Sometimes it's not easy for highly creative children to "comply" with a regular curriculum, even at the preschool age. They are wired to explore, experiment, build, imagine, and create. If forced at a young age into a diet heavy on rote learning and directed work, they may struggle. It's not that these children can't do the work, it's…

This paper reports on the findings in the first phase of a design-based research project as part of a large-scale intervention study in Dutch kindergartens. The project aims at enhancing differentiated instruction and evaluating its effects on children's development, in particular high-ability children. This study investigates relevant…

This article is an interview with award-winning author and gifted children consultant, Deborah Ruf, PhD. In the interview, Ruf emphasizes the importance of parental planning for gifted children's growth and development. She speaks to children's social, emotional, and cognitive abilities and needs as factors in developing a balanced plan.…

Although successful entrepreneurship is important for the economic prosperity of any society, one should acknowledge that entrepreneurial giftedness is terra incognita from a research viewpoint. This article analyzes early manifestations of entrepreneurial giftedness in the cases of Richard Branson, Michael Dell, and Bill Gates and thus opens a…

This monograph presents extensive abstracts of 49 papers on developmental approaches to identifying exceptional ability. Sample topics include: the gifted population in prison; identification of gifted rural children; use of the Stanford-Binet for identification; student characteristics and placement into special programs for the highly gifted;…

Explores use of tests with more- vs. less-precise age norms to identify disabilities in preschool children. Standard scores associated with the same raw score shifted gradually across age groups on tests with more precise norms, and shifted more dramatically on tests with less precise norms. Indicates that many preschool tests have norm tables…

Discusses research related to identifying early predictors of school success or intelligence. Reports on a study that suggested correlations exist between how babies process information (visual attentiveness) in the first six months of life and the child's performance on intelligence tests in school. (ML)

Aspects covered include federal support for the gifted, identification, the arts, the developmental process, and minority and disadvantaged gifted. Trends examined include cooperation between special and regular classroom teachers, more comprehensive program planning, and greater advocacy efforts. (DLS)

This brief paper offers guidelines on recognizing giftedness in young children based on a study of the developmental characteristics of 77 gifted and average children as reported in parent questionnaires. The questionnaire asked parents to describe their children's development during the first 36 months. Major findings indicated that: parents of…

Outlines the patterns and processes of visual representation which occur during early childhood and suggests some differences that may be apparent in relation to the young gifted child. Stages of development are described and the use of children's drawings as indicators of giftedness is also outlined. (Author/CR)

The article focuses on giftedness in preschool-age children, including: the importance of early identification of giftedness, identification methods, techniques for providing a nurturing environment in the home, needs of parents of gifted children, and school programs for serving the gifted. A bibliography of relevant books and periodicals is…

Discusses the underidentification of young highly-gifted children and describes the developmental differences in highly-gifted children. Issues in the identification of young highly-gifted children are addressed, along with suggestions for teacher nomination, parent nomination, ability and achievement testing, and appropriate placements of…

One of the most important experiences in a child's life begins when he starts formal school, most often at age 5. Going to kindergarten is thrilling and sometimes scary but always an adventure. At this time, children come together from all walks of life; all types of families; at all levels of development; and with a vast array of skills,…

This book reviews and summarizes recent research into the intellectual, emotional and creative development of young gifted children. An introductory section includes the following: "Early Signs of Giftedness: Research and Commentary" (Abraham Tannenbaum); "Creative Giftedness in Children" (Robert Sternberg and Todd Lubart); and "Cultural…

In this book, developmental, educational, cognitive, and professional psychologists explore early identification of giftedness, what happens when child prodigies grow up, and environmental characteristics that are needed for talent to develop into genius. The nature of creativity and domain-specific expertise is examined, along with how psychology…