LEAP

books on top of apples.gif (3193 bytes) LEAP

Ms. Kelly Stuth

The LEAP program serves students in grades 1-5 who have been identified as highly gifted in the area of general intellectual ability. The program is an enrichment model, and focuses on developing students' thinking skills rather than on accelerated learning. Throughout the program, students engage in activities and projects which strengthen critical, creative, and logical thinking; research skills; and affective growth.

	This student in presenting her research on ancient Egyptian schools and our present day, American schools.
	Third grade LEAP students preparing the product they will use to share what they learned about the Aztec calendars.
	These students just finished an experiment in density .

The four major goals for each student in the program are:

To be aware of the student's own unique potential and learning style in order to develop abilities for the betterment of self and society;
To utilize higher level thinking skills that develop intellectual curiosity and critical, creative, and productive thinking;
To understand and apply the problem solving process in a cooperative group setting through analysis and evaluation of real life situations;
To develop advanced reference skills for using multiple concepts and resources in synthesizing an elaborate product.

Students are identified for the program through the use of learning potential tests, achievement tests, creative products, and observed characteristics. Once identified, students are served both in the regular classroom and in a pullout program. LEAP students' regular classroom teachers are trained in differentiation methods and modify activities to challenge LEAP students daily. During pullout sessions, students meet with the LEAP facilitator to work on individual projects or other activities which involve application of the thinking skills emphasized.

In the LEAP curriculum, each grade level focuses lessons and activities around a central theme. Within this theme, elements of Mathematics, Science, Language, and Social Studies. Topics of study throughout the year may vary widely, but are all connected by this general theme. Themes for each grade level are:

First - Discovery
Second - Relationships
Third - Exploration
Fourth - Challenges
Fifth - Connections

Each year, students in grades 2-5 select, plan, research and present individual research projects on topics relating to the grade level theme. This undertaking required students to utilize the skills they have been honing. Each student becomes the 'expert' on his or her topic and is provided the opportunity to educate the class during the project presentation.

The LEAP program aims to provide the most appropriate education possible to students of extremely high intellectual ability. In developing thinking and independent learning skills, students prepare themselves to be successful lifelong learners while exploring topics of interest and relevance to them today.