Content-Based Curriculum for High-Ability Learners provides a solid introduction to curriculum development in gifted and talented education. In bringing together experts from the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary, this text brings cutting-edge design techniques and aligns the core content with national and state standards.

The text is divided into three sections. The first section identifies the basic principles of curriculum development: accelerated learning within the core content areas, use of higher order process skills, development of creative student products, and concept development and learning.

The second section incorporates these techniques into a chapter on each core content area: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Key concepts, such as differentiated curriculum, grouping practices, acceleration, and assessment are woven throughout the text. In addition, each chapter on a core content area provides concrete examples from classroom-tested curriculum units.

The third section focuses on the roles of teachers, program coordinators, and administrators during curriculum design: selecting resources and materials, making appropriate instructional choices, and assessing student learning. The final section also offers suggestions for aligning curricula with content standards, identifies exemplary programs, and encourages educators to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their curricula.

Educational Resource

Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D., is the Jody and Layton Smith Professor Emerita of Education and former Executive Director of the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary in Virginia, where she developed a graduate program and a research and development center in gifted education. She also initiated and directed the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University.

Catherine Little is an Associate Professor in Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. She teaches courses in gifted and talented education and in the undergraduate honors program in education, and she was recognized as a University Teaching Fellow in 2012.