Gifted Education - Explore, Enrich, Research (EER)

 

These goals are achieved through semester-long units of study.  Each teacher prepares two units of study and the students choose two of these four classes.   The units are designed using the Project Based Learning format which includes significant content, a driving question, in-depth inquiry, and a public audience.  Due to the nature of these units, each lesson builds towards the final project and attendance is key to the child's success. Remember, at EER, one semester equals 16 days!  At the end of the unit, teachers prepare a report card and mail it to the family address as well as the "home" school.  

 

Why do learners with high IQ’s need special programming?

Many people assume that bright children will automatically be successful in school.  Sadly, this is often not the case.  According to The Marland Report to Congress, “…because the majority of gifted children’s school adjustment problems occur between kindergarten and fourth grade, about half of gifted children become ‘mental dropouts’ at around 10 years of age.”  According to Dr. Sylvia Rimm, a psychologist who specializes in gifted underachievement,  “If gifted children are not challenged by curriculum early in their school lives, they will equate smart with easy, and challenge and hard work will feel threatening to their self-esteem.  They will either become perfectionistic and avoid challenges, or they will search for easy-way-out solutions, such as avoiding handing in assignments, procrastination, and disorganization for fear conscientious work may reveal that they are not as smart as they are assumed to be.”  At EER, we work to provide challenges for our students, opportunities for critical and creative thinking, and problem-solving experiences that develop perseverance.   We find joy in seeing the self-satisfaction children experience when a difficult task is completed with excellence.