Degree Name

Education Specialist (EdS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1981

Thesis Director

Donald W. Smitley

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this field study was to develop an enrichment program for the sixth grade students at Forsyth Grade School. The major areas of concern addressed in this study were:

  1. to arrive at a working definition of the gifted student.
  2. to analyze why the 1980-81 6th grade class, and Forsyth students in general, appear to score higher than average on achievement and I.Q. tests.
  3. to develop a means of identifying gifted students in the areas of math, science, and language arts.
  4. to assure an enrichment program that would meet the needs of these "gifted" students.

Procedures

Students were selected for enrichment classes on the basis of the following criteria; I.Q. as measured by the Otis-Lennon Test, student achievement as measured by the Stanford Achievement Test, teacher evaluation as indicated by the student's grades the previous year, and current student knowledge as measured by the teacher's beginning of the year inventory test. Each of these areas was given weighted scores and the summation of their points was used to select students for the enrichment classes.

Enrichment classes were held in math, science, and language arts. The author conducted a 50 minute math class that met each Friday. Topics covered in the class included; order of operations, exponents, working with different bases, sets, unions and intersections of sets, solving algebraic equations, linear equations, square roots, geometry, and geometric constructions.

The language arts program stressed creative writing, a short research paper, a spelling bee that progressed from the child's class to the county spelling bee, the production of a school play, and the reading of two short novels. Highlights of the language arts program were our local young author's contest, the creative writing program by Sangamon State University, and the spelling bees.

Science enrichment was centered on student involvement in many projects and experiments. Two days of each week were utilized by the students to do experiments and present them to the class. The focal point of our science program was our first science fair for fifth and sixth grade students. Other activities included field trips to the Rock Springs Environmental Center and the rock and mineral show at the Macon County Fairgrounds. A final activity was our International Nutrition Fair that stressed good nutrition.

Download

Share

COinS