Outlines an elementary gifted programing model emphasizing gifted behavior rather than gifted students. The model avoids labeling students and allows them to take part in the selection process. (MD)

Overly text-based accounts of reading comprehension have been displaced by multifaceted considerations of meaning-making subjectivity and shared understandings held by communities of readers. Reading may be viewed as a meaning construction process, as writing, as engagement, and as a situation-based activity. Includes 26 references. (MLH)

Debunks five misconceptions about improving creative thinking. To encourage students to think creatively, instructional techniques should reflect an integrated set of mental skills, use materials mimicking real-life situations, consider students' beliefs and tendencies toward creative thinking, show metacognitive sensibility, and foster a creative…

Educators must realize that, in Japan, authentic learning means mastery of memorized information, not experiential learning and independent reasoning in preparation for life. Although many Japanese can recite long strings of facts, few can answer "why,""how,""what if," and "what do you think" questions about…

Although divergent-thinking tests were once the most common creativity measure in psychological and educational research, their popularity among researchers is waning because of serious questions concerning validity. Recent research suggests that divergent-thinking test scores fail to predict real-world creativity. A task-specific approach may…

Too often, gifted programs offer standard, all-purpose enrichment without regard to special talents. Talents are not usually fully developed in youngsters. Teachers can help develop children's talent by becoming talent scouts, structuring appropriate learning activities, praising talented behavior, helping kids set learning goals, locating helpful…

Creativity requires application and balancing of three abilities--the synthetic, the analytic, and the practical. Teachers should serve as creativity role models, encourage questioning of assumptions, allow mistakes, encourage sensible risk taking, design creative assignments and assessments, let students define problems, and reward creative ideas…

Educators must teach and assess in ways that allow students to use their memorization, analytical, creative, and practical abilities. A Yale study of 199 high schoolers found that students whose instruction matched their abilities pattern performed significantly better than the others. Expanding the range of abilities tested expands the range of…

According to SCORE, actively engaged students are energized by four goals (success, curiosity, originality, and relationship) that satisfy certain human needs. Educators can motivate students to produce high-quality work by clearly articulating success criteria, providing constructive feedback, modeling skills, and portraying success as an…

Despite their individual creativity and achievements, many girls confront common obstacles (like sexual harassment) and expectations that limit accomplishments. Nonetheless, girls get better grades than boys, score higher on certain test measures, and attend college in greater numbers. Their resilience and resistance to cultural norms are…