Creative potential is one of the most important topics for research. It is difficult to study because, unlike creative products, potential is by definition latent. There are several useful methods. One involves comparing creative activity expressed in various settings. Previous research has, for example, compared creativity expressed in school…

Young Children and the Arts: Nurturing Imagination and Creativity examines the place of the arts in the experiences of young and very young children at home and in out-of-home settings at school and in the community. There is great need for development of resources in the arts specifically designed to introduce babies and toddlers to participatory…

At a conference on "Education for Creativity in the American College," educators, artists and researchers considered the proposition that: "Little has been done to provide appropriate academic experiences for highly creative students during the post-adolescent years, and many colleges seem to lose more talented and creative students than they…

This article by the mother of a creatively gifted student uses the card game Fluxx to illustrate the constantly changing boundaries and priorities present in her home. Questions are raised about the ways in which society can create structure while allowing for creativity and difference in gifted students. (CR)

The home is viewed as a critical component in the development of creativity in children and a force to improve the effectiveness of educational programs. The article defines creativity and its importance, describes early facilitating environments (involving respect for the child, independence, and enriched learning), and discusses the home-school…

Parents differing along a concreteness-abstractness dimension of conceptual development, as defined by the model of Harvey, Hunt, and Schroder, described their attitudes and practices regarding their children's home play environment. This was done using structured questionnaires. Potential creativity of the 3- and 4-year-old children themselves…

This article discusses the characteristics of creatively gifted children and the challenges of being creative. Ideas for fostering creativity are provided and include advocating for programs for creatively gifted children, recognizing the giftedness in creative students, differentiating instruction, and encouraging and supporting imaginative…

This two-part study examined aspects of family environments that are considered to be influential in the development of young children's creativity. Mothers of children ages 4 to 6 years were surveyed on their valuing of particular personality characteristics (The Ideal Child Checklist) and specific features of the home environment (The Creative…

In an interview, Benjamin Bloom outlines his reasons for studying the development of immensely talented people. He feels his study can help educators understand how all students can be more successful. (MD)

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…

SHAPES--an acronym for the South Plains Child Care Management Services (SpCCMS) Helping, Assisting and Preparing Educators and Staff--is also the name of a preschool readiness curriculum that is being developed for use by administrators and teachers. The first phase of the curriculum development consists of the publication of five books to be used…