IDENTIFICATION AND INSTRUCTIONAL CHALLENGES FOR DEVELOPING A BILINGUAL, GIFTED PROGRAM

Developing the first research based academic program for academically gifted, bilingual children in a developing country is characterized by challenges. In Honduras, many middle and upper S.E.S. families enroll their children in a bilingual education school. In addition, for many reasons there is not a national conversation about gifted children and their academic and social needs whether it is for public school children or the private system for bilingual education. In most developing countries the population of bilingual school children as well as those who are gifted in intellectual abilities is small and their needs are not a high priority since most bilingual schools are designed for those parents who have the financial means.
In addition to the challenge of beginning to create a national educational culture that values the unique needs of the gifted, including the bilingual, there are other significant obstacles. Using culturally and dual language appropriate instruments is the foundation for identification for the gifted. In a country that has few qualitative or quantitative instruments, and subsequent normative data, can lead to a false positive “label” of gifted. This can lead to exposure to inappropriate expectations and teaching strategies when the academic program is appropriately characterized by differentiated instruction suitable for general intellectually gifted as well as characterized by dual language instruction. Research questions abound as to the appropriate identification, instructional strategies and student, as well as teacher, outcomes for this special population.
Dowal Bilingual School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras has created a national vision and model for identifying bilingual, gifted children as well as developing an appropriate curriculum and utilization of appropriate instructional strategies. The summer 2009 four week program will be a first for bilingual gifted children and has been characterized by developing a research based approach for identification as well as appropriate bilingual instruction.