The text reviews characteristics of gifted students and educational approaches for gifted and talented students. A definition of giftedness is presented in the first chapter. The development of giftedness is traced in the next two chapters (sample subtopics in parentheses): becoming gifted (prenatal and perinatal influences and intellectual development during early childhood) and growing up gifted (origins of social-emotional development and assuring integrated growth at home and at school). Seven chapters focus on the following school-related topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): screening and identification (problems of identifying the culturally different, handicapped, or educationally atypical gifted individual); administrative provisions (common educational models); teaching strategies in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary (cognitive and affective development and enrichment); creativity (enhancing creativity at home and in the classroom); areas of concern in gifted education (labeling, grading, and career education); teachers and parents (teacher education and certification, parent organizations); and future developments (brain research, biofeedback, and parapsychology). Each chapter contains a brief study guide. Appended are descriptions of activities to develop basic reading skills with 2-4 year olds, an annotated list of standardized tests used with gifted students, and sample forms for selection and assessment. (CL)