Early Identification of Gifted Children is Crucial … But How Should We Go About It?

Abstract

This review will critically analyse available literature dealing with the identification of gifted children in the preschool and infants school age groups.

The areas to be discussed are:

difficulties encountered when attempting to identify potential giftedness in very young children.

the importance of early identification.

identification methods that are currently available or in use. These will include the traditional method of a group ability test followed by individual intelligence testing; and also the case study method which encompasses several different types of information sources.

which of these methods of identification are reliable and appropriate for use with very young children.

a description of research that is still in its earliest stages but nevertheless showing promise for future use with preschool and infants school children.

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