A Preprimary School Teachers’ Perspective on Early Childhood Giftedness

Background/purpose. This article explores the often-overlooked perspective of preprimary school teachers on early childhood giftedness. It delves into the multifaceted nature of giftedness, extending beyond high IQ scores to include exceptional creativity, problem-solving skills, and advanced language abilities.

Materials/methods. This review article provides a brief literature review on preprimary teachers’ perspective on early childhood giftedness.

Practical implications. The article highlights the pivotal role of preprimary school teachers in identifying and nurturing these young gifted minds, despite the challenges they face, such as a lack of specialized training and resources. It underscores the pressing need for specialized training programs for these teachers, which would equip them with the skills necessary to identify early signs of giftedness in children and to develop appropriate teaching strategies.

Conclusion. The article concludes by emphasizing the invaluable contribution of preprimary school teachers in understanding and nurturing early childhood giftedness, and the importance of investing in their training to ensure that gifted children receive the appropriate support needed in order to reach their full potential.

Keywords: Early childhood, giftedness, preprimary school, teachers, perspective

References

Dal Forno, L., Bahia, S., & Veiga, F. H. (2015). Gifted amongst preschool children: An analysis on how teachers recognize giftedness. International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education, 2(SI), 685-693. https://infonomics-society.org/wp-content/uploads/ijtie/published-papers/special-issue-volume-2-2015/Gifted-amongst-Preschool-Children-An-Analysis-on-How-Teachers-Recognize-Giftedness.pdf

UDia, D. Y. (2018). A history of giftedness: A century of quest for identity. In S. J. Pfeiffer (Ed.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 3-23). American Psychological Association.

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Kaya, N. G. (2020). Supporting of Gifted Children’s Psychosocial Developments in the Pre-school Period. Psychology Research on Education and Social Science, 1(1), 25-29. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/press/issue/54258/706038

Kettler, T., Oveross, M. E., & Bishop, J. C. (2017). Gifted education in preschool: Perceived barriers and benefits of program development. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 31(3), 342-359. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2017.1319443

Koop, C., & Seddig, N. (2021). Frequently asked questions about giftedness in early childhood. Karg-Stiftung.

León, M. I. G. (2020). Development of giftedness during early childhood. Papeles del Psicólogo/Psychologist Papers, 41(2), 147-158. https://doi.org/10.23923/pap.psicol2020.2930

Tezcan, F. (2012). Perceptions of early childhood teachers towards young gifted children and their education [Master’s thesis, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey]. https://open.metu.edu.tr/handle/11511/22229

Vreys, C., Ndungbogun, G. N., Kieboom, T., & Venderickx, K. (2018). Training effects on Belgian preschool and primary school teachers’ attitudes towards the best practices for gifted children. High Ability Studies, 29(1), 3-22. http://hdl.handle.net/1942/28732

Wellisch, M. (2019). Ceilinged out: Gifted preschoolers in early childhood services. Journal of Advanced Academics, 30(3), 326-354. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X19851276

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