Turning the Looking Glass Inside Out: A Gifted Student in an At-Risk Setting

Abstract

This qualitative study occurred in a multigrade classroom of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in a school labeled at-risk. The focal student in this study was Kirby, identified in this setting as a gifted student. Kirby’s classroom teacher and a university researcher collaborated in data collection that included interviews, classroom observations, a teacher journal, artifacts, and analysis over a 3-year period that was centered on literacy learning and teaching. It was discovered that the open-ended, flexible learning and teaching that occurred in the classroom benefited Kirby’s learning, as well as that of the other children in the classroom. Additionally, Kirby benefited from the rich literacy environment that was established by his mother.