Evaluating Program Options for Young Gifted Children

Abstract Young gifted children display a wide range of individual differences with regard to needs, interests, and abilities. As a result, no single program or method may be appropriate for all young gifted children. In considering placement options for a given child, parents and educators should attempt to maximize the match between program characteristics and the individual child's needs. Program features to consider include the population served (general population or gifted only), administrative arrangement (enrichment and/or acceleration), goals (academic and/or social), and degree of structure or flexibility. Important child characteristics include degree of advancement, areas of advancement, tolerance for individual differences, adaptability, and social-emotional maturity. In addition to providing the most appropriate match for a child, effective early childhood programs also provide a clearly established philosophy, goals, management plan, monitoring system, specialized activities and materials, o...