For gifted children, early identification is essential. Should kids begin to show signs of high achievement in various domains, such as mathematics or art, their parents may want to have them take an IQ test for kids to see if they could benefit from programs designed specifically for students with their unique learning needs. After all, the National Association for Gifted Children's website states that formal assessments tend to be the "gold standard" for determining if students possess high cognitive abilities.

While the results of IQ tests can certainly shine a light on children's abilities, they cannot tell parents how to foster these talents and help their kids grow academically and personally. Ultimately, it is parents' responsibility to find the right type of gifted program for their children.

Here are just a few examples of the programs gifted students can take advantage of. If anything, they show how different teachers' approaches to gifted education can be.

Giving gifted students a choice
In Texas, educators at The Rainard School for Gifted Students believe in giving pupils the choice to learn what they want, KHOU reported. They understand that gifted children learn at a different pace and, as a result, may lose interest in what pupils their age tend to learn about.

One student who has benefitted from enrolling in The Rainard School is Annalisa Tomicic, who began to lose interest in attending classes at her previous institution.

"I would say now, it’s very different," Tara Tomicic, Annalisa's mother, told the news source. "She comes home, she talks about what she learned. She’s excited to go. I’ve never heard her once say she didn’t want to go to school."

At The Rainard School, every student has an IQ over 130. These children gather in small classrooms that are often interest-based. This, in turn, provides kids with a choice as to what they learn about, which prevents them from growing bored.

A different kind of field trip
Gifted students from Pennsylvania's Laurel High School recently had an opportunity to visit Allegheny General Hospital, the New Castle News reported. However, this was far from the average field trip, as these kids got to see surgeons perform an aortic valve replacement.

For students like Rachael Baker, who has aspirations of one day entering the medical field, the chance to observe the surgery was an eye-opening experience.

"Someone’s life is in the hands of these doctors," Baker said. "I wouldn’t be averse to working in an OR. I left with a whole new perspective. To see diagrams and pictures of the heart is one thing, but we saw a chest opened up."