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Growing Up Greatness Podcast Resources

Key Gifted Strategies: Early Finishers

Interested in exploring today's topic in more depth? The following resources provide an excellent starting point. 

  • Rogers, K. B. (2007). Lessons learned about educating the gifted and talented: A synthesis of the research on educational practice. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51(4), 382–396. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986207306324⁠ ⁠Article and abstract – SAGE Journals⁠ 

    • A major synthesis of research into effective educational practices for gifted learners. Particularly relevant is the importance of providing gifted students with appropriately differentiated learning, including appropriate challenge, pace and instructional provision, rather than expecting all students to complete identical learning experiences.

  • Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation. (2019). Revisiting gifted education. NSW Department of Education. ⁠Revisiting gifted education – NSW Department of Education⁠ Gifted students require learning with greater challenge, depth and complexity.

    • Teaching should align the challenge, complexity, depth and pace of learning with students’ needs. The review also identifies boredom and disengagement as possible consequences when gifted students experience inadequate challenge. It supports explicit teaching and well-structured learning alongside extension and enrichment.

  • Scarparolo, G. (2025). Gifted students’ learning experiences in mixed-ability (inclusive) classes in Australian primary schools. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 34(1), 29–44. ⁠https://doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2025.0004⁠ ⁠Article details – University of Western Australia⁠ 

    • Recent Australian research examining gifted students’ own experiences in mixed-ability classrooms. Three key themes were identified: “wasted learning opportunities”, “challenge and support”, and “learning and working with others”. 

  • Check out Kylie's ⁠⁠Benable⁠⁠ page for more reading recommendations.

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Growing Up Greatness Podcast Resources

Start Your Next Topic with a Question - Science Week 2026 Special Episode!

We explore an example themed around National Science Week about how to engage students more with essential questions, and ways in which students are able to use Science as a way to examine the world around them more thoughtfully.

Essential Questions and Concept-Based Learning:

  • McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2013). Essential questions: Opening doors to student understanding. ASCD.

  • Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). ASCD.

Gifted Education:

  • Kaplan, S. N. (2009). Depth and complexity: An educator's guide to the framework. Corwin Press.

  • VanTassel-Baska, J. (2019). Curriculum planning and instructional design for gifted learners (3rd ed.). Routledge.

  • VanTassel-Baska, J., & Stambaugh, T. (2021). The integrated curriculum model: Engaging and challenging gifted learners (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Science Inquiry and Scientific Thinking:

Thinking / questioning models mentioned in this episode:

  • Bloom's Taxonomy

  • SOLO Taxonomy

  • Williams Model

  • Socratic Questioning

  • Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines

Check out Kylie's ⁠⁠Benable⁠⁠ page for more reading recommendations.

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Check out our Online Professional Learning Series with 9 Gifted & Talented modules that you can complete at your own pace!

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Growing Up Greatness Podcast Resources

Afraid to Give an ‘A’

A grade should communicate what a student has demonstrated, not what a teacher is comfortable defending. Grading should reflect evidence of student learning and shared understandings of achievement standards. Teachers need clear criteria and school support to explain their decisions confidently.

A useful distinction

ACARA provides the Australian Curriculum achievement standards, while state and territory authorities determine the reporting arrangements and grade descriptors. In WA, Pre-primary reports use achievement descriptors without letter grades; Years 1–2 may use descriptors or letter grades; and Years 3–10 must use A–E grades and the prescribed descriptors. Schools should check the applicable requirements for their jurisdiction and sector.

Some useful words for parent conversations

“An ‘A’ last year described excellent achievement against last year’s expectations. This year, we are assessing different learning against this year’s achievement standard. Let’s look at the work together and discuss what your child is demonstrating now.”

Interested in exploring today's topic in more depth? The following resources provide an excellent starting point. 

  • SCSA Reporting on student achievement

    WA’s official reporting requirements, including the meaning of A–E grades and the different requirements for Pre-primary, Years 1–2 and Years 3–10.

  • NESA Reporting and using grades

    NSW practical advice on holistic teacher judgement. Explicitly confirms that a student does not need to work beyond their stage syllabus to receive an A or B.

  • SCSA Judging Standards

    WA teacher support materials for making evidence-based judgements against achievement standards. Some materials require an SCSA extranet login.

  • SCSA Assessment and Reporting FAQs

    Directly answers whether an A requires above-year-level work and explains how achievement standards and mid-year judgements are applied. Because the content and achievement expectations change between years, a grade in one year does not automatically carry over to the next.

  • NSW Department of Education Preparing for difficult conversations (school leaders)

    Guidance for leaders on consistent approaches, preparation, professional dialogue and a supportive school culture. Relevant to helping teachers address grade disputes without feeling they are creating problems for future colleagues.

