This manual is a theoretical-practical guide specially in relation to the work with gifted pupils.
The possibility of gather these articles from different origins and prestigious authors makes us to have a wide knowledge of different common studies about education and psychology and about intellectual giftedness in particular.
The text is distributed in nine articles that analyse from the concept of intelligence and giftedness, throughout the development of gifted children, to different educational performances with these pupils with special educational needs.
In the first article, Barbara Clark, as a result of the growing knowledge about the functions of the human brain, bring us near important changes in the concept of intelligence and giftedness.
The use of the brain research as a guide for the identification, planning, and kindness of gifted and talented pupils will be of use in improving their apprenticeship. Without these efforts, the intellectual capabilities will be wasted and its incalculable potential will never be developed.
If we remember, in 1991 one of the conclusions we extracted from the First European Meeting at Valladolid (Spain), which we sent to The European Council, and which it was showed at the IX World Conference in Haya was "the necessity of an earlier identification in order to help to their development and avoid frequently disorders at social, emotional and school level. The second article introduced here by Yolanda Benito and Jes£s Moro is the Screening for earlier identification of gifted children with empirical basis appointed to children with 4,5 and 6 years old.
Looking upon the scientific literature there are a few researches of the Evolutionary Psychology about giftedness, so the lack of tools that provide the earlier detection of gifted pupils.
In its first edition, in Spain, this Screening was published by The Ministry of Education and Culture and its application and coordination was made by the General Subdirection of Special Education and Interest in Diversity. Nearly, at the XIV World Conference at Barcelona (Spain) scientific conclusions and contributions of that large intercultural research will be showed, conclusions which are the result of studies from several countries by their Ministries and Universities. Those important contributions will be soon published in a second checked edition.
In the third article, Suk-un Jin y John F. Feldhusen show us a situation that, in spite of being generalizable among students from all levels, it seems to be more frequently among the most qualified students; we are talking about boredom. In this research the boredom level of talented students at the classroom is analysed and the teacher's characteristics and the subjects that take students on and stimulate them are identified as well as the characteristics that bore and be tedious to them.
Later, Sally Reis summarizes the main affairs, matters and problems concerning to talented women. These affairs include different ways to define women's performance and low performance; some kind of women's creative productivity. She shows studies of cases about all-aged gifted women in order to prove that the efficiency is carried out by different ways. It is studied the research on problems of ability, efficiency, personality and social and environmental pressures in reference on genus. To finish she suggests a series of strategies, programs and future resources of research to help girls and women to carry out their hopes and ambitions.
In the fifth article, Nancy Robinson tell us about the different alternatives existing in U.S. to gifted students and the difficulty on managing the heterogeneousness. The aim of that article is to study main reasons of why this situation has developed in U.S.
In the sixth article: a systematic plan to differentiate the curriculum of gifted and talented children. Joshep Renzulli asks the new point of view of the balance between content and its process of development.
Later, Netta Maoz tell us about Israeli case and about the suitability of using of special sources of knowledge as research centres, museums, etc, institutions with valuables infraestructures with which we can bring up special scientific, musical or artistic talents.
In spite of these non-regular educational options are even unnoticed or are forgotten in many countries, in Israel they are very popular.
Another similar case is showed in the eighth article. Christina Cupertino tell us about her experience at Brazil and about the cooperation between University and School in order to help to the possible different people. She describes a cooperation experience for first degree talented students at a private school. She analizes the circumstances which favoured the appearance of cooperation, just as some of the profits got from it, in relation to a bigger integration between theoretical and practical education and to the establishment of a interest in diversity politics.
In the ninth and final article, it offer a wide series of proposals of activities of curricular extension for gifted students, which are applied at "Huerta del Rey" Centre and that we are sure of it will be of interest of readers, parents, young men and young women and professionals.
Finally, it is included information about the World Conference at Barcelona. The "Huerta del Rey" Centre organizes the 14th. World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children in the city of Barcelona from July 31 to 4 August of 2001. It will be an historical meeting because it will join together teachers of all educational levels from more than 40 countries.
Under the theme "The world of information: opportunities and challenges for the gifted and talented", during one week Barcelona will be the world centre of attention to the education of gifted pupils.
