This article discusses how schools can best meet the needs of precocious children by giving them access to higher level and more challenging instructional materials. Findings from a study of 40 precocious third and fourth graders are described and the benefits of acceleration are highlighted, particularly grade advancement and advanced placement…

A survey of 204 parents of gifted students (ages 3-14) found a majority reported their child showed high potential in more than two talent domains. Twenty-seven percent of parents reported that their child's school offers services for special talents and 60 percent reported their child participates regularly in sports activities. (Contains five…

A study of nine secondary schools serving academically talented students found criteria for admissions included teacher recommendations, grades, standardized achievement tests, and IQ tests. Teachers were dynamic, there were more courses offered at schools for the academically talented, and schools offered a wide array of non-academic courses.…

Discusses definitions of giftedness, including the use of talent as a more effective term for giftedness. Argues that the concept of giftedness is closely linked to general intelligence and is of limited usefulness in understanding and educating youth with special abilities, while talents represent special aptitudes that can be individually…

A survey of 227 academically talented elementary students and 236 not so identified found that gifted students often begin with positive attitudes toward school but fail to maintain these attitudes because of the lack of appropriate challenge. There was no difference between the groups in level of boredom. (Author/JDD)

A survey of 215 American and Korean teachers and parents of gifted children found that American respondents perceived such factors as low self-concept, hostile behavior toward authority, peer acceptance, and lack of discipline to be more important in fostering underachievement than did Korean respondents. Important factors to both groups were…

Career guidance for high-school youth who are gifted is discussed. Strategies for providing educational opportunities for students who need greater challenge are outlined. These include extracurricular activities, advanced placement courses, advanced research and discussion seminars, foreign language and cultural education, and vocational and…

The effects of various gifted programs on the self-concepts and depressive symptoms of 82 gifted and talented fifth- and sixth-grade students were evaluated. Sixth-grade gifted groups (pull-out and self-contained) scored higher on self-concept than did nongifted groups. No effects on depressive symptoms were found. (DB)

This paper offers a model of the nature and development of talents, which views genetic factors as determining potential strengths and setting limits and views abilities, aptitudes, and intelligences emerging as a result of experiences, motivations, and styles. Specific talents are characterized by precocity, creative insight, a functional…