The health care provider functioning in an organized preschool setting can play a vital role in the early identification of the gifted child. The health professional can make a unique contribution in this area as well as being alert for the potential health problems the child may have. (Author)

Artistic talent is examined by countering popular misconceptions about students with superior abilities. A conception of artistic talent is presented in which parallels are drawn between the representation of intelligence on a normal distribution and representation of talent in art on a naive-to-sophisticated continuum. (Author)

Questionnaire responses of parents of gifted students are reviewed in terms of parent identification and verification, family support, parent techniques used at home, characteristics of parents of gifted students, and wishes for their gifted children. (CL)

A program in Essex, United Kingdom, for gifted elementary students encountered early problems from the term "gifted" and from the identification procedure concentrating on high IQ criteria. Inservice courses were instituted and selection methods broadened. (CL)

The paper supports the talent search concept of using the Scholastic Aptitude Test to find highly able junior high age populations. Three underlying principles--off-level testing, specific aptitude rather than global testing, and specific matches between tested aptitudes and curriculum focus--are discussed. (CL)

The author describes the advantages of the Talent Search Identification Model for gifted student identification. The model, widely used, uses standardized achievement tests to identify junior high students. Recommendations are offered for students scoring within specified ranges on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. (CL)

The Duke University Precollege Program, Summer Residential Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youths, the By-Mail and Computer Programs are reviewed. These offerings allow brilliant young students to plan a multi-summer program beginning in the summer prior to grade 8 and culminating in the senior year of high school. (Author/CL)

A training exercise is presented to help teachers become familiar with key concepts in the Scales for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students. Activities suggested include matching concepts with items from the scales and categorizing children's behaviors according to the scales. (CL)

A former child "prodigy" recounts her experiences at school to suggest that intellectual achievement is not always due to extraordinary analytic reasoning ability and that precocity may be nonrationl. J. Stanley responds by citing others' work on the topic and suggesting the construct may not survive strong scrutiny. (CL)

A private multinational school in Columbia established programs focusing on math and language arts enrichment for gifted elementary students. Student selection approaches feature multiple criteria and the cultural mix of the student body. (CL)

Available from: Department of Special Education, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608.

A psychology professor at the University of Utah maintains that every student will be better than average in some category if schools can find the right categories. In a question and answer format, guidelines are provided for school administrators pursuing this approach. (Author/JF)

The author suggests that it is a myth of gifted education that a school must identify a certain percentage of students as gifted, which forces an adjustment in criteria and definition until just the right number of students have been identified. (CL)

Standardized music aptitude and achievement tests are reviewed, and the importance of early identification of musically talented children is stressed. An identification matrix is presented along with information on availability of 15 tests. (CL)