  • Graham-Clay, S. (2024) | Difficult conversations with parents

    Graham-Clay, S. (2024). Difficult conversations with parents: Practical skills for teachers. School Community Journal, 34(1), 61–84. A journal article on communicating concerns to parents, including listening, questioning and language choices. Particularly relevant to teacher confidence when explaining or defending an assessment judgement.

    Note on the evidence

    The studies support evidence-based grading and the need for a shared understanding of grades. They do not directly establish how common it is for Australian teachers to withhold an A because of anticipated parental reactions.

    Check out Kylie's ⁠⁠Benable⁠⁠ page for more reading recommendations.

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Growing Up Greatness Podcast Resources

‘Not More Work’ with Courtney Vale

We explore the idea of not giving students more work because they perform at a higher level, but ensuring students are equipped with work suitable for their level.

  • Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation. (2019). Revisiting gifted education. NSW Department of Education. This is particularly accessible for teachers and emphasises greater challenge, depth and complexity, including acceleration, extension and enrichment.

  • Revisiting gifted education literature review ⁠

Check out Kylie's ⁠⁠Benable⁠⁠ page for more reading recommendations.

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Check out our Online Professional Learning Series with 9 Gifted & Talented modules that you can complete at your own pace!

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Growing Up Greatness Podcast Resources

Key Gifted Strategies: Clustering

This episode is about identifying gifted learners in a year group, and how we're able to ensure these students are with like-minded peers through the strategy of clustering. We explore how clustering works well in the classroom, how we can best target those students' needs, why the clustering model works for students, and how to ensure teachers are able to advocate for this method.

  • Rogers, K. B. (2007). Lessons learned about educating the gifted and talented: A synthesis of the research on educational practice. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51(4), 382-396. 

Check out Kylie's ⁠⁠Benable⁠⁠ page for more reading recommendations.

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Check out our Online Professional Learning Series with 9 Gifted & Talented modules that you can complete at your own pace!

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Growing Up Greatness Podcast Resources

Why Gifted Students Get the Easy Questions Wrong

The following research and practical resources explore why gifted students need appropriately challenging assessments, how teachers can recognise advanced understanding, and why assessment should measure achievement and growth rather than simply produce a test score.

  • Assessment Principles (Western Australia) School Curriculum and Standards Authority. (n.d.). Assessment principles. https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/wa-curriculum/assessment-principles  

    • Practical guidance on fair, valid assessment that recognises what students know and can do. Particularly relevant are Principles 1, 3 and 4, which emphasise using existing evidence of learning, collecting meaningful data and designing assessments appropriate to their purpose.

  • High Potential and Gifted Education Standards (NSW) NSW Department of Education. (2026). High potential and gifted education standards. https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2004-0051-03  

    • Section 1.2, Assessment and Data, is particularly relevant. It emphasises using valid assessment evidence to identify gifted students' learning needs, monitor growth and achievement, and recognise already-mastered content to avoid unnecessary repetition.

  • John Munro on Gifted Education Teacher. (2020). The Research Files Episode 56: John Munro on gifted education. Australian Council for Educational Research. https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/the-research-files-episode-56-john-munro-on-gifted-education  

    • Australian gifted education researcher Professor John Munro explains how gifted students may develop understandings beyond what has been explicitly taught. Particularly relevant is his discussion of recognising advanced thinking and providing feedback based on what students actually understand, rather than simply what they have been taught.

  • Gifted Programs and Services: What Are the Nonnegotiables? VanTassel-Baska, J. (2005). Gifted programs and services: What are the nonnegotiables? Theory Into Practice, 44(2), 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4402_3  

    • A peer-reviewed article arguing that appropriately challenging curriculum and instruction must be supported by differentiated assessment approaches. Particularly relevant is the need for assessment criteria that recognise higher levels of learning and make expectations clear to students.

  • Mathematically Gifted Students' Experience with Boredom in School Smedsrud, J. H., Nordahl-Hansen, A., & Idsøe, E. (2022). Mathematically gifted students' experience with their teachers' mathematical competence and boredom in school: A qualitative interview study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 876350. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.876350  

    • A peer-reviewed study exploring gifted students' experiences of boredom, insufficient challenge and disengagement. Offers useful insights into why repetitive or overly simple tasks may frustrate gifted learners and why their responses to these tasks do not always reflect their capabilities.

  • Pre-K–Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards National Association for Gifted Children (USA). (2019). Pre-K–Grade 12 gifted programming standards. https://www.nagc.org/national-standards-in-gifted-and-talented-education  

    • International standards outlining effective educational provision for gifted learners. Standard 2 (Assessment) and Standard 3 (Curriculum Planning and Instruction) emphasise using assessment evidence to understand students' strengths, monitor progress and provide appropriately challenging learning experiences.

Check out Kylie's ⁠⁠Benable⁠⁠ page for more reading recommendations.

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Check out our Online Professional Learning Series with 9 Gifted & Talented modules that you can complete at your own pace!

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