Abstract
Research into giftedness in early childhood has been a neglected area in gifted education studies, there being until relatively recently only a handful of older studies carried out in the USA (Gottfried, Gottfried, Bathurst, & Guerin, Gifted IQ. Early developmental aspects. The Fullerton Longitudinal Study. Plenum Press, New York, 1994; Robinson, Identifying and nurturing gifted, very young children. In: Heller KA, Monks FJ, Passow AH (eds) International handbook of research and development of giftedness and talent. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1993; Roedell, Socioemotional vulnerabilities of young gifted children. In: Whitmore JR (ed) Intellectual giftedness in young children. The Haworth Press, New York, 1986). Over the last two decades, in the Asia-Pacific area research into giftedness and gifted education in the early years has become an area of relative strength. Some major areas of investigation have been gifted development from infancy to early school years, transition of gifted children into formal education settings, response of early childhood teachers to young gifted children, gifted early readers, and educational planning and practice with young gifted children (Grant, Australas J Early Childhood 38(2):23–30, 2013; Harrison, Young gifted children: their search for complexity and connection. Inscript Publishing, Exeter, 2005; Hodge & Kemp, J Educ Gift 30(2):164–204, 2006; Margrain, Int J About Parents Educ 4(1):39–48, 2010; Morrissey, Relationships between early pretence, mother-child interactions, and later IQ: a longitudinal study of average to high ability children. Unpublished PhD thesis, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 2007; Walsh, Bowes, & Sweller, J Educ Gifted 40(3):220–246, 2017). However, the real value of a body of evidence-based information is in its application to educational practice to enable young gifted children to thrive in their educational programme. While a reasonable body of evidence about early characteristics of giftedness is now available, there is less empirical detail about reliable educational practice. Nonetheless, these current findings about young gifted children can be applied to high-quality early educational practice with them, including across cultures. The chapter provides many research-based suggestions for effective practice and considers, towards the end, the implications for future research directions within the early childhood field.
References
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2017). Planning and programming in early childhood settings (7th ed.). Southbank, VIC: Cengage Learning Australia.
Ballam, N. (2011). Talented and living on the wrong side of the tracks. In W. Vialle (Ed.), Giftedness from an indigenous perspective (pp. 123–139). Wollongong, NSW: Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented.
Barbour, N. E., & Shaklee, B. D. (1998). Gifted education meets Reggio Emilia: Visions for curriculum in gifted education for young children. Gifted Child Quarterly, 42(4), 229–237.
Bevan-Brown, J. M. (2009). Identifying and providing for gifted and talented Māori students. APEX, 15(4), 6–20. Retrieved online from http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/apex/
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Chaffey, G. W., Bailey, S. B., & Vine, K. W. (2011). Identifying high academic potential in Australian Aboriginal children using dynamic testing. In W. Vialle (Ed.), Giftedness from an indigenous perspective (pp. 77–94). Wollongong, NSW: Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented.
Chandler, P. (2011). Prodigy or problem child? Challenges with identifying Aboriginal giftedness. In W. Vialle (Ed.), Giftedness from an indigenous perspective (pp. 1–9). Wollongong, NSW: Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented.
Christie, M. (2011). Some Aboriginal perspectives on gifted and talented children and their schooling. In W. Vialle (Ed.), Giftedness from an indigenous perspective (pp. 77–94). Wollongong, NSW: Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented.
Cukierkorn, J. R., Karnes, F. A., Manning, S. J., Houston, H., & Besnoy, K. (2007). Serving the preschool gifted child: Programming and resources. Roeper Review, 29, 271–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783190709554422
Delaune, A. (2018). Tensions with the term ‘gifted’: New Zealand infant and toddlers teachers’ perspectives on giftedness. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 27(2), 5–15. https://doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2018.0012
Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). (2009). Belonging, being, and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.
Farrent, S., & Grant, A. (2005). Some Australian findings about the socio-emotional development of gifted pre-schoolers. Gifted Education International, 10(2), 142–152.
Gagné, F. (2013). The DMGT: Changes within, beneath, and beyond. Talent Development & Excellence, 5(1), 5–19.
Gottfried, A. E., & Gottfried, A. W. (2004). Toward the development of a conceptualization of gifted motivation. Gifted Child Quarterly, 48(2), 121–132.
Gottfried, A. W., Gottfried, A. E., Bathurst, K., & Guerin, D. W. (1994). Gifted IQ. Early developmental aspects. The Fullerton Longitudinal Study. New York, NY: Plenum Press.
Gottfried, A. W., Gottfried, A. E., & Guerin, D. W. (2009). Issues in early prediction and identification of intellectual giftedness. In F. D. Horowitz, R. F. Subotnik, & D. J. Matthews (Eds.), The development of giftedness and talent across the lifespan (pp. 43–56). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Grant, A. (2004). Picasso, physics, and coping with perfectionism: Aspects of an early childhood curriculum for gifted preschoolers. Journal of Australian Research in Early Childhood Education, 11(2), 61–69.
