Identifying Gifted And Talented Children Education Essay

The term gifted and talented is surrounded with a great trade of contention, and is presently under reappraisal by the Coalition Government. A huge sum of research has been undertaken over the last 10 old ages, into the long-run, emotional effects of labelling a kid, and the practician ‘s function in placing a kid and distinguishing the course of study. Directgov ( 2010 ) , presently defines ‘gifted ‘ as one who excels in academic topics such as maths and English, and ‘talented ‘ as those who possess accomplishments in practical countries such as athletics and music.
Pound ( 2008 ) , discusses how Gardner ‘s theory revolves about eight intelligences. Gardner believes that each person possesses his or her ain alone combination of intelligences, which he calls ‘multiple intelligences ‘ , which can be enhanced and enriched in an environment which provides stimulating and ambitious activities. Teaching, through Gardner ‘s theory enables the practician to convey out a talented and talented kid ‘s advanced natural endowments, in a ambitious manner. ( Conklin 2007 )
Gardner ‘s ‘multiple intelligence ‘ theory and the Early Years Foundation Stage ( EYFS ) , are reciprocally supportive. Both emphasise individualism and singularity. The DCSF ( 2008 ) , asserts that every country of development is every bit of import, and that no kid should confront favoritism. The DCSF ( 2008 ) besides explains that the early acquisition ends give practicians scope to place and be after for all kids across the developmental continuum. It follows that practicians must place kids ‘s demands and construct on their strengths.

Freeman ( 1991 ) advocates that the kid who is every bit ‘bright as a button ‘ , and maintains their enthusiasm for acquisition is more likely to do a positive part to society. The EYFS has been condemned by the Open Eye Campaign ( 2007 ) who claim that it is ‘overly normative and potentially harmful to development, ‘ and that many of its ends are ‘developmentally inappropriate ‘ .
In comparing to the EYFS the Key Stage One is more academically biased. The Office for Standards in Education ( Ofsted ) ( 2007 ) , reported that two tierces of Year One instructors did non utilize the information gained from the EYFS to inform pattern and planning. Consequently, many ‘talented ‘ kids may be over looked. Palaiologou ( 2010 ) , discusses Gardner ‘s position that instruction should be less academically driven and his ‘five heads ‘ theory. This focuses on an person ‘s ability to screen utile and relevant information in any given state of affairs, how to believe ‘outside of the box ‘ , and to understand diverseness, citizenship and community relationships in both the immediate and broad environment. He referred to these as ‘modern ‘ twenty-four hours endowments.
It is the function of the practician to place and distinguish the course of study to develop talented and gifted persons. Failing to make this could hold a negative impact on the kid. A kid may easy lose involvement and misconduct when presented with unchallenging undertakings. Freeman ( 2009 ) , inquiries how a response category instructor headers with a kid who is working at a higher degree than their equals. She writes that kids should non be left to wait while others ‘catch up ‘ , and believes that this is where ennui begins, this can ensue in a kid withdrawing from larning. Quart ( 2006 ) agrees with this fact and believes that there should be more support available to develop practicians in the appraisal of and learning techniques for gifted and talented students. Freeman ( 2010a ) states that successful and happy kids need consistent. Freeman ‘s research revealed that discovered that kids who were identified as talented and talented in one school would in fact be below norm in another. Often practitioners erroneously identified a kid as talented and talented. She subsequently states that through analysis of collected information she discovered that labelling kids as gifted and talented makes a negative ‘difference ‘ to their sense of ego, ensuing in low self-pride. Childs who were labelled by parents suffered more emotional jobs than their every bit gifted but unlabeled equals.
James ( 2007 ) , draws our attending to the fact that many parents may be commanding and demanding, claiming that the kid becomes fixated with carry throughing parental ends in an effort to understate struggle. He explains that high accomplishment is frequently a effect of over parental pressurisation in childhood that frequently leads to self-criticism and depression in ulterior old ages. Quart ( 2006 ) , supports this position and concludes that parents and pedagogues should forbear from forcing kids to win. She issues a prophylactic warning that the force per unit area placed on the gifted and talented can take to emotional declinations of being deprived of a childhood. For some who were placed on, a ‘pedestal ‘ signifier an early age range maturity and realize they are no longer rather so particular. Freeman ( 2010b ) , leads us to believe that the media is merely interested when things go incorrect, and in fact many gifted and gifted kids go on to take happy ordinary lives. She states that parents should back up and steer kids without forcing them to win and love should be unconditioned and non reliant on accomplishment.
To reason, Gardner ‘s theories offer practitioners a theoretical account for supplying a rich and ambitious environment for all kids, including those who are gifted and talented. Practitioners need comprehensive preparation to guarantee that be aftering for larning provides challenges to vouch kids are challenged and stretched, non, bored and pushed. It besides Emotional troubles are more likely to happen when a kid is labelled talented and talented. Therefore, parents and educational practicians should take to guarantee that an identified gifted and talented kid grows into a happy, all-around grownup. More coaction is needed between Foundation and Key Stage One. In fact, it would be good to kids if the EYFS were continued in Year One. Through this research, a greater penetration into the term gifted and talented has been obtained. It offered differing positions on the topic, and the decision reached was that there is really a topographic point in society for the talented and talented, nevertheless, designation and instruction should be undertaken with attention and sensitiveness.
In the words of Benjamin Franklin,
Hide non your endowments. They for usage were made. What ‘s a sundial in the shadiness?
Franklin ( 1706 – 1790 )