This article discusses the role that "willingness to work" must play in any definition of giftedness. Strategies are provided for promoting the work ethic in gifted students: provide students with models of excellence, provide examples of people who have worked hard and enjoyed their labors, and support meaningful hard work. (CR)

Discusses the recent recognition of gifted students in the Portuguese educational system. The needs of gifted children, the legislative basis for providing services, and recommended actions are described, including criteria to identify the children with high capabilities, early identification, integration in regular schools, and specific…

Discusses the validity and reliability of teacher observation in gifted child research. The benefits of teacher observation include an increase in professional authority and self-consciousness of teachers, an enrichment of the quality of relationships between teachers and parents of gifted students, and a revelation of the educational needs of…

A study of 700 children (ages 5-12) investigated whether children's conceptions of and expectations of friendship are determined by chronological age or by mental age. Results found children of differing intellectual abilities pass through the five conception stages of friendship at different ages and at different rates. (Contains 4 references.)…

This study explored the moral reasoning and scientific argumentation of 31 Finnish adolescents gifted in science. In qualitative essays and interviews, the pupils were asked to identify moral dilemmas in science and provide solutions to them. Two illustrative cases of students' argumentation who had either average or high scores on the Defining…

This article provides an overview of the internal and external predisposing factors that signal potential eating disorders in females. It outlines the psychology of high ability females, which places them at greater risk for the development of an eating disorder and provides recommendations for identification and intervention. (Contains…

This article describes the development of gifted education in Victoria, Australia. It discusses implementation of the Bright Futures Policy and Program in 1995, the special gifted programs, and the Bright Futures Professional Development Package designed to improve gifted identification, develop awareness of school-based program options, and…

This article describes a continuum of definitions of giftedness from conservative to liberal and discusses how these definitions relate to the development of the 3-ring conception of giftedness. In this definition, above average ability, task commitment, and creativity are seen as 3 interactive clusters of traits that gifted students may exhibit.…

Examined student performance in distance computer-based calculus and linear algebra courses offered by Stanford University to pre-college students as part of their Education Program for Gifted youth (EPGY). Puts special emphasis on modeling student performance over time and on capturing long-term trend effects using stochastic and nonlinear…

This article discusses the characteristics of the gifted reader including above-average ability in key skills, task commitment, and creativity. Underachieving gifted readers, identification procedures for gifted readers, and classroom programming for gifted readers are addressed, and the advantages and disadvantages of enrichment and acceleration…

A study examined the expectancy beliefs and values of parents of 231 students (ages 6-18) attending programs at four music institutions, regarding their child's music training, regular academic work, and athletic activities. Parents saw greater potential in their children in both music and academic areas, but not necessarily in athletics.…

At age 13, students scoring at the top 0.5% in general intelligence completed the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), Mathematics and Verbal subtests, and the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) Space Relations (SR) and Mechanical Reasoning (MR) subtests. It appears that spatial ability assessments can complement contemporary talent search procedures.…

This article discusses important principles for assessing language arts instruction for gifted learners. It stresses the importance of multiple measures and approaches being employed at formative and summative stages of the instructional process. Examples of rubrics, portfolios, and performance-based models are provided, along with ideas for…

This article discusses the differences between individuals with Asperger syndrome and gifted individuals. It describes the characteristics of students with Asperger syndrome, including highly literal speech, intensive focus, difficulties in social behavior, and inability to mind read. Characteristics of gifted students with Asperger syndrome are…

This study evaluated the William and Mary curriculum units in science and language arts for high ability learners after 3 years of implementation in several suburban elementary and middle schools. Findings suggested that the curriculum was viewed positively by relevant groups, that the innovation had been integrated into district policies, and…