There has been a remarkable surge of interest in creativity in a wide variety of disciplines in recent years. Taken in aggregate, this body of work now theorizes creativity as a--foundational aspect of human cognition and intelligence. If we theorize creativity as a highly sophisticated and valuable form of cognition, it must also then be regarded…

This research attempted to identify categories of cognitive development existing in creative writing samples (written by over 5000 gifted children ages 9-18) that provide a basis for developmental analysis. Four categories with three levels of development in each were identified: (1) self, (2) others, (3) problem solving, and (4) abstractness of…

Writing researchers suggest that children should write stories in order to (1) entertain, (2) foster artistic expression, (3) explore the functions and values of writing, (4) stimulate imagination, (5) clarify thinking, (6) search for identity, and (7) learn to read and write. (HTH)