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Paul Witty, Martin Jenkins, Cal Taylor, E. Paul Torrance, and Kazimierz Dabrowski all contributed to a more inclusive and expansive concept of giftedness, providing a multidimensional description and greater explanation of the behaviors associated with gifted persons. These researchers came from disparate backgrounds in terms of upbringing, education, and how they lived their lives and conducted themselves professionally. Their interests in expanding how society and how researchers considered and treated gifted children provide their conceptual linkages. They inherited a field that was for all intents and purposes dormant, and they revitalized it by considering a more inclusive group of children. Witty, Jenkins, Taylor, Torrance, and Dabrowski identified additional behaviors and characteristics to explicate and enrich their conceptualizations of giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Building on the work of Francis Galton, extending the work of Alfred Binet, and contradicting the work of Cesare Lombroso, Lewis Terman, Leta Hollingworth, and Catharine Cox Miles set in motion a series of studies that would provide the space from which the field of gifted education would contract and expand during its nearly 100 years of existence. The intentions of their investigations differed in focus and meaning. Terman concentrated on description, definition, and identification of giftedness and how this related to the prediction of future success. Hollingworth's intentions lay in the description and education of the gifted. Cox also sought to describe the gifted genius but in an infinitely different but no less scientific way than her contemporaries by employing methodologies of history and imposing them on psychological principles and theories. The greatness of their investigations stem from two aspects: (a) the innovativeness of their undertakings and (b) the sense making achieved from the sheer magnitude and scope of the data.Their investigations spawned conceptual and empirical activity that continues in the twenty-first century. This chapter discusses these figures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In the 1930s and 1940s, Paul Witty emerged as one of the leading spokespersons of gifted education (Hildenbrand, 1981) and became one of the most prolific writers in the field during the 1940s and 1950s. He also had a variety of interests during his career including reading, the effects of television on children, and creativity (Beckstrand, n.d.). His interest in gifted education and gifted children spanned a number of areas, including programming options and educational provisions, identification and the definition of giftedness, gifted African American students, gifted students and science, and the Quiz Kids show (a popular program in the 1940s and 1950s that began on radio and then moved to television). In addition to editing one of the most important books in the 1950s, The Gifted Child, Witty contributed numerous journal articles and book chapters to the literature and conducted longitudinal and case study research. What Witty's archival collection and his publications reveal is a scholar and gentleman dedicated to advancing the educational needs of gifted children. He was one of the first researchers in the field to seriously advance the idea that students of color were to be found in the ranks of high intelligence, which ran counter to the standard belief during the first half of the 20th century. Witty encouraged challenging educational opportunities for all gifted children and was active in advocating on their behalf. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The release of the Marland Report in 1972 is often described as a watershed moment in the field of gifted education and remains a touchstone for the field today. The report presented the federal government’s formal definition of giftedness and outlined the unique learning needs of gifted students and the challenges faced by these students in U.S. schools. This article presents an examination of the goals and outcomes set forth in the Marland Report, the context within which the report evolved, and lessons learned, which can lead to an improved understanding of this legislation and the state of the field today. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Despite numerous calls for research on parents of gifted learners, researchers have given only cursory treatment to the topic. In this article, the authors review and synthesize 53 sources, published since 1983, on parents of gifted learners. Existing research on parents of gifted learners may be categorized into three thematic areas that include (a) parent influence, (b) parent perceptions of giftedness and ability, and (c) parent satisfaction with gifted programming. Theory-driven research is conspicuously absent from this body of work, and study designs emphasize self-report measures and lack control groups. The analysis of this literature reveals gaps in the research record and offers recommendations about where future research should be focused. These areas include attitudes, values, and expectations of families of underserved gifted children; relationships between parents and schools; parents’ understanding of giftedness; parents of gifted underachievers; and how parents support and influence their children at home. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

