Using Funds of Knowledge to Identify Bilingual Students' Gifts and Talents - The Role of Home Visits

Oct 15, 2026

The paper examines how home visits can improve the identification of gifted and talented bilingual students by leveraging students' funds of knowledge. It addresses the long-standing underrepresentation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students, particularly English learners, in gifted programs and links this disparity to referral and screening practices that favor native English perspectives. By grounding assessment in culturally and linguistically responsive evidence from students’ lived experiences, the approach aims to broaden recognition of giftedness and reduce bias from language-dependent measures.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

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Using Funds of Knowledge to Identify Bilingual Students' Gifts and Talents: The Role of Home Visits

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Gifted Education

# Using Funds of Knowledge to Identify Bilingual Students'Gifts andTalents:The Role of Home Visits This paper argues that home visits can play a critical role in identifying gifts and talents of bilingualstudents through students'funds of knowledge.Underrepresentation of students who are culturallyand linguistically diverse(CLD),particularly bilingual children,in gifted programs has been a long-term concern in education.One problem of underrepresentation of bilingual students in giftededucation is rooted in teacber under referrals of bilingual children for screening.Bilingual studentsexhibit gifted characteristics in differing ways than their peers from non-diverse backgrounds(Esquierdo &Arreguin-Anderson,2012).Students'funds of knowledge frame their patterns oflearning,knowing,and doing around their unique cultural and linguistic experiences and can serve as avaluable resource in the gifted and talented screening process.The purpose of the paper is to promotethe use of home visits as an alternative talent screening approach to assist teachers in the identificationof bilingual students'potential characteristics of giftedness through students'funds of knowledge. Keywords:Culturally and linguistically diverse,bilingual,gifted,home visit,funds of knowledge # Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Gifted Education Gifted and talented education programs do not reflect the current cultural and linguistic diversity of U.S.publicschools(Gubbins et al.,2018;Mun et al.,2016;Plucker &Callahan,2014).Bilingual students,categorized as Englishlearners(ELs),or students whose home language is other than English and have not yet achieved specified levels ofEnglish proficiency,make up over 11 percent of the total school-age population,yet less than 3%of ELs arerepresented in gifted education(United States Department of Education,Office for Civil Rights,2014).Underrepresentation ofbilingual students in gifted education has been a historical,long-withstanding concern(Elhoweris,Mutua,Alsheikh,&Holloway,2005;Esquierdo &Arregun-Anderson,2012;Ford,&Grantham,2003;Gubbins et al.,2018;Siegle et al.,2016)and commands a sense of urgency as students from culturally andlinguistically diverse(CLD)backgrounds are expected to make up55%of the U.S school population by 2027(NCES,2019).These data indicate the importance of schools and districts in identifying the contributing factors leading tothe underrepresentation of students from diverse backgrounds in gifted programs. The Every Student Succeeds Act(ESSA,2015)defines gifted and talented individuals as“....children or youthwho give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual,creative,artistic,or leadershipcapacity,or in specific academic fields,and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school inorder to fully develop those capabilities."(Title VIII,Part A,Section 8101 of ESSA,2015).Gifted education programsin schools aim to maximize opportunities for children/youth to recognize and advance their gifts and talents,enhance their capacity to utilize their gifts and talents,and to become problem solvers,critical thinkers,innovators,and contributors to society(Renzulli,2012).Without the services and support provided through gifted educationprograms,students'untapped giftedness may lead to social,emotional and academic challenges(Renzulli,2012). It is imperative for educators to recognize that giftedness exists in all cultures and across all languages (Lewis,DeCamp-Fritson,Ramage,McFarland,&Archwamety,2007).Exceptional intellect,creativity,discipline knowledge,and leadership are characteristics of giftedness.These characteristics exist acrossallcultures yet are exhibited inculturally and linguistically specific ways to the individual.Traditional gifted assessments and educators'understanding of giftedness from a native English-speaking perspective disadvantages bilingual student from beingappropriately identified for and to receive gifted educati

FAQs

Why is the underrepresentation of bilingual students in gifted education a concern?

Bilingual students, especially English learners, are historically underrepresented in gifted programs despite comprising a sizable portion of the school-age population. This gap raises equity and identification concerns in education.

How can home visits support the identification of giftedness in bilingual students?

Home visits can provide alternative, culturally grounded information about students’ learning, knowing, and doing through their funds of knowledge. This helps teachers recognize potential gifted characteristics beyond language-proficiency-based screening.

What factors contribute to inadequate placement of bilingual students in gifted programs?

The paper highlights limited teacher referrals, problems in identification and placement, low parental awareness, deficit thinking by educators, and students’ socioeconomic status. It also emphasizes teacher knowledge gaps about giftedness.

Oct 15, 2026

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