Gifted Education

Welcome to gifted education at Tolbert Elementary School!

There are four different gifted education programs:

• Search (K-3)

• Fusion (4th And 5th)

• Dci (4th And 5th)

• Edge (1st - 5th)

For more information about gifted education at the county level, please refer to: Gifted and talented 

For more information about the 23-24 evaluation process, please click here.

What is Search?

The Loudoun County SEARCH program focuses on thinking skills and is designed to foster a classroom environment that encourages students to develop an excitement for learning and discovery. SEARCH teachers work within the classroom to stimulate curiosity, practice problem solving strategies, incorporate cooperative learning activities, provide opportunities for students to use higher level thinking skills, and to identify students with exceptional ability. During the lessons the primary classroom teacher makes observations to gain insight into the students’ various skills, strengths, and learning styles. Both teachers work cooperatively to recognize and develop the potential for excellence in each student. The SEARCH teacher is available to assist in the development of lesson plans and activities that promote higher level thinking, model or provide tips for differentiating instruction, work with small groups of students, and to offer enrichment to students who have been formally identified for gifted services. The Loudoun County SEARCH lessons are organized under the learning keys listed below and are aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning.

• Perceiving

• Reasoning

• Connecting

• Creating

• Evaluating

SEARCH Curriculum.

(Seeking Educational Alternatives to Reach and Challenge Higher level thinking)

Here's a deeper look into the concepts and ideas that will be presented to your child throughout the school year.  The SEARCH curriculum is problem-solving based and spirals developmentally through five components: perceiving, reasoning, connecting, creating, and evaluating. Each grade level learns about each component at increasingly more complex and abstract levels.

Perceiving is understanding and learning with one’s senses. Concrete spatial and visual activities are provided and students are encouraged to look at objects in many different ways. Pattern recognition and prediction skills develop and are used along with reasoning skills.

Reasoning is using information to find answers that can be proven, are logical, and make sense. Reasoning activities begin at the simple level of recognizing, labeling, classifying, and comparing attributes of concrete objects. As students mature, reasoning activities become more abstract as students use analysis and logic to solve problems.

Connecting means linking information and ideas to see how they fit together. At the basic level, students identify and extend patterns using concrete objects. More abstract problem solving involves interpreting and extending numeric patterns, determining relationships between concepts, and making generalizations. Students make connections between cause and effect.

Creating is putting ideas, information, or objects together in a new or different way. Students learn to be flexible and fluent in their thinking with familiar objects as well as unusual and/or real life problems. Original ideas are elaborated with humor and/or beauty to provide clarity and completeness. Student products may be visual, verbal, spatial, or kinesthetic.

Evaluating is using information to make a decision. Students begin evaluating by determining what the facts are and what considerations are important in making a decision. Students learn to develop criteria and rank solutions or choices according to the criteria when making decisions.

The SEARCH program focuses on thinking skills and is designed to foster a classroom environment that encourages students to develop an excitement for learning and discovery.  SEARCH teachers work within the classroom and offer lessons to all kindergarten through third grade students.  These lessons are organized under the following headings: perceiving, reasoning, connecting, creating and evaluating.  During the lessons the primary classroom teacher makes observations to gain insight into the students' various skills, strengths, and learning styles.  Both teachers work collaboratively to recognize and develop the potential for excellence in each student. 

Additional goals of the SEARCH program include the following:

• Stimulate each student's curiosity, by providing opportunities for him/her to question, think and create

• Differentiate the learning activities in the curriculum to meet individual needs of students with special interests, strengths and challenges

• Provide in-service programs to help classroom teachers work effectively with identified gifted students

• Identify students in kindergarten through third grade who have exceptional ability and provide them with materials and lessons which are commensurate with their ability levels