In 1972, the United States Office of Education (USOE) released a lengthy and unprecedented report about gifted education in response to a Congressional mandate. Both Congress and the USOE lamented the inadequate state of gifted programmes in American schools and urged that gifted education should become a greater national priority. In this essay,…

In February 2015 the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Board of Directors voted unanimously to create a task force on talent development for the purpose of researching, discussing, and assessing where NAGC is and where it should be going relative to its talent development emphasis. A diverse group of experienced leaders agreed to…

Passion for learning (PFL) in children is a phenomenon that is little understood. The experience of PFL was studied with phenomenological and qualitative modes of inquiry. Case studies of six domains (acting, reading, filmmaking, spelling, math, and preaching) describe how the passion developed using the voices of children and parents. Their…

The talent development approach to the conceptualization of giftedness has historical precedent in the field. Examples of large-scale and longitudinal research studies from previous decades guided by the talent development approach are provided as illustrations. The implications of focusing on domain-specific talents in academics, the arts and…

In this monograph, the authors advanced a set of interrelated arguments: The abilities of individuals do matter, particularly their abilities in specific talent domains; different talent domains have different developmental trajectories that vary as to when they start, peak, and end; and opportunities provided by society are crucial at every point…

"Natural acceleration" happens through an internal fire that burns to learn and may transcend school boundaries. Based on their passionate interests and connections with a domain, children who hunger for domain understandings outside school curricula require different types of acceleration, motivated by these interests. The lifeworks,…

Spatial and creative abilities are important for innovations in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, but talents are rarely developed from these abilities by schools, including among gifted children and adolescents who have a high potential to become STEM innovators. This article provides an overview of each ability and makes…

This paper examines issues in identifying visually gifted children, including artistic talent and its relationship to visual giftedness; the contexts in which visual giftedness represents a specific type of intelligence; the ability of classroom teachers to identify the visually gifted; resources that may help classroom teachers identify the…

This article discusses problems in the training of gifted musical performers and evaluates the role of a musical maestro in talent development, argues that musicians may suffer from the expectations and traditions inherent in "conservatory culture" and suggests that maestros may at times be unsuitable teachers and mentors. (Contains extensive…

Describes an innovative model of female talent development based upon the life experiences of gifted women from a wide variety of backgrounds and talent domains. Key issues addressed by the model are the personal, professional, and cultural challenges common to gifted females and strategies for coping with them. (Author/CR)

In this study, critical events in the career development of 26 Finnish Academy professors describe the trajectories of their achievement and success. Primary themes included mentors, academic years abroad, strong interest in the domain, and luck. Also described are transformative themes. Personal stories illustrate the individualistic nature of…

This paper provides parenting strategies for parents of gifted children. Specific activities for cultivating each of Gardner's Seven Intelligences in one's children are suggested for age levels from infancy through adolescence. Tips for coping with the extra demands gifted children place on their parents are also provided, balancing the affective…

A British study that compared 12 musically gifted children (ages 8- 11) and 12 children gifted in fine arts with controls, found environmental circumstances, especially at home, were of vital importance for exceptionally high-level performance, even when there was provision at schools for developing talent. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Discusses the rationale and validity for talent searches, with special emphasis on the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP). Describes the Precollege and Summer Educational Programs and notes typical results. Discusses the by-mail program and the efforts by TIP to serve as a resource to schools as they develop their own programs.…

This article discusses theories on children's giftedness, including opposing movements in the gifted field--the Talent Development Movement and the Columbus Group Movement--which exemplify the "gifted achiever" and "gifted child" strands of research, theory, and practice. Vygotskian theory is suggested as a conceptual framework that can…