Grant, A. (2013). Young gifted children transitioning into preschool and school: What matters? Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 38(2), 23–30.
Gross, M. U. M. (2004). Exceptionally gifted children (2nd ed.). London, England: Routledge Falmer.
Gross, M. U. M. (2006). Exceptionally gifted children: Long-term outcomes of academic acceleration and non-acceleration. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 29, 404–429.
Harrison, C. (2003). Giftedness in early childhood (3rd ed.). Sydney, NSW: Inscript Publishing.
Harrison, C. (2005). Young gifted children: Their search for complexity and connection. Exeter, NSW: Inscript Publishing.
Harrison, C. (2016). Gifted and talented: Inclusion and exclusion. Canberra, ACT: Early Childhood Australia.
Hertzog, N. B. (2008). Early childhood gifted education. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Hodge, K. (2015). Gifted children prior to school: What do their educators believe and do regarding their education? Paper presented at the Biennial Conference of the World Council for the Gifted and Talented Odense, Denmark.
Hodge, K., & Kemp, C. (2002). The role of an invitational curriculum in the identification of giftedness in young children. Roeper Review, 27(1), 33–38.
Hodge, K., & Kemp, C. (2006). Recognition of giftedness in the early years of school: Perspectives of teachers, parents, and children. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 30(2), 164–204.
Kanevsky, L. (1992). The learning game. In P. S. Klein & A. J. Tannenbaum (Eds.), To be young and gifted (pp. 204–244). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Kettler, T., Oveross, M. E., & Salman, R. C. (2017). Preschool gifted education: Perceived challenges associated with program development. Gifted Child Quarterly, 61(2), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986217690228
Koshy, V., & Robinson, N. M. (2006). Too long neglected: Gifted young children. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 14(2), 113–126.
Lewis, M., & Michalson, L. (1985). The gifted infant. In J. Freeman (Ed.), The psychology of gifted children: Perspectives on development and education (pp. 35–37). New York, NY: Wiley.
Lo, C. O., & Porath, M. (2017). Paradigm shifts in gifted education: An examination vis-a-vis its historical situatedness and pedagogical sensibilities. Gifted Child Quarterly, 61(4), 343–360. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986217722840
Margrain, V. (2010). Parent-teacher partnerships for gifted early readers in New Zealand. International Journal About Parents in Education, 4(1), 39–48. Retrieved from www.ernape.net/ejournal/index.php/IJPE
Margrain, V., & Farquar, S. (2012). The education of gifted children in the early years: A first survey of views, teaching practices, resourcing and administration issues. Apex, 17(1), 1–13.
Margrain, V., Murphy, C., & Dean, J. (Eds.). (2015). Giftedness in the early years: Informing, learning, and teaching. Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER Press.
Masters, N. (2015). Put your seatbelt on, here we go! The transition to school for children identified as gifted. (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW.
Matthews, M. S., & Farmer, J. (2017). Predicting academic achievement growth among low- income Mexican-American learners using dynamic and static assessments. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 26(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2017.0002
Ministry of Education, New Zealand. (2017). Te Whariki – Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved from https://education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Early-Childhood/ELS-Te-Whariki-Early-Childhood-Curriculum-ENG-Web.pdf
Ministry of Education, Singapore. (2012). Nurturing early learners: A curriculum framework for kindergartens in Singapore. Singapore, Singapore: Ministry of Education.
Morelock, M. J., & Morrison, K. (1999). Differentiating ‘developmentally appropriate’: The multidimensional curriculum model for young gifted children. Roeper Review, 22, 185–191.
Morrissey, A.-M. (2007). Relationships between early pretence, mother-child interactions, and later IQ: A longitudinal study of average to high ability children (Unpublished Ph.D. thesis). The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
Morrissey, A.-M. (2011). Maternal scaffolding of analogy and metacognition in the early pretence of gifted children. Exceptional Children, 77, 351–366.
Morrissey, A.-M. (2012). Young gifted children: A practical guide to understanding and supporting their needs. Albert Park, VIC: Teaching Solutions.
Morrissey, A.-M., & Brown, P. M. (2009). Mother and toddler activity in the zone of proximal development for pretend play as a predictor of higher child IQ. Gifted Child Quarterly, 53, 106–120.
Morrissey, A.-M., & Grant, A. (2013). Making a difference for young gifted and talented children. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/professionals/learning/Pages/gtmakedifference.aspx
Morrissey, A.-M., & Grant, A. (2017). Making a difference: A report on educators learning to plan for young gifted children. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 26(2), 16–26. https://doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2017.0013
Morrissey, A. M., Rouse, L., Doig, B., Chao, E., & Moss, J. (2014). Early years education in the Primary Years Programme: Implementation strategies and programme outcomes. Bethesda, MD: International Baccalaureate Organisation.
