Identification of Young Gifted Students

Abstract

Among the critical issues in gifted child education which have emerged from the 1980s is the failure to appropriately identify and adequately program for primary gifted children. This paper examines the problems embedded in the accurate assessment of exceptional potential in populations of young children from minority and/or economically disadvantaged settings. Assessment issues are examined in the light of recent research on developmentally appropriate evaluation of young children. Historical and current practices are reviewed and descriptions of two innovative approaches to non-traditional assessment of young children are provided.