Young gifted children are presently an underserved population. The concern for meeting the needs of these children is evident in recent funding initiatives. The dilemmas involved in serving young gifted children may best be solved by a collaborative venture between the two parent fields: Early Childhood Education and Gifted Education. The following paper examines the state-of-the-art in each field and identifies points of intersection. By combining the best practices in each, service to this population can be enhanced.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BredekampS. (ed.). (1987). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
2.
BredekampS., & ShepardL. (1989). How best to protect children from inappropriate school expectations, practices, and policies. Young Children, 44 (3), 14–24.
3.
EhrlichV. (1978). The Astor Program for gifted children: Prekindergarten through grade three. Teachers College, Columbia University. Gifted Child Studies, 490 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.
4.
ElkindD. (1987). Miseducation: Preschoolers at risk. New York: Knopf.
5.
FeldmanD. (1979). The mysterious case of extreme giftedness. In PassowA. H. (ed.). The gifted and the talented: Their education and development. (pp. 335–351). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
6.
FoxA. (1971). Kindergarten: Forgotten year for the gifted?Gifted Child Quarterly, 15, 42–48.
7.
GardnerH. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
8.
GoertzelM., GoertzelV., & GoertzelT. (1978). Three hundred eminent personalities. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
9.
HiattE. (1989). Using non-traditional measures for the assessment of student potential. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency, Division of Gifted and Talented.
10.
JohnsonJ., ChristieJ., & YawkeyT. (1987). Play and early childhood development. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Co.
11.
KaplanS. (1989). Using non-traditional assessment measures for the assessment of student potential. A presentation at the National Association for Gifted Children Annual Convention, Cincinnati, OH.
12.
KarnesM., & JohnsonL. (1986). Identification and assessment of gifted/talented handicapped and nonhandicapped children in early childhood. In WhitmoreJ. (ed.). Intellectual giftedness in young children: Recognition and development. New York: Haworth.
13.
———. (1989). Training for staff, parents, and volunteers working with gifted young children, especially those with disabilities and from low-income homes. Young Children, 44 (3), 49–56.
14.
———. (1990). Identifying and programming for young black gifted children. Monroe, NY: Trillium.
15.
KarnesM., SchwedelA., & LinnemeyerS. (1982). The young gifted/talented child: Programs at the University of Illinois. The Elementary School Journal, 82 (3), 195–213.
16.
KitanoM. (1985). Issues and problems in establishing preschool programs for the gifted. Roeper Review, 7 (4), 212–213.
17.
———. (1989). The K-3 teacher's role in recognizing and supporting young gifted children. Young Children, 44 (3), 57–63.
18.
———. (1990). Intellectual abilities and psychological intensities in young gifted children: Implications for the gifted. Roeper Review, 13 (1), 5–10.
LajoieS., & ShoreB. (1981). Three myths? The overrepresentation of the gifted among dropouts, delinquents, and suicides. Gifted Child Quarterly, 25, 138–143.
21.
MorrisonG. (1991). Early childhood education today. 5th ed.New York: Merrill.
22.
NAEYC, (1988). Position statement on standardized testing of young children 3 through 8 years of age. Young Children, 43 (3), 42–47. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
23.
NASBE, (1988). Right from the start: The report of the NASBE Task Force on Early Childhood Education. Alexandria, VA: NASBE.
24.
ParkeB., & NessP. (1988). Curricular decision-making for the education of young gifted children. Gifted Child Quarterly, 32 (1), 196–199.
25.
PeckJ., McCaigG., & SappM. (1988). Kindergarten policies: What is best for children?Washington, DC: NAEYC.
26.
PowellD. (1989). Families and early childhood programs, Washington, DC: NAEYC.
27.
RichertE., AlvinoJ., & McDonnelR. (1982). The national report on identification: Assessment and recommendations for comprehensive identification of gifted and talented youth. Sewell, NJ: Educational Improvement Center-South.
28.
RoedellW. (1985). Developing social competencies in gifted preschool children. Remedial and Special Education, 6 (4), 6–11.
29.
RoedellW., JacksonN., & RobinsonH. (1980). Gifted young children. New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University.
30.
ShakleeB. (1989). Early assessment for exceptional potential for young minority and/or economically disadvantaged students. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research Improvement.
31.
WhitmoreJ. (1980). Giftedness, conflict, and underachievement. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
32.
WhitmoreJ. (1985). New challenges to common identification practices. In FreemanJ. (ed.), The psychology of gifted children. London: John Wiley.
33.
WhitmoreJ. (Ed.). (1986). Intellectual giftedness in young children. New York: Haworth.
34.
WhitmoreJ. (1987). Conceptualizing the issue of underserved populations of gifted students. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 10 (3), 141–154.