Gifted and Talented Program
Gifted and talented students thrive at National Connections Academy. With individualized lesson plans, special courses for gifted and talented students, and specialized teachers, we create an environment where talents are nurtured and potential is realized.
At National Connections Academy, each student has an individualized learning plan that guides the learning throughout the school year. For gifted and talented students, we provide additional opportunities for them to excel with specialized courses and approaches. National Connections Academy has a Gifted Program Lead who oversees the program and assures we deliver the best practices in gifted education. Our gifted and talented experts also can create programs for "twice-exceptional" students, those who are gifted but also have special education needs.
Identifying Gifted Students
Parents and teachers nominate students for our gifted and talented program. A team headed by the Gifted Program Lead evaluates the nominees based on aptitude and achievement tests, grades, and previous work samples.
Gifted and Talented Courses for K–8
Prior to third grade, younger gifted students benefit from advanced courses and lesson plans customized to their abilities. Beginning in third grade, we offer gifted and talented courses in language arts and mathematics (grades 3–8) and in science (grades 3–5). These challenging courses give students more opportunities to interact with specialized teachers, take part in special projects, and develop higher-level thinking skills.
Junior Great Books® Program
National Connections Academy has an exclusive partnership with the Great Books Foundation to provide instruction and facilitated discussion with students in an online setting. We offer this Junior Great Books program to our gifted and talented students in grades 3–8 language arts courses. In this highly regarded program, students deepen their critical thinking, writing, and comprehension skills by reading great literary works, completing online activities, and engaging in Shared Inquiry™, a method of actively interpreting a text with others in a group. Using the Junior Great Books message board, gifted students can also socialize while sharing insights about great books.