Pedagogy for talented students is a widely discussed area in the field of gifted education. Much debate exists over the instruction required to meet the unique learning needs of the gifted. However, a distinction must be made between a strategy and a high-leverage practice. These two words are often used synonymously, but differ greatly in application and transferability. A strategy is finite and encompasses a specific set of steps or processes that teachers embed into a learning experience to promote the transfer of knowledge and skills within a content area. Although strategies are an important part of a learning experience and are well-documented in the literature, they lack the generalizability across educational contexts and content areas.
A high-leverage practice is not strategy. A high-leverage practice is sustained over time by emphasizing pedagogical knowledge across disciplines and instructional contexts. High-leverage practices incorporate the student’s funds of knowledge, metacognitive development, and social and emotional contributions to the learning experience. This shifts the balance of power in the classroom from strategies that are teacher-centered to practices that promote individuality and agency in learners. The purpose of this publication is to curate cutting-edge, high-leverage practices that develop innovation and inquiry in talented learners.