Davidson Academy Online offers gifted middle schoolers the opportunity to learn and grow in a supportive environment. This is a time in their lives when they need room to explore niche subjects and connect with like-minded peers to build confidence and feel a strong sense of belonging.
General Information for Gifted Middle School Students
Middle school can be a challenging time in anyone’s educational journey—but especially for gifted middle school students. There can be pressure to hide their intelligence/abilities in order to fit in and to stay motivated. Alternative schooling, like the Davidson Academy Online, can be the switch gifted middle school students need to succeed.
To better understand whether your child may be gifted, here are a few identifying characteristics:
- an ability to learn and process complex information rapidly
- a need to explore subjects in surprising depth
- ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers
- surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age
- absorbs information quickly with few repetitions needed
If you already know your child is gifted, you’re most likely deciding which learning environment is right for your child. Gifted online middle schools, such as Davidson Academy Online, empower students through a flexible, faster-paced education that accommodates their unique abilities.
Keep in mind that every student is different. To determine the extent of your child’s abilities, learn about more characteristics and testing options.
What You Need to Know About Gifted Online Middle Schooling
Online schooling is a flexible and powerful medium, and Davidson Academy Online is committed to providing a supportive, engaging environment for gifted learners.
Curriculum Overview
Our curriculum prepares graduates to leave with a broad-based knowledge. Upon admission, the curriculum and assessment teams place students in core courses that are appropriately challenging and mentally stimulating for each student. Since students are grouped by ability rather than age in core courses, they may progress through the curriculum in different ways.
Davidson Academy Online’s overview of courses, credits and graduation requirements are available to provide a deeper dive into the school’s curriculum.
Individual Investment in Education
At Davidson Academy Online, we want to ensure that our students are not only academically gifted, but also ready to embrace the unique challenges and opportunities of online learning. Because the student is at home/outside of the classroom for instruction, success relies heavily on the individual’s commitment to their education. That could be a lot of pressure for a middle schooler, which is why each student works with their counselor to develop an academic plan. This process helps them work through the core curriculum and find elective classes based upon their interests.
Social and Emotional Development
Gifted online middle school is a great place to learn and develop both socially and emotionally. In fact, our faculty, educators, and counselors are well-versed in the unique needs of profoundly gifted students.
Davidson Academy Online provides opportunities to build self-awareness, self-advocacy, time management, and study skills—all while introducing mindfulness and coping techniques. When necessary, we can also connect students with external professionals and resources in the local community.
Explore more about the value of getting an education at Davidson Academy Online.
Gifted Online Middle School Students Need a Dedicated Workspace
Once you and your child decide online schooling is the best fit for them, you should start planning their workspace.
Take note of how your family uses your home and identify 1) which spaces are being over- and underutilized and 2) areas where certain activities are happening. These things will help you choose where to set up your child’s workspace. For example, you might notice that your child prefers a quiet corner for reading, but your kitchen table becomes the hub for online classes.
If your child’s workspace is in the living room, for instance, you will want to create work-life boundaries. It can be as simple as adjusting lighting and background music to signal different parts of the day.
By involving the whole family in setting up the learning workspace, you create a more pleasant and functional environment that serves the needs of both school and family life.
Preparing for High School
Transitioning from a gifted online middle school to high school is an exciting journey filled with new opportunities. At this pivotal moment in a gifted student’s education, they will continue to experience a unique, yet appropriately challenging curriculum that caters to their abilities and interests. The staff at Davidson Academy Online is here to help students through this transition and earn a high school diploma.
Learn more about graduation requirements at Davidson Academy Online.
Ready to Apply?
Here is a reminder of our eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must be under age 16 at the time of applying.
- Applicants must reside within the United States or Canada.
- Applicants must meet or exceed a qualifying test score on one of the listed Accepted Tests.
- Applicants must exhibit an academic level of advanced middle school or higher in core course subjects that meets placement requirements for Davidson Academy Online curriculum.
- Applicant’s must demonstrate motivation, social and emotional maturity, and overall readiness for an intensely accelerated educational environment.
Find step-by-step instructions and get started on your application today.
Check out Davidson Academy Online’s FAQs for information about additional testing information, fees outside of tuition, sibling discounts, and more.