Dynamic assessment is presented as a method of measuring intellectual ability which addresses criticisms of traditional intelligence tests. Dynamic assessment can be used to identify children's learning abilities, determine how and/or what to teach, assess giftedness in minority and poor children, control for individual differences, and explore…

This article argues that decisions regarding identification, instruction, and programming for gifted students need to take into account not only their abilities but their styles of thinking. The article discusses the theory of mental self-government; data gathered from testing the theory; and relevance of thinking styles to decisions regarding…

Ideas concerning giftedness in young children were examined in this qualitative multisite case study with four experienced primary (kindergarten and first grade) teachers. Findings indicated that teachers saw two dimensions to giftedness: classroom performance and affective style. (Author/DB)

Instruments used to measure creativity by 418 school districts as part of their identification procedures for gifted programs were studied. Results indicated that districts often select instruments for assessing creativity without attending to the definition of the construct. Creativity is often assessed in ways that may not be valid or reliable.…

This research review indicates that gifted students spontaneously utilize self-regulatory learning strategies more frequently than nongifted students. When trained to use strategies, gifted students also use them more effectively and can transfer these strategies to novel tasks. Self-regulation measures may be useful in diagnosing giftedness, and…

This article suggests three broad categories of exceptionally able children, discusses the needs of exceptional students for recognition and understanding, and outlines several approaches to identification and provision. A whole-school approach is advocated for provision of education to gifted students, and a "mind-map" of such provision is…

This discussion of creativity in preschoolers and its assessment examines: D. Shmukler's creative elements model; the importance of play in early childhood and its relation to creativity; individual differences including gender, play disposition, and language facility; creativity training; suggestions for the development of creativity; and…

This article argues that issues in gifted education can be usefully categorized under three headings: definitions, ideologies, and hypotheses. Seven central issues are thus classified, including the gifted label; types of giftedness; individual versus societal perspectives on giftedness; giftedness in different ethnocultural backgrounds; origins…

In response to M. Kitano (EC 602 518), this article supports her pluralist orientation to gifted education of culturally diverse students and suggests that development of adequate identification procedures requires clarification of the gifted construct itself and examination of the relationship between socioeconomic status and being identified as…

Problems in identifying gifted students with cultural differences and language disadvantages are outlined, and vocabulary development of minority culture children is cited as one factor involved in failure to identify giftedness. Schools are encouraged to take aggressive measures in locating and identifying gifted disadvantaged students. (JDD)

Local norms representing the reading skills of general education low reading group students on passages derived from their curriculum were used to represent satisfactory reading performance. Approximately 40% of special education students read as well as or better than low reading group peers and, thus, were identified as potential candidates for…

The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale was used to classify 118 hearing-impaired persons (88 percent were ages 16-21) into groups based on their ability to be trained in independent living skills. Using cluster analysis, the subjects were placed into three groups according to four domains: communication, daily living, socialization, and maladaptive…

After describing deficiencies of psychometric tests in identifying disadvantaged gifted youth, this article presents a system of dynamic assessment and cognitive intervention. The program's theoretical rationale is based on systematic thinking and metacognitive skills. Objectives for program implementation are offered in terms of cognitive,…

Reviews how educational reforms and changes in political viewpoints have influenced gifted education in Britain, ways in which the National Curriculum support the educational experiences of all children, and teachers' perceptions of the role of the National Curriculum in both identifying and providing for gifted students. (CR)

Depicts a secondary gifted program in Beijing, China. Students in the program complete the regular eight years of elementary and secondary education (grades five through 12) in four years and then are admitted into universities. Factors contributing to the uniqueness of the program and issues affecting program development are discussed. (Author/CR)