This chapter described individuals who are gifted and talented. As there is no Federal definition of gifted and talented, many definitions and models are presented. Assessment of giftedness and talent and the differences among children with gifts and talents are discussed in terms of their multifaceted natures. The history of education of the gifted and talented is reviewed as is differentiation and current instructional strategies, service delivery models, and curriculum choices. Prevalence, etiology, and characteristics of gifted and talented student are presented. The needs of young children, adolescents, and adults with gifts and talents are reviewed. Family and diversity issues are explicated. The use of technology with students with gifts and talents is addressed. While there are many controversies and issues surrounding education of the gifted and talented; world-class standards, equity and excellence, full inclusion services in lieu of programs, and talent development are discussed. 

Learning Objectives:

• Describe various interpretations of giftedness.
• Explain the techniques typically used to assess an individual’s gifts and talents.
• Outline the history of educational services for students who are gifted and talented.
• List the characteristics of persons who are gifted and talented according to the five dimensions of giftedness.
• Summarize the various instructional strategies used by educators to teach pupils who are gifted and talented.
• Identify the service delivery options available to students with gifts and talents.
• Describe educational opportunities for young children and adolescents who are gifted and talented.
• Define twice-exceptional.
• Discuss the challenges confronting girls who are gifted and talented as well as children with gifts and talents from culturally diverse backgrounds. 

Lecture Outline:

1. Defining Giftedness and Talent
   
   1. Each state establishes its own definition of children who are gifted and talented.
   2. During the early twentieth-century, giftedness was generally equated with high intelligence as measured by IQ (intelligence quotient) testing. This narrow definition has expanded in recent years although states are able to create their own definitions for determining giftedness and talent.
   3. Children capable of high performance include those with demonstrated achievement and/or potential ability in any of the following areas:
      
      1. General intellectual ability
      2. Specific academic aptitude
      3. Creative or productive thinking
      4. Leadership ability
      5. Visual and performing arts
      6. Psychomotor ability
   4. Gifted Behavior as Portrayed by Renzulli’s “Three -Ring” Model
      
      1. Above average abilities
      2. Task commitment
      3. Creativity
2. Assessing Giftedness and Talent
   
   1. Multiple areas of assessment:
      
      1. Strengths
      2. Interests
      3. Leadership
      4. Intellectual ability
      5. Academic achievement
      6. Creativity
   2. multiple tools, informants, and types of assessments
3. Differences Among Children Who are Gifted and Talented
   
   1. Intellectual ability
   2. Talent category
   3. Learning opportunities
4. Brief History of the Field
   
   1. First Half of the Twentieth-Century: Pioneering the field
      
      1. Development of intelligence tests (IQ or intelligence quotient)
      2. Nature v. nurture theory of intellectual development
   2. The 1950s - 1970s: Establishing foundations
      
      1. Nature of Human Intelligence (Guilford, 1967) describes 120 different kinds of intelligences
      2. The National Association for Gifted Children began in 1954
      3. American reaction to the Soviet launch of Sputnik leads to mathematics and science education reforms
      4. PL 94-142 does not include services for children who are gifted and talented. Mandates for education services are the result of state legislation.
   3. The 1980s - 1990s: The field matures and provides focus for school reform
      
      1. Gardner (1983) advances the theory of multiple intelligences
         1. Gardener’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
            
            1. Linguistic
            2. Logical-mathematical
            3. Spatial
            4. Bodily-kinesthetic
            5. Musical
            6. Interpersonal
            7. Intrapersonal
            8. Naturalist
            9. Existentialist
      2. The Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act (PL 100-297) was passed in 1988 and created the Office of Gifted and Talented Education to focus on research and education.
   4. The Twenty-First Century: Challenges and promise present
      
      1. The No Child Left Behind Act (PL 107-110) mandates that students will reach proficiency and these criteria may be limiting for students who are gifted or talented as they often exceed these standards and achieve at higher levels.
5. Prevalence and Etiology of Giftedness and Talent
   
   1. Prevalence of Giftedness and Talent
      
      1. Prevalence varies across states due to variations in state definitions
      2. Approximately 3 to 5 percent of school-aged children; some professionals believe that 10 to 15 percent is more accurate
      3. 3 million American children are gifted and talented (National Association for Gifted Children, 2013)
   2. Etiology of Giftedness and Talent
      
      1. It is likely that the exact etiology of a child’s giftedness or talents abilities cannot be identified.
      2. Nature vs. nurture argument (environment vs. heredity)
      3. Intelligence is no longer believed to be fixed at birth
      4. Physical and chemical changes when the brain is stimulated or challenged
6. Characteristics of Individuals Who are Gifted and Talented
   
   1. Academic and Learning Characteristics
      
      1. Any of these characteristics may resemble all children but children who are gifted and talented will display a greater degree or intensity than their peers. Understanding of their unique strengths and needs is essential for a challenging academic curriculum.
   2. Social and emotional characteristics
      