Moss, E. (1992). Early interactions and metacognitive development of gifted preschoolers. In P. S. Klein & A. J. Tannenbaum (Eds.), To be young and gifted. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Munro, J. (2011). Identifying gifted knowledge and learning in indigenous cultures: Africa and Australia. In W. Vialle (Ed.), Giftedness from an indigenous perspective (pp. 24–35). Wollongong, NSW: Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented.
Neihart, M., Pfeiffer, S., & Cross, T. (Eds.). (2016). The social and emotional development of gifted children (2nd ed.). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Nyugen, P. (2011). Eastern and Western perspectives of giftedness: Is there a difference? Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 20(1), 46–51.
Parliament of Victoria. (2012). Inquiry into the education of gifted and talented students (Parliamentary paper of no. 108 session 2010–2012). Melbourne, VIC: Victorian Government Printer.
Perleth, C., Lehwald, G., & Browder, C. S. (1993). Indicators of high ability in young children. In K. A. Heller, F. J. Monks, & A. H. Passow (Eds.), International handbook of research and development of giftedness and talent (pp. 283–310). Oxford, UK: Pergamon Press.
Pfeiffer, S. I., & Petscher, Y. (2008). Identifying young gifted children using the gifted rating scales preschool/kindergarten form. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52(1), 19–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986207311055
Pollard, A., & Filer, A. (1999). The social world of pupil career. London, England: Open University Press.
Porter, L. (2005). Gifted young children: A guide for teachers and parents (2nd ed.). Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Raine, A., Reynolds, C., Venables, P. H., & Mednick, S. A. (2002). Stimulation seeking and intelligence: A prospective longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 663–674.
Robinson, N. M. (1993). Identifying and nurturing gifted, very young children. In K. A. Heller, F. J. Monks, & A. H. Passow (Eds.), International handbook of research and development of giftedness and talent. Oxford, UK: Pergamon Press.
Robinson, N. M. (2008). Early childhood. In J. A. Plucker & C. M. Callahan (Eds.), Critical issues and practices in gifted education: What the research says (pp. 179–194). Tallahassee, Florida: Springer.
Roedell, W. C. (1986). Socioemotional vulnerabilities of young gifted children. In J. R. Whitmore (Ed.), Intellectual giftedness in young children. New York, NY: The Haworth Press.
Sankar-DeLeeuw, N. (2004). Case studies of gifted kindergarten children: Profiles of promise. Roeper Review, 26(4), 192–207.
Silverman, L. K. (2002). Asynchronous development. In M. Neihart, S. M. Reis, N. M. Robinson, & S. M. Moon (Eds.), The social and emotional development of gifted children: What do we know? (pp. 31–37). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Slater, E., & Howitt, C. (2018). Teacher perceptions of a pilot process for identifying intellectually gifted 6- and 7- year-old children in the classroom. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 27(1), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2018.0002
Sternberg, R. J. (2007). Cultural concepts of giftedness. Roeper Review, 29(3), 160–165.
Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Taggart, B. (2004). The effective provision of preschool education (EPPE) project. Retrieved from www.desf.gov.uk
Vialle, W. (2011). Giftedness from an indigenous perspective. Wollongong, NSW: Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1981). The genesis of higher mental functions. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed.), The concept of activity in Soviet psychology (pp. 144–188). Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe (original work published 1960).
Walsh, R. L., Bowes, J., & Sweller, N. (2017). “Why would you say goodnight to the moon?” The response of young intellectually gifted children to lower and higher order questions during storybook reading. Journal for Education of the Gifted, 40(3), 220–246.
Walsh, R. L., Hodge, K. A., Bowes, J. M., & Kemp, C. R. (2010). Same age, different page: Overcoming the barriers to catering for young gifted children in prior-to-school settings. International Journal of Early Childhood, 42, 43–58.
Walsh, R. L., Kemp, C., Hodge, K., & Bowes, J. M. (2012). Searching for evidence-based practice: A review of the research on educational interventions for intellectually gifted children in the early childhood years. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 35, 103–128.
Webber, M. (2016). In search of greatness: Gifted indigenous students and the power of positive racial-ethnic identities. Paper presented at the Biennial Conference of the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented, Sydney, NSW.
Webber, M., Riley, T., Sylva, K., & Scobie-Jennings, E. (2018). The Ruamano Project: Raising expectations, realising community aspirations and recognising gifted potential in Māori boys. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2018.16
Wilson, H. E. (2015). Patterns of play behaviour and learning center choices between high ability and typical children. Journal of Advanced Academics, 26, 143–164.
Ziegler, A. (2005). The Actiotope model of giftedness. In R. Sternberg & J. E. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed., pp. 437–447). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Grant, A., Morrissey, AM. (2019). The Young Gifted Learner: What We Know and Implications for Early Educational Practice. In: Smith, S. (eds) Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia-Pacific. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3021-6_57-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3021-6_57-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-3021-6
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-3021-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education