An Exploration of Themes of Fascination through Stages of
Development in Highly Gifted Children
Ingrid Holden, Kambala School; University of New South
Wales
This discussion will explore the themes,
that many highly gifted children seem to find most fascinating at distinct
stages of their development. These different areas of interest seem to follow a
chronological pattern that will be recognised by teachers and parents of the
highly gifted.
Regardless of gender, these interests can be identified
during the following stages:
- preschool and early reading
- infant school level
- early primary
school level
- later primary school/ early secondary school level
The researcher currently teaches in the holiday programs for highly gifted
children run by GERRIC (the Gifted Education Research, Resource and
Information Centre) at UNSW in Sydney. It has been observed that some children
in this program as well as other highly gifted children taught in regular
schools, have developed a fascination that has become almost an obsession with
a particular theme.
Research (e.g. Gross, 1993) notes that interests of highly gifted children
are not synchronised with those of their age peers, creating difficulties in
socialisation. Instruments such as Renzulli’s Interest-a-Lyzer (1977) do not
always allow for the most highly gifted children to respond in a way that
indicates their greatest passions. The discussion will explore the possible
links between these four themes and stages of development in the gifted.
Practical suggestions are proposed to help focus these interests and indicate
ways they may become springboards for related themes. Further practical
suggestions will indicate how higher level skill development may become an
integral part of the fascination. It is proposed that this discussion group
with its related practical suggestions may be of interest to parents and
teachers. If you are involved with gifted children who want to talk non-stop
on one theme and you are rapidly running out of patience and ideas, join the
discussion!
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