This quantitative quasi-experimental study, adopting a pretest/post-test control/treatment group design, investigated the efficacy of instructional strategies for developing divergent thinking in gifted and talented students within K-6 heterogeneous cluster classes. It specifically explored the problem of insufficient evidence-based approaches for…

The document provides lesson plans for strengthening the thought processes, including problem solving and creative abilities, of third and fourth grade mentally gifted children. The lessons are organized within the five operations of the mind as defined by J. Guilford's Structure of Intellect (SOI): cognition (10 lessons), memory (6 lessons),…

The document provides lesson plans for strengthening the thought processes, including problem solving and creative abilities, of fifth and sixth grade mentally gifted children. The lessons are organized within the five operations of the mind as defined by J. Guilford's Structure of Intellect (SOI): cognition (16 lessons), memory (7 lessons),…

The effects of the self-instructional use of programed creativity materials was investigated with 648 regular and intellectually gifted fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students, using the Purdue Creativity Training Program (PCTP), and with the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking as a measurement. In general, the results indicated that the…

A cemetery unit offers opportunities for gifted students to use higher-level thinking skills as well as creativity. Activities are suggested for three phases of the unit: introductory, developmental, and culminating. (CL)

Eighteen academically gifted elementary students were randomly assigned to either a figural treatment or verbal treatment condition. Analysis of pre and post tests of creative thinking suggested that unbalanced programing of figural creative thinking abilities and verbal creative thinking abilities over time may cause significant decrements in…

The effectiveness of a gifted program emphasizing creativity with 91 gifted Ss (grades 3 to 6) was compared to a control program for 78 gifted age matched Ss. Experimental Ss made significantly higher scores on post-tests of figural, semantic, and symbolic creativity. (CL)

Creative arts programing for gifted and talented elementary students has incorporated academics (ecology, mathematics, history, genealogy, computer science, and independent research) into activities such as puppetry, creative drama, storytelling, dance, music, pottery, and poetry. The arts classes have been popular with students, parents,…

The author describes activities of a weekly enrichment class providing right-brain tasks to gifted elementary students. Activities, which centered on artistic creativity, were taken from "Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain" by B. Edwards. (CL)

One hundred fifty-six gifted elementary students (grades 3 through 6) responded to the Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory on a pre- and posttest basis during a 3 week, 45 hour College for Kids program, designed as an enrichment program with focus on critical thinking, problem solving, inquiry, research, and questioning. Thirty students responded to…

Development of problem-solving and creative thinking ability was examined through administration of experimental tasks to 240 gifted children (grade 2 to grade 6). Different patterns of development were noted: problem-solving skills grew steadily from grade 2 through grade 6; while creative thinking increased from grade 2 through grade 4, with no…

"Creating a superhero", a minicourse for gifted elementary children, is described. (CL)

An enrichment program based on the Purdue Three-Stage Model (creative thinking abilities, creative problem solving, and independent study and research skills) resulted in no significant differences in self-concept scores for 199 gifted elementary participants compared to control Ss. Participants did, however, show significant differences in…

Creative thinking and problem solving processes were studied in 233 gifted elementary students. (Author/DLS)

As part of the first phase of a longitudinal study, interviews were conducted with nine high school seniors who had demonstrated high creative productivity while participating in an elementary Talented and Gifted program. Commonly experienced were a desire for creative outlets in high school, difficult junior high years, and constancy of…