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Athletic talent development typically follows a similar path (often conceptualized as a pyramid) regardless of the sport of interest. At the base, we find children engaged in play or recreation, with local clubs and high school sports typically forming the next level. Some young athletes are identified for entry into elite programs, such as traveling teams or Olympic development programs. From there, athletes join regional or college teams. Next may come a pre-elite level. Finally, the tip of the pyramid is the elite level comprised of professional and Olympic athletes. To understand effective talent development, it is important to first take a critical look at this traditional pathway. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The neural bases of giftedness will be examined in this chapter by focusing on a construct within giftedness: high levels of intelligence. Intelligence is very difficult to define, and in fact, there is little consensus among scientific researchers as to what is meant by intelligence. A general definition provided by Sternberg and Salter (1982) that we will use is "goal-directed adaptive behavior". Intelligent behavior is adaptive in that it changes to confront and successfully meet challenges. Because it is not enough for intelligent behavior to simply be adaptive, it is also thought to be goal-directed or purposeful. However, it is the adaptive nature of intelligence that will be the primary focus of this chapter. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Definitions of high ability exist in context. When education in the 19th and 20th centuries primarily valued the rapid and accurate learning of a well-defined sequence of knowledge and skills, IQ and achievement tests predicted success. Cognitive qualities of giftedness were readily defined in terms of speed, accuracy, good memory, and even a predilection to work alone. Cognitive qualities of giftedness were closely tied to these views of the nature of education. The new values, especially since the 1980s, focus on inquiry-based learning and teaching and represent a major shift in the underlying assumption about what teaching, learning, and schools should be like, in the goals of education, and in the roles of teachers and learners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In this chapter, we report and synthesize the major findings in the specific domain of mathematics with direct implications for the secondary curriculum. We draw on the relevant literature from international journals in mathematics education, gifted education, and philosophy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This summary will explore the coexistence of intellectual giftedness and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), two disparate, complex conditions that present additional complexities when they are present in the same person. Because these complexities manifest themselves uniquely and on an individual basis, and because of the limited research on the combined gifted/ADHD condition, it is necessary to understand each construct singly in order to frame a discussion of the combined condition. Research pertaining to the underlying physiology, diagnostic methods, and intervention strategies that are relevant to the combined condition will be the focus of this discussion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Unfortunately, an approach to talent identification that suggests that individuals either are or are not gifted fails to recognize the complex nature of cognitive abilities and the many factors that influence the development of those abilities in children and adolescents. Although talent search programs do require certain scores for eligibility for their programs, the purpose of the talent search assessment is not to determine who is gifted, but to provide insight into students’ abilities so that academic needs can be met in school and elsewhere through appropriate programmatic options. There is much in this approach to talent identification and development that schools might replicate as they seek to address the needs of students who exhibit advanced academic abilities and/or achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

An unfortunate feature of much research is the tendency to attract attention—such as increased citations—by advocating extreme positions on difficult questions, the nature-nurture issue decidedly among them. The downside of this practice for our understanding of giftedness is that the complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors tend to get overlooked. Worse yet, in minimizing the function of one or the other side of the debate, proponents of single-factor explanations tend to vastly oversimplify the supposed operation of the neglected factor. That oversimplification is certainly apparent in the advocates of deliberate practice as the sole factor in talent development—a point that I wish to elaborate in this chapter. As will be seen below, the genetics of genius, talent, or giftedness is far more complex and nuanced than these extremists realize. I begin by showing that any innate gift or talent for a given domain must be defined in terms of deliberate practice for the definition to feature any scientific validity. I then focus specifically on the genetics side of the foregoing demonstration, showing that nature most likely operates in a far more complex and dynamic manner than often realized. A gift or talent does not work anything like the inheritance of eye color or even height. After these two arguments are presented, I close by discussing some implications for practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Over the past several years, media attention directed toward autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased substantially, not only in relation to the rising prevalence rate, but also through the portrayal of individuals with ASD in movies and television shows. Misconceptions abound; for example, many erroneously believe that a large percentage of individuals with ASD are savants, or that everyone diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome is gifted. Neither statement is true. However, research does demonstrate that there are individuals with ASD who are intellectually gifted, although the prevalence rate remains unknown. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2012), 1 in every 88 children is currently diagnosed with an ASD. Given this astounding number, educators undoubtedly will work with individuals on the spectrum at some point during their careers. To do so requires a comprehensive understanding of ASD, as well as an awareness of the potential for giftedness. To fully understand this group of twice-exceptional students, clarification of terminology and diagnostic criteria must first be addressed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

