It is not likely that any group of educators of the gifted ever sat around a table and came to the decision that a "patch-on" approach to programming for bright learners represented best practice. Nonetheless, it is as common today as 25 years ago that programming for students identified as gifted often represents such an approach. Patch-on…

There is a paucity of research focusing on the needs of gifted children and their families, in particular, there is a lack of empirically supported parenting strategies to help parents in parenting their gifted child. This article provides an overview of the literature on difficulties experienced by parents of gifted and talented children,…

Just as in 1982, when the myth of waiting for Santa Claus was first addressed in "Gifted Child Quarterly," many districts all over the country are still waiting for Santa Claus to arrive with a sleigh full of presents. Unfortunately, Santa and his presents in the form of mandates to identify and serve, funding, teachers licensed in…

The evolution of several interrelated myths reflects a combination of misinterpretation of statistics, the commendable intention of ensuring that bias and prejudice do not play roles in the provision of services to underrepresented populations of gifted students, and misapplication of programming options for gifted students. Separately, these…

Characteristics of gifted programs that stick out like a "sore thumb" include vulnerability to charges of elitism, the notion that gifted students are better students, a lack of teacher support, and a high degree of rigidity. (CL)

Planning is of prime importance in providing programs for gifted and talented students. Districts should emphasize an awareness campaign on the premises and needs of gifted education. An individual should then be appointed and trained as the district specialist in gifted and talented education. (CL)

Project PATS (Potentially Academically Talented Students) intended for middle school students, is described in terms of development, cooperation among the district and a local Pennsylvania State University campus, and lessons learned about such aspects as the political and economic reality, material dissemination, and resistance of parents and…

Based on the characteristic of gifted children to master content quickly and on needs of classroom teachers to provide differentiated instruction in content areas, the teacher institute emphasized the role of the content specialist. The highly significant gain from pre- to posttest suggests the institute curriculum was effective. (Author/CL)

An English educator comments on general aspects of American education and specific efforts to educate gifted students. (MC)

Questionnaire responses of eminent people in Communications, Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, Science, Education, and Business Education and Management are considered in terms of their projects' inspiration, preparation, products, task commitment, obstacles, and audience. Following a discussion of the experiences of professionals, implications for gifted…

The authors describe a procedure, bibliotherapy, for using books to help gifted and talented children discuss and develop alternative approaches for meeting their special challenges and problems. A list of books are offered for the areas of personal problems, social problems, and educational/vocational problems. (SB)

Five major steps in the identification of gifted and talented youth are discussed, and problems in each area are noted: (1) determination of program goals and types of gifted youth to be served; (2) nomination procedures; (3) assessment procedures; (4) individual differentiation; and (5) validation of the identification process. (CL)

Paper prepared for the Northeast Regional Conference for the Gifted and Creative (November 5, 1970, New Haven, Connecticut). (Author)