Research Base - NAGC

Silverman, L. K. (1997). The construct of asynchronous development. Peabody Journal of Education,72(3&4), 36-58.Gifted students are at higher risk in experiencing asynchronous development. This describes the discrepancybetween intellectual development and physical and/or social development that leads to internal struggles andsocial problems.Winner, E., & Martino, G. (2000). Giftedness in non-academic domains: The case of the visual arts andmusic. In K. A. Heller, F. J. Mönks, & A. Harry Passow (Eds.). International Handbook of Research andDevelopment of Giftedness and Talent (pp. 95-110). New York: Pergamon.Gifted children are not only more advanced than typical children in drawing milestones but they draw in aqualitatively different way. Their drawings appear highly realistic, and they are able to draw recognizableshapes representing objects in the world at around the age of 3 or 4. They also develop a sense of the adultart world within their culture, become thematically specialized, and by middle childhood and adolescence,create imaginary settings and fantasy characters. Musical children respond more to music than do averagechildren and are able to sing back heard songs with accuracy before they are one year old. They often haveperfect pitch, sight read music easily, improvise existing music, represent musical relations in multiple ways,and are sensitive to the expressive properties of music.Practice-based ReferencesBarnett, L. B., & Durden, W. G. (1993). Education patterns of academically talented youth. Gifted ChildQuarterly, 37, 161-168.In this study 228 seventh grade students who participated in the Johns Hopkins University Center forTalented Youth (CTY) Academic Programs were compared to 186 eligible seventh grade students who didnot enroll in CTY courses. The researchers used an ex post facto survey method to collect their data. Theyfound that both groups were very successful academically in high school. Both took Advanced Placementand accelerated course work in a broad range of disciplines and received high scores. They alsodistinguished themselves in extracurricular activities and graduated with distinction. However the keydifferences between the groups related to their pursuit of a more challenging high school curriculum, resultsof standardized achievement tests, and college admission. The CTY group pursued calculus and took collegecourses earlier and had a higher proportion of students who accelerated in subject areas.Kolitch, E. R., & Brody, L. E. (1992). Mathematics acceleration of highly talented students: An evaluation.Gifted Child Quarterly, 36, 78-86.Approximately 750 students who had participated in the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youthresponded to a questionnaire regarding the effects of the program. These students did well in mathematicscourses taken several years earlier than is typical and excelled on AP calculus examinations. The majority ofthe students took calculus two and a half years earlier. The students also participated in mathematicscompetitions and summer programs, reported working with mentors, became involved in independentprojects, and read mathematics books on their own. In general, the females appeared to be less likely toaccelerate greatly.Lupkowski-Shoplik, A. E., & Assouline, S. G. (1994). Evidence of extreme mathematical precocity: Casestudies of talented youths. Roeper Review, 16, 144-151.Given the difficulty that the parents encountered in attempting to find appropriate programming in publicschool, the researchers made some of these suggestions: Parents should be advocates for their children,have their child tested using standardized testing, and find enrichment programs outside the school system.Assessments should identify skills and content that the children already know so they might be challenged inschool. Acceleration should be balanced with the study of other academic subjects and extracurricularactivities. Talented students need to find an intellectual peer group.Lynch, S. J. (1992). Fast-paced high school science for the academically talented: A six-year perspective.Gifted Child Quarterly, 36, 147-154.35