Students with advanced literacy skills and related literacy instruction: a scoping review

Empirical research on advanced literacy skills among students in elementary and middle school, and on literacy instruction related to such skills, was reviewed to map current scientific knowledge on the topic, and to map identification methods and terms used to describe these students. A comprehensive search in three databases was conducted. Twenty-six studies met the criteria for inclusion. Relevant results were summarized after a data extraction and thematic analysis. The majority of the included studies were conducted in North America on elementary school students. Five research themes were identified, where the overarching results emphasize needs for a differentiated literacy instruction, both in terms of content and tasks, explicit instruction, ability grouping, and enrichment to enable gifted students to develop according to their potential. Furthermore, the findings indicate the importance of teacher professional development and access to resources such as appropriate materials and time.