By establishing the American Association for Gifted Children (AAGC), Strang and her colleagues raised awareness amongst teachers, counselors and parents of the needs of gifted, talented, and creative students across the United States. Her actions emphasized the importance of advocacy for gifted students and contributed to an awareness of the research on giftedness and gifted education. Ruth Strang was a respected female professor of education at a leading university. She was an educator and astute counselor of gifted students. She was highly perceptive of gifted students' developmental needs and spent decades honing her knowledge and understanding of child and adolescent development. Her writings on the nature of giftedness were based on case studies of gifted children and research on giftedness. As one of a group of academics at Teachers College interested in giftedness, she added to the credibility of the field of gifted education in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Her depth of knowledge in regard to adolescent development, guidance and psychology of students, and the importance of reading development provided her with the broad educational knowledge that she applied to her studies of gifted students. Professor Ruth May Strang was a woman ahead of her times as an observant and insightful educator; much of what she wrote on the psychological and educational needs of the gifted continues to be relevant to gifted children and adolescents today. References (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The life and work of Sir Francis Galton is surely the most important in any history of the field of gifted education. He not only was the first to study giftedness in a serious way but also invented statistical techniques such as correlation and regression in order to use statistics to handle the data sets he constructed. His interest in children in schools and women in hospitals led to his initiating questionnaires to collect data on needs in both settings. Galton's investigations led to improved attention to vision and hearing needs of children and to pregnancy issues related for women. Thus, his work impacted many aspects of what we still do today in education in general as well as in gifted education. This chapter discusses Galton's contributions to the field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

To summarize the rationale for including Ann Isaacs in a book of nineteenth and twentieth century "illuminated minds" for the field of gifted education, it seems clear that she belongs in this pantheon. She may not have contributed most profoundly to the intellectual foundations of the field, but she did contribute to the heart and well-being of the field through her direct communications with schools, families, and the two national organizations she founded. Her philosophy about what was needed served both national organizations well for 28 consecutive years. She also was someone to whom the regular readers of the two journals she founded and managed could relate. Her messages were simple and direct, based on the "real world," something readers and audience participants could expect when they read to or listened to Ann Isaacs. She was the field's most vocal advocate through her books, journals, music, and art. She kept the field, without much political, societal, or economic support (or respect), from being erased from conscious awareness and conscience. She may have had her flaws and her personal ambitions, but she was consistent in her message about the development of giftedness, creativity, and talent. Fond as she was of lists (25 strategies for teaching gifted readers, 100 ways to raise self-esteem, etc.), it is hoped the following succinct list of her accomplishments would please her if she could see it today. The accomplishments are large for such a tiny but energetic woman. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Catharine Morris Cox (later) Miles is most widely known in the field of gifted education as the author of Terman's second volume of Genetic Studies of Genius. Her contributions to research on giftedness included a study of historical figures who were highly gifted children using historiometric inquiry, contributions to handbooks and reviews. Her work influenced scholarly inquiry and popular culture. This chapter discusses her life and career. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: create)

A major review of research from 1951 to 1982 on parents and families of students with gifts and talents identified the following themes in the research literature—(a) family characteristics, (b) parental attitudes and values, (c) family problems with gifted children, (d) achievement and underachievement, (e) role of parents in identification, (f) parental encouragement and provision of enrichment activities, and (g) parents and schools. Although the focus of research has narrowed over time, parents' expectations of services and programming and parents' perceptions of their child's giftedness consistently have remained a focus of study. The distinctive challenges that parents of gifted children face should be of interest to researchers as well as to teachers, parents, and the gifted children themselves. Awareness of these challenges can help faculty to design appropriate educational experiences for preservice and in-service teachers who work with students with gifts and talents, can ameliorate some of the isolation felt by parents of gifted learners, and can help gifted individuals to understand and come to terms with their own family environments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Kazimierz Dabrowski's theorizing has contributed significantly to the broadening conceptualization of giftedness, beyond academic achievement and eminence. Based on his clinical practice and research, Dabrowski noted that gifted and talented individuals tended to experience the world and themselves in qualitatively different ways. In his conceptualization, Dabrowski emphasized the primacy of emotion, explicitly relegating other factors, including intelligence, to subservient roles. Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration provides scholars, researchers, practitioners, and parents a unique lens through which to view giftedness with emotion taking center stage. Unlike other theoretical contributions that have broadened the conceptualization of giftedness, for example, Mariand's (1972) expansion from unidimensional to multidimensional, Dabrowski's theory has contributed to a re-conceptualization of giftedness itself. Emotional giftedness (Mayer, Perkins, Caruso, & Salovey, 2001; Piechowski, 1997), giftedness as asynchronous development (Silverman, 1997, 2012), identification of giftedness (Carman, 2011), and self-actuaUzation and morality ofthe gifted (Ruf, 2009) are a few examples of Dabrowski's influence on our current conceptualization of giftedness. The pilot research by Mayer and his associates (2001) is particularly important because it showed that positive maladjustment appears at the high end of emotional intelligence and that it characterizes emotional giftedness. In addition, other contemporary theorizing such as giftedness as greater awareness (Roeper, 1982), spiritual giftedness (Lovecky, 1998), and heightened multifaceted sensitivity (MendagUo, 2003) resonate with Dabrowski's theory and receive indirect support from it. In general, TPD has had the effect of ending the stranglehold that cognition and material achievement had on the field of gifted education. Scholars, adopting a Dabrowskian perspective on giftedness, have reinforced the importance of a holistic approach to giftedness—to concern ourselves with the emotional, moral, and spiritual dimensions of gifted individuals, not simply to focus on meeting their intellectual needs, but rather the development of the whole person. As such, TPD contrasts sharply with conceptions of giftedness that emphasize productivity (Renzulli, 1978; Gardner, 1999; Sternberg, 2000). Interest in TPD's conception of giftedness is on the rise, despite renewed attempts to reduce giftedness to an external criterion of achievement (Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius, & Worrell, 2011). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Calvin W. Taylor, scholar, thinker, and imaginer, devoted his life to the development of creative talents and abilities in all people. He worked to promote an educational system in which all students would be given the opportunity and support to develop their talents to the fullest. His doctoral work with psychologist L.L. Thurstone further defined linguistic fluency to include the subcategories of ideational fluency and verbal versatility, set the stage for his life's work in promoting the idea that there are multiple factors involved in human intelligence. He viewed talents as the intellectual or mental abilities recognized through the work of Thurstone (1938) and Guilford (1967). Taylor's work, along with the work of E. Paul Torrance and others, changed the fundamental conception of giftedness—that IQ alone was not sufficient to predict success in later life. He insisted that multiple talents were the key to understanding whether someone would be successful and believed that education should concern itself with the identification and cultivation of all human talents. He felt that creative talents and their development through multiple-talent teaching were needed to insure our productive future, stating, "Creativity has the power to transform giftedness to eminence" (as cited in Kim, 2009, p. 571). For Taylor, the development of one's talents had the potential to change the course of history (Kim, 2009). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Parenting for High Potential, March 2006. Based on a survey of 5,400 students from grades 3 to 8 and meetings with 400 students, the author explores the social-emotional landscape of today's middle schoolers. Regardless of how gifted children appear, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, even among high achievers, have marked anxieties about social acceptance and popularity. The article counsels parents to let their gifted children enjoy their childhood—to challenge them in ways that feed their gifts, but without pushing them into early adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Parenting for High Potential, March 1997. The article reminds us about the importance of keeping our own beliefs and assumptions about children's potential in check. In the discussion of how giftedness and talent is manifested, the author offers some consideration for the genetic background of the child; however a stronger case is made for a stimulating and nurturing environment as a more powerful force in the talent development process. The author then offers specific ways in which parents and teachers can optimize the development and learning of young children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Parenting for High Potential, June 1997. The article provides an alternative to the over-reliance upon traditional intelligence testing or using only an IQ score as the primary indicator of giftedness. Rather, the author offers his theory of successful intelligence, whereby individuals identify and cultivate their strengths and figure out ways to compensate or correct for their relative weaknesses. The author punctuates the explanation of his theory with a call to action for parents and teachers; research findings suggest that students who are offered instruction in ways that allow them to play to their strengths and minimize their weaknesses outperform those who were not offered such flexibility. In short, not scoring high on a traditional intelligence test can be overcome by considering strengths more broadly and playing to those strengths. