an examination of various strategies for

This article is the first part of a two part paper. The first part discusses how the conception of giftedness has changed. The influences of home and school are briefly discussed and the characteristics of very able learners are explored in connection with what parents and teachers need to provide in the way of understanding and support. Part Two of the paper discusses various kinds of curriculum extension programmes discussing the under­ lying educational assumptions and feasibility of their implementation in a typical school system.

[1]  T. Packwood,et al.  Needs assessment in post-16 education , 1988 .

[2]  L. Hollingworth.  Gifted children: Their nature and nurture. , 1926 .

[3]  E. Erikson.  Identity and the life cycle , 1959 .

[4]  Z. C. Guenther.  A Special School for the Gifted: Corollary of a Ten-Year Work in Brazil , 1985 .

[5]  R. Feuerstein.  Instrumental Enrichment: An Intervention Program for Cognitive Modifiability , 1980 .

[6]  J. Renzulli.  Dear Mr. and Mrs. Copernicus: We regret to inform you , 1982 .

[7]  A. Passow.  Reflections on Three Decades of Education of the Gifted , 1988 .

[8]  S. A. Kirk,et al.  Educating Exceptional Children , 1962 .

[9]  B. Wallace.  Teaching the very able child , 1983 .

[10]  George Walker.  Improving the Quality of Learning , 1983 .

[11]  Shlomo Kaniel,et al.  Dynamic Assessment and Cognitive Program for Disadvantaged Gifted Children , 1990 .

[12]  B. Wallace.  Meeting the Needs of Exceptionally Able Children , 1984 .

[13]  J. Guilford,et al.  The nature of human intelligence. , 1968 .

[14]  J. Renzulli,et al.  Curriculum Compacting: An Essential Strategy for Working with Gifted Students , 1982 .

[15]  B. Wallace.  Curriculum Enrichment then Curriculum Extension: Differentiated Educational Development in the Context of Equal Opportunities for all Children , 1986 .

[16]  L. Vygotsky.  Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes: Harvard University Press , 1978 .

[17]  Joseph S. Renzulli,et al.  The Multiple Menu Model for Developing Differentiated Curriculum for the Gifted and Talented , 1988 .

[18]  B. Wallace,et al.  TASC: A Model for Curriculum Development , 1991 .

[19]  J. Galbraith.  The eight great gripes of gifted kids: Responding to special needs , 1985 .

[20]  H. Hawes.  Curriculum and reality in African primary schools , 1979 .

[21]  Working Towards a Practical Model of Education for Very Able Children in Comprehensive Schools , 1983 .

[22]  E. Zigler,et al.  Commonalities between the intellectual extremes: Giftedness and mental retardation. , 1985 .

[23]  Ann L. Brown,et al.  Toward a theory of intelligence: Contributions from research with retarded children , 1978 .

[24]  A. Starko.  Effects of the Revolving Door Identification Model on Creative Productivity and Self-efficacy , 1988 .

[25]  M. Newell.  Adapting the Triad Model to Serve Gifted Underachievers , 1989 .

[26]  Robert J. Wherry,et al.  Multiple Factor Analysis: A Development and Expansion of "The Vectors of the Mind" , 1948 .

[27]  G. A. Davis,et al.  Education of the Gifted and Talented , 1985 .