Meeting the needs of gifted preschoolers

Children Today, March-April, 1985 by Ann E. Lupkowski, Elizabeth A. Lupkowski

Programs

Early identification of preschool gifted children creates the opportunity for early intervention. Gifted programs with an early childhood focus should challenge the children's strengths and counteract weak areas.

Individualization should be the rule for preschool curricula for the gifted. While this does not have to mean a constant one-to-one ratio for teacher and student, the curriculum content is closely linked to the quality of the relationship between the child and adult.

An ideal preschool gifted program would help children develop independence in learning to prepare them for the expectations teachers will have for them as they grow older. Its format would combine the informal style of kindergarten with advanced content matched to the child's advanced intellectual and academic skills. Appropriate acceleration in subject matter would be made without expecting equally accelerated skills in other areas. The program should emphasize discovery learning, open-endedness, group process and interaction, and encourage independence and self-direction.

"Sstematic nurturance" is a technique that was used in the Seattle Project to match learning experiences with children's competence levels in each subject area and allow the children to progress at their own rate. Since preschool children--including those who are gifted--have a shorter attention span than older children, advanced materials can be adapted to shorter time periods of presentation. The development of large and small motor skills and social skills are also emphasized.

Preschool classrooms often use the unit approach, studying a topic such as animals or the seasons for a week or more. This practice is easily adapted to education for the gifted preschooler because the amount of instruction planned at each level depends on individual needs and interests. Programs for gifted children should be developed for the child's actual level, not just by age level.

The Ideal Teacher

An important person in a young child's life is he preschool teacher. Ideally, teachers of young gifted children should accept all children and appreciate each child's uniquencess. They should demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to change lesson plans to accommodate special interests and abilities. The ideal teacher values initiative and inquiry on the part of the children and avoids initial detailed structuring of assignments to encourage creativity. We recommend that teachers also have a background in child development and the ability to recognize when a child performs above or below norms.

Teachers must create a comfortable learning environment for all children in the classroom. They should answer children's questions and give them individual attention but also allow them time alone. Teachers should communicate the understanding that it is OK to be different. They should also hold frequent parent conferences to tell parents what the child is doing in school and to learn about what is happening at home.

An important thing to remember when dealing with gifted children is that they are first of all children, with the same social, physical and emotional needs as all children. Thus, curricula should be designed to meet the needs of the whole child.