"I'm bored!" It is the refrain dreaded by all parents. By the time winter weather has come and gone, all kids, not just gifted ones, are ready for a change of scenery and/or a change in routine. What is an overworked parent plagued by spring fever him- or herself to do? Finding the right distraction for a gifted child can prove…

This case study explored artistic journeys of six artistically gifted middle school adolescents in rural Montana, USA, in order to ascertain the perceived level of support offered by their schools and communities, for developing their talent. Two primary questions guided the qualitative research, and related to: 1) student perceptions of personal…

Stereotyping of gifted students may not only hinder identification and actualization of potential but also personality development ("stigma of giftedness"). This is obvious in the case of negative stereotyping (e.g., the disharmony hypothesis, which sees gifted students as intellectually strong, but emotionally and socially inferior),…

How can parents and teachers foster individual abilities and facilitate foundational supports so children will flourish? There is no fast or flawless formula. However, readers can use these F words to flesh out, fill in, fine-tune, or formulate a particular framework of factors they might want to think about in relation to supporting and…

Instructional strategies have always been underestimated for their role in enhancing gifted student learning. The use of deliberate questions is a critical strategy for getting gifted students to learn about their world in more complex and in-depth ways. It provides multiple pathways for challenging the gifted through their content learning. It…

The importance of putting theory into practice can be addressed and advocated to educators and gifted students through the presentation of a Continuum of Practice. Articulating the sequence and phases of practice can underscore how practice can take place; it also can change the perspective and meaning of practice.

In the article "Towards a systemic theory of gifted education", A. Ziegler and S. N. Phillipson present an interesting approach to gifted education. The actiotope model explains giftedness in light of systems theory where constant interchange occurs between the gifted person, his/her actions, and the environment in which he or she evolves. The…

In their target paper, "Towards a systemic theory of gifted education," A. Ziegler and S. N. Phillipson present a long awaited call for a paradigmatic shift in thinking within the field of gifted education. The paper considers how educators and researchers within the field could bring about such a change. They challenge the prevailing…

Ziegler and Phillipson (Z&P) have provided a valuable discussion of the identification and development of giftedness under a systemic umbrella, including issues of differing theoretical approaches and efficacy. This commentary considers their discussion within a novel systemic framework that links also individuals and environment, but in terms of…

The new year brings about one's desire to change and to improve one's self. These emotions quickly fade and turn into lofty resolutions that are not fulfilled. For parents of gifted children, many parallels can be made between making New Year's resolutions and setting more long-term goals related to their education and/or career.…

Openness to experience is a personality factor in the five-factor model of personality, and it is composed of six facets. Facets of openness appear conceptually analogous to overexcitabilities (OEs), which are displays of inner energy guiding individuals toward advanced potential according to the theory of positive disintegration. This study…

In this response to Joan Freeman's "A Quality of Giftedness," Have Vidergor states that provisions for gifted, talented, and excellent students should be offered by regular schools, taking into consideration levels of giftedness, offering a variety of interdisciplinary elective courses and subjects to about 20% of the school population,…

To meet the needs of young gifted and talented learners, teachers need the flexibility to respond to individual needs without the stress of extra planning and preparation. Certainly, some planning comes into play. Engaging the gifts and interests of these students in a way that is also reasonable presents a unique challenge. One of the most…

What can parents and educators of gifted children do to help them build the connections that will allow them to thrive? In this article, the author suggests a few practical and simple things that parents and educators of gifted children might want to consider as they live and work with them day by day. He breaks those suggestions out into two…

In their introduction to the idea of a systems approach to understanding talent and giftedness, Ziegler and Phillipson broach the larger issue of the positivistic or mechanistic mindset to knowing and understanding that pervades much of what is called educational research. This worthy tactic brings to light the need to move away from the status…