This study examined the meanings elementary school students attached to the concept of ability in physical education. The focus was on the criteria children use to assess competence for themselves and others, and the extent to which children use normative information to make the assessments. Interviews indicated students used their ability level…

A survey of 241 Nigerian teachers found that subjects felt that the principal marker of giftedness is learning characteristics rather than general behavioral characteristics or creativity. The demographic variables of sex, educational level, and age did not have any significant differential effects on the perceptions of the subjects. (Author/JDD)

The process of recognizing qualities of giftedness in a child evokes a range of responses in families, affecting the roles and relationships of an entire family system as the whole family constellation shifts to accommodate a child's giftedness, and each family member's reactions differ because of their own particular temperament, personality,…

This examination of gifted education in South Africa discusses such problems as the use of group psychometric tests, inequalities of schooling due to discrimination, and rote-learning environments. The subject of history is presented as a vehicle for development of inquiry and problem-solving skills. (JDD)

Forty-five gifted children, ages 11-17, were tested with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement. Results indicated 18 of 20 correlations between the area and composite scores were significant. The Stanford-Binet Short-Term Memory standard age score mean was lower than other scores' means. (Author/JDD)

A review of the records of 490 students nominated and screened for the gifted education program in Nigeria in 1988 did not find that parental professional affiliation explained the academic preparation and eligibility of the children in this program. (DB)

This study analyzed the relative efficacy of normative (population relative) and ipsative (person relative) measures for the study of intraindividual and interindividual differences in child ability. Ipsative ability measures were found to be uniformly inferior to their normative counterparts and conveyed no uniquely useful information. (Author/DB)

This commentary on the demonstration programs of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program discusses their role in inducing educational change, their usefulness in illustrating new ideas, their broadening of the definition of the gifted student, their ability to change participating teachers' perspective, and their…

Interactional patterns of 64 institutionalized persons with severe/profound multiple developmental disabilities revealed that they learned meaning through the understanding of situational events with others. Three behavioral patterns are differentiated: interference, participation, and ambiguity. Professional understanding of the social and…

This article describes the database of the National Repository for Instruments and Strategies Used in the Identification and Evaluation of Gifted Programs (University of Virginia). The Scale for the Evaluation of Gifted Identification Instruments is applied to the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. A sample bibliographic reference from the…

Project Step-Up (Systematic Training of Educational Programs for Underserved Pupils) locates children from minority, economically disadvantaged populations with high potential in Texas, Arkansas, Florida, and Arizona and then uses a teaching approach that emphasizes critical thinking, vocabulary building, self-esteem strengthening, problem…

Outlines the patterns and processes of visual representation which occur during early childhood and suggests some differences that may be apparent in relation to the young gifted child. Stages of development are described and the use of children's drawings as indicators of giftedness is also outlined. (Author/CR)

A study explored emerging, persistent cognitive style in four gifted preschoolers to investigate how gifted potential may be transformed or obscured as abilities are applied to tasks. Remarkable style consistencies among the screening analysis, summer program behaviors, and later reports of cognitive ability and styles in kindergarten and first…

Asserts that the expected consequences of ability test results can constrain performance. Predicts that status processes, including status differences and differences in resulting rewards and costs, will produce differences in ability test scores between high-status and low-status individuals. Finds expected performance differences between test…

This article considers four issues confronting gifted education: (1) whether there really are such entities as a gifted child; (2) gifted education; (3) special personnel preparation for teachers of gifted students; and (4) whether the application of special services is sufficient in scope and intensity to make a difference in the classroom.…