This article describes Camp Invention, a summer one-week day camp program for students in grades 2-6 that is designed to develop creativity in gifted students. The curriculum of the camp features hands-on, interactive activities in science, history, math, and the arts. Examples of activities undertaken in 2001 are provided. (Contains one…

In this essay the practical functions of the arts and crafts, in general, have been furnished as empty places into which specific practices can be put. The essay unfolds as two interlocking narratives. The first is the story of epistemological ambiguity inherent in the representation of knowledge. The second is the tale of political exclusion of…

One of the most important experiences in a child's life begins when he starts formal school, most often at age 5. Going to kindergarten is thrilling and sometimes scary but always an adventure. At this time, children come together from all walks of life; all types of families; at all levels of development; and with a vast array of skills,…

This article describes several initiatives in which Creative Problem Solving, in combination with career exploration and mentoring, has been used successfully to identify and develop the talents of "at-risk" populations. During the past decade, the Lost Prizes project helped turn around the lives of talented but troubled high-school…

If the academic needs of the most profoundly gifted students can be met through the use of existing educational practices, specialists in gifted education can assume that the educational needs of less able, but still academically talented, students can also be met by using some combination of these strategies as well. This paper illustrates the…

The identification of academically gifted children from the perspective of aptitude theory is discussed. Aptitude refers to the degree of readiness to learn and to perform well in a particular situation or domain. The primary aptitudes for academic success are (a) prior achievement in a domain, (b) the ability to reason in the symbol systems used…

This article presents an interview with Dr. Miraca Gross, Professor of Gifted Education, and Director of the Gifted Education Research, Resource, and Information Centre (GERRIC), at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Dr. Gross is a leading international authority on the education of gifted and talented children, particularly…

This paper was conceived with a view to contributing research insights on the recognition and utilization of indigenous conceptions of giftedness in educational programs for the Sub-Saharan Africa region. In a cultural setting where high ability research is scarce, focus on indigenous conceptions of giftedness provides necessary baseline data for…

The belief that one can make a difference in the world drives the whole achievement process. Developing skills or using one's talents for a task deemed valuable becomes the basis of defining oneself as a person. That's why the good parent or coach or teacher knows how to make the appropriate compliment--and ask the right questions. This article…

Educators, particularly those who work with students outside the classroom, are trained to identify and correct problems. This approach typically addresses gaps in skills but does not identify and exploit personal strengths. In this article, the authors argue that institutions and the students who attend them would be better served by…

The lack of valid, research-based methods to identify potential artistic talent hampers the inclusion of the arts in programs for the gifted and talented. The Talent Assessment Process in Dance, Music, and Theater (D/M/T TAP) was designed to identify potential performing arts talent in diverse populations, including bilingual and special education…

The purpose of this paper is to understand how gifts are discovered and talents developed within sport. The current literature is critically discussed, highlighting contributions and gaps in current knowledge. Due to issues concerning terminology and the nature versus nurture debate, research on talent faces challenges relating to continuity and…

In recent years the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) files have become recognized as a valuable resource for studies of talent flow, but the length and complexity of the files have made it costly to extract the information. A special GRE talent flow database was designed, covering the years 1978 to 1987, with three different structures: (1) an…

This booklet discusses students who are gifted and at risk of school failure. The different types of problems gifted children face and ways to identify if they are at risk are reviewed. Checklists are provided for teachers of gifted students, regular classroom teachers and counselors, and parents of gifted students to assist in the identification…

This study defines some of the educational ecosystems that encourage students to discover science interests and science talent. Six interrelated constructs are discussed. Construct 1 consists of a skein of achievement-centered, goal-targeted environments that comprise the inspiring teaching and learning that can enhance the endowments of students.…