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)

Musical giftedness is a topic characterized by multiple perspectives and definitions. Scholars and researchers in music education have investigated the nature of giftedness from a variety of viewpoints resulting in numerous terms used to identify students who may be considered musically gifted, along with various methods for identifying, teaching, and assessing these students. The following chapter includes an overview of the terms, common theories, and modes of assessment related to musical potential followed by definitions, theories, and assessment tools for musical achievement. Musical potential and achievement are then addressed in relation to models for fostering musical giftedness and implications for educators hoping to work with musically gifted students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter addresses the major issues facing educators, administrators, and parents in nurturing mathematical talent in students at the elementary level. The focus is on presenting relevant research and guidance on the application of this research so that the reader will be able to make informed decisions that will benefit young mathematically gifted students. Providing appropriate curriculum for mathematically gifted students is complex, in part because the definition of mathematical giftedness is not universal. How one defines mathematical giftedness in turn affects how students are identified for services and how the actual services, including the curriculum, are rendered. Thus, to get a true picture of the research associated with curriculum for elementary mathematics gifted education, several areas need to be addressed. To varying degrees, the research addresses the following questions related to providing appropriate curriculum for mathematically gifted elementary students: (1) How can we identify students who are mathematically gifted? (2) What kinds of programming options for these students have research support? (3) What instructional approaches and grouping models work best for these options? and (4) What research-based curriculum is appropriate for mathematically gifted elementary students? (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The recent popularity of Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory corresponds with current efforts to move away from the use of standardized measures of achievement and ability to more authentic assessment techniques, including portfolio and performance-based assessment. Gardner and his colleagues have strongly encouraged the application of MI theory to performance-based assessment. This study investigates the reliability and validity of a battery of instruments based on MI theory, including teacher checklists and performance-based assessment activities. The purpose in developing the instruments was the identification of talent in culturally diverse and/or low income kindergarten and first grade students. Results suggest acceptable evidence of reliability but raise questions about the validity of the assessments. This study has implications for both future research efforts and the application of MI-based, performance measures to the assessment and identification of talent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Due in large part to technological advances, society has changed in unprecedented ways and at a breakneck pace. Yet conceptions of giftedness and models for gifted education have not kept pace with these changes. One conceptual change widely applied to other fields is the use of sociocultural theories, which are rarely applied to the study of and education for giftedness and talent development. Such perspectives emphasize the interrelated nature of the individual and their social and cultural contexts. A sociocultural approach to giftedness focuses less on the individual student and more on the ways in which that student is supported by and interacts with their immediate social context. The emphasis in a sociocultural approach to talent development is primarily on the need to provide enriched contexts for students as they interact with each other and cultural tools, resulting in the emergence of talent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

As conceptions of giftedness expanded, researchers provided support for views of giftedness that went beyond high cognitive potential, and more persons became interested in affective issues, moral and ethical development, and what we will describe as intelligences outside the normal curve. A better understanding of people who use their gifts in socially constructive ways can help us create conditions that expand the number of people who contribute to the growth of social as well as economic capital. In the sections that follow, we examine the scientific research that defines several categories of personal characteristics that have been associated with such commitments and form the basis for Operation Houndstooth Theory: Optimism, Courage, Romance With a Topic or Discipline, Sensitivity to Human Concerns, Physical/Mental Energy, and Vision/Sense of Destiny. We will refer to these traits as co-cognitive factors because they interact with and enhance the cognitive traits that we ordinarily associate with the development of human abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Grouping used by teachers to address the diverse needs of their students and with aim to close the achievement gaps has become more popular recently and is one set of education strategies. Grouping can be used in schools to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents without incurring additional cost. However, grouping, and specifically, ability grouping, has been the subject of much and heated debate during the past three decades. Researchers from both sides of the ability grouping debate continue to discuss the pros and cons of its