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Parenting for High Potential, June 2001. One of the most neglected subpopulations of gifted students with multiple exceptionalities is gifted children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The author first became interested in gifted children with ADHD when one of her sons was diagnosed with ADHD in middle school. From her research and experience, the author notes that children who have ADHD and also are gifted tend to have more severe social and emotional problems than do children who only have giftedness alone or ADHD alone. Their intellectual giftedness did not protect them from the problems associated with ADHD, and may have actually made them more pronounced. The article offers some suggestions that may help parents and educators of gifted children with ADHD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Parenting for High Potential, September 2007. A child's primary care physician can play an important role early in the life of a gifted child. In today's healthcare arena, medical professionals are the first line of treatment and the gatekeepers for more specialized services. We discuss several issues related to the role of physicians, including what information a physician might need to know, why it is important for them to understand both your child and giftedness, how to discuss these issues, and finally what roles physicians can play outside of the typical medical domain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Informed standards are the foundation of quality teacher preparation programs. Standards define the destination, suggest routes, and provide landmarks to creating programs that graduate effective gifted education teachers who then positively influence our high-ability students. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) views the NAGC-CEC Teacher Preparation Standards in Gifted Education as the benchmark of excellence. This guidebook provides the map to using the NAGC-CEC standards to build an effective teacher preparation program, including information on providing quality clinical experiences and measuring the outcomes of those experiences. You will find information on how the 2006 and 2013 teacher preparation standards differ and the research base used in creating the standards. The guidebook was written by teacher educators who are among the best in the field of gifted education. There are two important new sections in this updated guide. One addresses creating partnerships with K-12 schools, parents, and the community at large. Gifted education is a collaborative effort, and providers need to be strategic in sharing the value of and the specifics of effective gifted education strategies. The other new section discusses how to work with our general education colleagues to incorporate gifted education into general education teacher preparation courses. This is crucially important considering the general education teacher is typically the gateway to gifted education assessments and services or, in many cases, is the primary provider of advanced coursework. Finally, information is provided on preparing a program report for CAEP program review. This section includes examples of quality elements, as well as areas of concern that can assist programs as they apply to become nationally recognized. We are seeing increased attention to the connection between developing high levels of giftedness and talent in all student populations and the success of the nation. This guidebook will assist schools and districts in supporting that talent development by graduating superior gifted educators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: foreword)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Parenting for High Potential, December 2003. For many years, our definition of giftedness has been based on the interaction of three characteristics: above-average (but not necessarily superior) ability, creativity, and task commitment. In other words, high ability is not enough to explain giftedness. It also takes an intensity and focus in a certain area, along with the willingness to try new ideas or look at something with a different perspective. Gifted behaviors occur when these three components intersect, and this happens in some people (not all people) at certain times (not all times), and under certain circumstances (not all circumstances). We only recently began to turn our attention to understanding more fully the sources of these gifted behaviors and, more importantly, the ways in which people use their gifts and talents in a constructive and positive way. This article addresses the following questions: (1) Can a better understanding of people who use their gifts for the greater good help us create conditions that expand the number of people who willingly contribute to the growth of both social and economic capital?; and (2) How can parents provide opportunities so their children develop their abilities in responsible ways? (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)