The word "talent" is used across many sport disciplines -- to describe an athlete's prowess (i.e. "he is talented"), as a term for what is sought after during assessment and selection (i.e. talent selection camps) or in reference to players to be developed (i.e. "a group of talents"). While the term has received…

This article describes a three-step process by which behaviors are associated with the concept of "giftedness." In the first step, a three-way interaction of a person x task x situation leads to some kind of excellence in a societally significant performance. In the second step, that performance is identified as excellent and societally…

Academic disciplines and professional fields need to engage in ongoing evaluation of their purposes and conceptual frameworks. The complex field of gifted education can benefit from such evaluations, and the refinements that can emerge from them. This article is a discussion between two of the most prominent scholars in the field. The discussion…

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) believes it is essential to define giftedness in a way that both reflects best thinking in the field and moves beyond a focus on identification criteria to a deeper understanding of the complex nature of giftedness and the multi-faceted approach to services required to appropriately serve…

Who, rather than what, decides what giftedness is? The academic world traditionally focuses on theoretical descriptors whereas society as a whole is more interested in practical function. This partly divided focus is becoming increasingly critical and problematic as economies are becoming global and the political objective is to create a knowledge…

As school psychologists, educators and parents most often approach us with questions relating to a concern. We have the privilege of serving students in their natural learning environment where skills and behaviors can be observed and analyzed, where interventions can be created and tested, and, hopefully, where a positive change can be made…

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a comprehensive yet detailed account of the current giftedness and gifted education situation in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. It is concerned with four main research questions: (1) How is "giftedness" defined in German-speaking countries? (2) How are gifted children…

The triarchic theory of intellectual giftedness asserts that intelligence must be understood in terms of three aspects: the internal world of the individual, the external world of the individual, and the interface between these two as it unfolds through experience. The theory is explained through the profiles of three graduate students. (Author/CL)

The authors describe an approach to identifying gifted children based upon a three-ring definition of giftedness (above average general ability, task commitment, and creativity). Examples are given of the revolving door model in practice, needed policy changes are noted, and its advantages and potential problems cited. (CL)

Recent growth in programs for the gifted in Canada suggests that the deeply entrenched negative attitudes toward the gifted are changing, albeit slowly. Identifying gifted children is still a problem. The United States Office of Education's definitions of giftedness acknowledges a variety of ways of being gifted. (BRR)

The paper examines the uniqueness of gifted children and the problems facing them and their families as a result of the giftedness. Annotations from the literature are preceded by selected quotations from gifted children designed to reflect the research and expert opinions which follow. The first section considers the complex nature of giftedness…

Participants of a colloquium series on creativity and giftedness held at Arizona University were surveyed about concerns and suggestions regarding needs, resources, and appropriate linkages for creativity and giftedness programs. Teachers, parents, administrators, school board members, students, and consultants raised concerns over minimal state…

The paper describes a Norwich, Connecticut, program for gifted learning disabled students. After a definition of giftedness, a chart lists characteristics of gifted/learning disabled students, and a brief discussion examines application of the Enrichment Triad Model of Joseph Renzulli to this population. Other program information pieces include a…