application in schools. As such, not all educators support the use of grouping, and further, not all forms of grouping strategies bring about the same results. For grouping strategies to appropriately meet the needs of students with gifts and talents, there are more factors to consider than simply putting students of similar levels of academic achievement together. Namely, curriculum and instruction has to be adjusted to accommodate the needs of these students, and care must be taken to ensure that other students receive appropriately enriched instruction and interesting curriculum so that they have a high-quality education that promotes academic growth and achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Paula has been teaching for more than 30 years at a school specializing in gifted education. She loves working with her students, who are quick and dedicated learners. In 2016, the school was taken over by a new consortium, which decided to adopt a more contemporary school approach to replace the existing one that had been in force for more than 30 years. The consortium appointed Paula to put together an Innovation Team to oversee the transition to the new structure. Paula happily accepted. In this chapter, we will report Paula's initial thought processes. She was fully cognizant that the efficiency and success of the Innovation Team would depend on the quality of her preparatory work. Along with carefully monitoring and analyzing her school and conducting a thorough examination of the relevant literature, she also consulted several experts from various backgrounds. These included experts in gifted education (representatives from other gifted schools and researchers), experts in administration and governance, parents of gifted students, and organizational psychologists and sociologists. She also consulted specialists, such as the program director of a mentoring program and the head of a school specializing in self-regulated learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Schools must look further than the current "gifted" population and closer than do the current instruments in the identification process. This is precisely what our new identification battery of gifted and talented students, the Aurora Battery, is intended to make possible. Developed from Sternberg's theory of successful intelligence, this group-administered assessment battery is designed to recognize abilities in analytical, creative, and practical domains using figures, words, and numbers. The augmented view of intelligence adopted by the assessment, in combination with the specificity of its tasks, is expected to capture a more diverse population of students with a more varied and better-qualified array of skills. We present here the impetus for creating this assessment: historical shifts in definitions of giftedness, the increasingly recognized ethical imperative to correct underrepresentation of certain groups, the shortcomings of current assessments, and the promise of future reward that greater investment in gifted children represents. We also discuss the assessment's theoretical grounding, development, and potential applications. The Aurora Battery may offer a new and better assessment alternative for schools interested in better recognizing all gifts and better meeting the needs of all gifted students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Both qualitative and quantitative longitudinal studies of school-wide enrichment model (SEM) gifted programs demonstrate positive outcomes in cognitive, affective, and social development of participating students. The participants increased their college and work aspirations, and maintained interests and creative productive work that begin in gifted programs after they finished college and graduate school. It is our hope that more schools and districts will continue to implement talent development programs based on the SEM in the years to come, whether as part of gifted or enrichment programs, magnet or theme schools, or as a part of a general education program. During the last decade, several Renzulli Academies, schools based on the SEM using the SEM-based strategies and methods described in this chapter, have been developed, focusing on the pedagogy described in this chapter for high-potential students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Giftedness is a social construct that comes with a wide range of interpretations, as there is not a typical gifted learner. The term gifted has been, at times, considered antiquated as educators, policy makers, and scholars address a history of intellectual elitism and the underrepresentation of children from diverse backgrounds in gifted programs across the country. Gifted learners are artists, musicians, engineers, teachers, dreamers, trendsetters, problem solvers, and activists. Frasier and Passow (1994) referred to general attributes of gifted learners, or traits, aptitudes, and behaviors identified across the research as being common elements of giftedness. It is important to recognize that giftedness manifests differently in every child and the presence of the noted diverse traits will vary for each learner based on his or her passion area, type, and level of giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Our economy and quality of life increasingly depend on innovative ideas and products, and businesses and society in general are calling for more creativity in our communities. This is being seen in schools, with an emphasis on problem solving and creativity in the curriculum, such as can be found in efforts to focus K–12 education on 21st century skills (Plucker, Kaufman, & Beghetto, 2015). Although there are increasing amounts of research on how to enhance creativity in the classroom, teaching for creativity is not a common practice in most K–12 schools (Sternberg, 2015). For example, Schacter, Thum, and Zifkin (2006) found on average that teachers perform very few creative behaviors. Many teachers know little about how to implement interventions for creativity enhancement, and they may even feel reluctant to learn how to approach the topic. In this chapter, we review the major theoretical work that underlies intervention efforts, review specific techniques and strategies for fostering creativity, and examine broader policy issues that may impact creativity enhancement efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)