      1. Students who are gifted and talented often experience social and emotional difficulties related to their talents, for example, a student who has excellent verbal skills may dominate classroom conversations.
   3. Children who are gifted and talented may not show advanced abilities in all areas or at all times and educational opportunities must be tailored to meet their unique needs.
7. Educational Considerations
   
   1. Suggestions for the Classroom
      
      1. Differentiation: Providing multiple levels for academic tasks that meet the needs of all learners. Tasks can be differentiated to include critical thinking, higher-order thinking skills, independent learning, and student choice in methods of demonstrating mastery of learning.
      2. Instructional strategies
         1. Curriculum compacting: Reduced time spent on basic concepts to allow for expanded learning
         2. Higher-level thinking and problem solving: Provide opportunities for students who are gifted and talented to develop their higher level thinking and problem solving skills.
         3. Flexible grouping: Grouping designed to match ability rather than age level.
         4. Cluster grouping: Grouping several students who are gifted and talented together for instructional purposes
         5. Tiered assignments: Lesson variations based on students’ ability levels
         6. Problem-based learning: Students are asked to solve real-world problems
         7. Accelerated pacing of instruction: Students who are gifted and talented may become bored or disruptive if they are not challenged in the classroom. Faster pacing allows them to move at a pace that fosters their learning and educational progress.
   2. Service Delivery Options
      
      1. Gifted Resource Services
      2. Acceleration
      3. Independent study
      4. Honors and advanced placement courses
      5. Mentorships
      6. Self-contained classes and special schools
      7. Summer and Saturday programs
      8. Competitions
8. Services for Young Children Who are Gifted and Talented
   
   1. Early experiences
   2. Identification difficulties due to age
   3. Lack of federal legislation
9. Adolescents and Adults Who are Gifted and Talented
   
   1. Adolescent need to “fit in”
   2. Personality attributes: desire to achieve, persistence, curiosity and openness to new experiences
   3. Educational considerations
   4. MENSA is an international social organization for individuals who have an IQ in the top 2 percent of the general population.
10. Family Issues
    
    1. Families exert a powerful influence on children and play a critical role in their children’s classroom performance. Parents may benefit from education that assists them in learning to challenge their children in ways that help them to attain high levels of achievement and school success.
11. Issues of Diversity
    
    1. Challenge of identifying and serving children with gifts and talents from diverse backgrounds.
    2. Twice exceptional learners
       
       1. Stereotypes often assume that people with disabilities cannot also be gifted or talented. Many students who are gifted or talented may also have a disability. Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist, is a famous example. A combination of learning factors may make correct diagnosis difficult.
          1. Twice exceptional: a child who is identified as gifted and has an another disability
          2. Students with gifts and talents and disabilities may be overlooked due to cultural biases or stereotypes
          3. Giftedness may mask learning disabilities and the student will perform at average levels
          4. Giftedness may be misidentified as ADHD
          5. Require special educational considerations
    3. Girls who are gifted learners
       
       1. It may seem odd to include girls in the section devoted to diversity but there is ample evidence to suggest that girls are often underrepresented in programs for students who are gifted and talented. These statistics may be due to gender-role cultural stereotypes, unequal educational opportunities, and expectations of the school, family, and the girl.
    4. Identifying and serving children from diverse backgrounds
       
       1. There are challenges involved in locating, identifying, and serving young children who are gifted and talented and come from diverse backgrounds or low socioeconomic groups. The underrepresentation of these children in programs for the gifted and talented may be due to variable such as poverty, test bias, faulty identification policies, conflicting cultural values, teacher attitudes and expectations, and rigid definitions of giftedness.
    5. Cultural characteristics associated with giftedness
       
       1. Ten attributes of giftedness were identified in African American, Native American, and Hispanic children: communication skills, imagination/ creativity, humor, inquiry, insight, interests, memory, motivation, problem solving, reasoning.
12. Technology and Individuals Who are Gifted and Talented
    
    1. Technological advances have created numerous learning opportunities for individuals who are gifted and talented. Connections are made, distances evaporate, and unlimited opportunities for learning become readily available with the use of technology. Access to the internet has created many prospects for enhancing the educational experiences and increasing the social experiences of gifted individuals.
13. Trends, Issues, and Controversies
    
    1. Striving for world-class standards: Current legislation focuses on encouraging students to attain proficiency and may limit educational opportunities for students who have already exceeded the standards.
    2. Equity and excellence: The issue of equity and excellence may be distorted to a question of equity or excellence. All children deserve an educational program that challenges them.
    3. Full inclusion: Full inclusion may not be the least restrictive environment for children who are gifted and talented.
    4. Services focus on gifted students instead of the gifted program: A focus on the gifted individual rather than the gifted program emphasizes the unique learning needs of children who are gifted and talented.
    5. Talent development: The development of our most talented students is essential if our communities, states, nations, and world are to thrive in the future.