, we can let it guide our efforts in exploring their potential. Using new research findings we can continuously work on our goal to find every gifted student in our schools, no matter what their economic status is, and cater to their needs so as to develop strong, independent gifted minds. Works Cited: McBee, M. (2006). A descriptive analysis of referral sources for gifted identification screening by race and socioeconomic status. //The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education//, 17(2), 103-111.

Shaunessy, E., Karnes, F., & Cobb, Y. (2004). Assessing potentially gifted students from lower socioeconomic status with nonverbal measures of intelligence. //Perceptual and Motor Skills//, 98, 1129-1138.

Robinson, N. M., Lanzi, R. G., Weinberg, R. A., Ramey, S. L., & Ramey, C. T. (2002). Family factors associated with academic competence in former head start children at third grade. //Gifted Child Quarterly,// 46(4), 278.

Friedman, R. C. (1994). Upstream helping for low-income families of gifted students: challenges and opportunities. //Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 5(4), 321.// Suggested Research Articles:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The following list of research articles contain an incredible amount of up to date information about gifted low socioeconomic status students. Use the links to explore the research articles and find out more about these unique students and their needs. Whether you are searching to find information about the referral process of low socioeconomic students or teaching techniques to uncover their full potential, you will be able to find a related research article helping you in your efforts. This is just a short list of the many available resources. Using previously discussed searching techniques you can find many more similar research articles.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">1. McBee, M. (2006). A descriptive analysis of referral sources for gifted identification screening by race and socioeconomic status. //The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education//, 17(2), 103-111. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">2. Shaunessy, E., Karnes, F., & Cobb, Y. (2004). Assessing potentially gifted students from lower socioeconomic status with nonverbal measures of intelligence. //Perceptual and Motor Skills//, 98, 1129-1138. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">3. Tyler-Wood, T., & Carri, L. (1993). Verbal measures of cognitive ability: the gifted low SES student’s albatross//. Roeper Review,// 16(2), 102. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">4. Herbert, T. P. (2002). Educating gifted children from low socioeconomic backgrounds: creating visions of a hopeful future. //Exceptionality//, 10(2), 127-138. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">5. Robinson, N. M., Lanzi, R. G., Weinberg, R. A., Ramey, S. L., & Ramey, C. T. (2002). Family factors associated with academic competence in former head start children at third grade. //Gifted Child Quarterly,// 46(4), 278. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">6. Cross, T. L., & Burney, V. H. (2005). High ability, rural, and poor: lessons from project aspire and implications for school counselors. //Journal of Secondary Gifted Education//, 16(4), 148-156. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">7. Friedman, R. C. (1994). Upstream helping for low-income families of gifted students: challenges and opportunities. //Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 5(4), 321. Retrieved from: [] //

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">8. VanTassel-Baska, J., Feng, A. X., Swanson, J. D., Quek, C., & Chandler, K. (2009). Academic and affective profiles of low-income, minority, and twice-exceptional gifted learners: the role of gifted program membership in enhancing self. //Journal of Advanced Academics//, 20(4), 702-739. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">9. Miller, R., & Gentry, M. (2010). Developing talents among high-potential students from low-income families in an out-of-school enrichment program. //Journal of Advanced Academics//, 21(4), 594-627. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">10. Swanson, J. D. (2006). Breaking through assumptions about low-income, minority gifted students. //Gifted Child Quarterly//, 50(1), 11-25. Retrieved from: []

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