The MindPlus curriculum
The MindPlus curriculum was developed by the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education following the merger of Gifted Kids and the Gifted Education Centre (One Day School) in 2014 and draws on elements of both organisations’ curricula as well as international research and recommendations for best practice in gifted education. The curriculum development process was guided by Associate Professor Tracy Riley, who is a recognised expert in gifted education both here and internationally and consults with the Ministry of Education on gifted education. It has strong links to the Principles and Key Competencies in the New Zealand Curriculum and part of the consultation process during the development of the curriculum was discussions with personnel at both the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. As with all curricula, the curriculum is open to development and ever-evolving.
The MindPlus curriculum is a specialised, differentiated curriculum designed to help meet the learning, social and emotional needs of gifted learners in New Zealand.
Learning strands in the MindPlus curriculum include three content strands and three process strands.
At the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education we are committed to quality teaching and learning for gifted students in particular, therefore, it is essential that our teachers’ pedagogy reflects the special intellectual, social, emotional and cultural needs of gifted learners. Research and experience tells us that gifted students learn best when their teachers create a responsive learning environment specifically for gifted learners and personalise learning for individual students. This is reflected in our curriculum.