Recognising and nurturing giftedness in young children presents an important challenge to educators. This research indicated that involvement scales are an effective means of identifying gifted children aged from 3 to 5 years. Practitioners carried out observations using the Experiential Learning Involvement Scale (Laevers, 1994) and compared these findings with observations using an adapted version of the Starry Night Observational Protocol (Nebraska Department of Education, 1997). The research found that practitioners could identify gifted children and deliver a curriculum which takes account of the needs of early developers. The key factor was a stimulating and challenging learning environment which allowed children to explore ideas and extend their thinking.
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