This essay suggests that gifted education is a strategy for singling out the children of the affluent for training in leadership and dominance, rather than focusing on advanced academic preparation. Gifted education is seen as being organized around the personal and social traits associated with the gifted themselves rather than academic rigor.…

This discussion of issues in gifted education focuses on the need to support effective practices that are also equitable. The article considers problems with defining gifted students as the "cognitive elite," the provision of qualitatively different programs to gifted children, and the need for challenging intellectual work and development of…

Although differentiated learning for high-ability students in heterogeneous classrooms is as important as for other children, gifted students' needs are frequently overlooked. Instead of offering extra credit, teachers should compact the curriculum, design alternative learning experiences, allow differentiated pacing, and agree on expectations.…

A review of learning disabilities in gifted children provides definitions of "learning disabilities" and "giftedness", a classification of gifted students with learning disabilities, the importance of a multidimensional approach to identifying students with gifts/learning disabilities, characteristics, programming guidelines, teaching strategies,…

A study involving 261 composers, 108 inventors, 392 NFL wide receivers, and 112 eminent inventors found that eminent individuals exhibit a greater rate of creative outputs and that the production of outputs deviates from randomness no more than would be expected from chance fluctuation alone, except for some eminent individuals. (Contains…

This article discusses home schooling gifted children, including reasons families choose to home school their children, laws regulating home schooling, the educational background of parents who home school, and curriculum options. Advantages and disadvantages of home schooling are explored, along with data indicating the higher achievement of home…

This article analyzes the identification, evaluation, and education of gifted students in Spain. The lack of specific legislation normalizing the identification of and educational attention to gifted students is discussed, along with the debate over equality vs. equity, the development of identification procedures, and the need for teacher…

This article presents the "Piirto Pyramid" framework for identification of talent potential. It explains how the pyramid identifies influences that are significant in the development of talents, including genetics, personality attributes, cognitive ability, talent, vocational, and environmental. Examples using Roy Rogers and Michelangelo are…

In this article, a woman recounts her discovery at 50 years old that she has autism. Her relief at finding an explanation for why she had experienced the world differently is discussed, along with the assets of autism. The psychic ability of individuals with autism and their spirituality are described. (CR)

This article examines the Office for Civil Rights' (OCR) position on non-discriminatory testing, polices and practices and the role and responsibility of the OCR in securing the civil rights of culturally and linguistically diverse students in the context of gifted education. Possible discriminatory practices in gifted education are outlined.…

Addresses legislation that led to the present focus on classroom inclusion for students with special needs and accommodation of such students in the classroom reading program. Focuses on children who are diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder and children identified as intellectually gifted. Gives recommendations to help these children…

A commentary precedes this reprint of a study that investigated the academic, psychological, and socialization effects of ability grouping on gifted learners. Conclusions drawn from 13 research syntheses supported sustained periods of instruction in like-ability groups for gifted students. The commentary discusses the research findings and…

This reprint of an article on using grade advancement as a method for meeting the needs of some intellectually or academically gifted students is preceded by a commentary that concludes that popular sentiment and negative folklore supporting grade advancement are unfounded. Grade advancement guidelines are provided. (Contains references.) (CR)

This article considers both the intrapersonal and interpersonal issues that have historically caused difficulty for groups of gifted students, including self-knowledge and self-acceptance, irrational beliefs, need for independence, heightened sensitivity, frustration tolerance, unbalanced value, and tolerating others. Interventions are provided…

This article describes the creation of the "Breakfast Bunch," a multi-age program for gifted students that met on a bi-weekly basis before school for 30 minutes. The group gave students a risk-free forum for expressing their feelings and provided an opportunity for students to realize that others shared their feelings. (CR)