Page 137 - Kukanja Gabrijelčič, Mojca, and Maruška Seničar Željeznov, eds. 2018. Teaching Gifted and Talented Children in A New Educational Era. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 137
How Kindergarten Teachers Perceive Giftedness
isation should be avoided, respect for diversity in school settings supported
and possibilities of offering group learning and informal education exploited
(European Economic and Social Committee, 2013, p. 1). A variety of terms
are used for the concept of the gifted and talented preschool child: early
giftedness, talent, potential giftedness, above-average giftedness, and other
terms that indicate high ability and pronounced talent in the preschool pe-
riod.
Like the concepts, the process of identifying potentially gifted preschool
children is a wide area of discussion, with debates continuing on what that
process should cover, how it should be implemented and at whom it should
be aimed. The term ‘potential giftedness of preschool children’ is used in
both Slovenia and Croatia.
Preschool environments contain teachers from at least three generations:
Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. Each generation is marked by
different values, attitudes to work and life experiences. The Baby Boom gen-
eration was born between 1946 and 1964, Generation X between 1964 and
1985, and Generation Y after 1985 (Zemke, Raines, & Filipczak, 2000). Regard-
ing the differing values of the generations, the study looks at whether there
are differences between the generations in terms of their understanding of
the concept of giftedness and whether these differences might significantly
affect the implementation of different concepts in preschool work. No re-
search has yet been carried out in this area.
Needs of Kindergarten Teachers in Working with Gifted Children
European Economic and Social Committee (2013) lists the main factors affect-
ing the approach to the development of highly gifted children and young
people: recognising and monitoring highly gifted pupils (e.g. identifica-
tion), legislation, teaching provision (teaching approaches and materials)
and teacher training.
If work with preschool children is to reach the requisite quality, a teaching
and schooling environment must be established that, according to the Slove-
nian Curriculum for Kindergartens (Kurikul za vrtce, 1999), enables optimal
development and, according to the Croatian Curriculum for Kindergartens
(2014, p. 26), fosters the comprehensive development of the preschool child.
Neither curriculum defines the concept of giftedness and the identification
thereof in the preschool period; at the same time, however, both do allow a
subjective interpretation of the goals of the curriculum, and provide teachers
with options for individualising and differentiating the education process in
line with the education needs of the child.
135
isation should be avoided, respect for diversity in school settings supported
and possibilities of offering group learning and informal education exploited
(European Economic and Social Committee, 2013, p. 1). A variety of terms
are used for the concept of the gifted and talented preschool child: early
giftedness, talent, potential giftedness, above-average giftedness, and other
terms that indicate high ability and pronounced talent in the preschool pe-
riod.
Like the concepts, the process of identifying potentially gifted preschool
children is a wide area of discussion, with debates continuing on what that
process should cover, how it should be implemented and at whom it should
be aimed. The term ‘potential giftedness of preschool children’ is used in
both Slovenia and Croatia.
Preschool environments contain teachers from at least three generations:
Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. Each generation is marked by
different values, attitudes to work and life experiences. The Baby Boom gen-
eration was born between 1946 and 1964, Generation X between 1964 and
1985, and Generation Y after 1985 (Zemke, Raines, & Filipczak, 2000). Regard-
ing the differing values of the generations, the study looks at whether there
are differences between the generations in terms of their understanding of
the concept of giftedness and whether these differences might significantly
affect the implementation of different concepts in preschool work. No re-
search has yet been carried out in this area.
Needs of Kindergarten Teachers in Working with Gifted Children
European Economic and Social Committee (2013) lists the main factors affect-
ing the approach to the development of highly gifted children and young
people: recognising and monitoring highly gifted pupils (e.g. identifica-
tion), legislation, teaching provision (teaching approaches and materials)
and teacher training.
If work with preschool children is to reach the requisite quality, a teaching
and schooling environment must be established that, according to the Slove-
nian Curriculum for Kindergartens (Kurikul za vrtce, 1999), enables optimal
development and, according to the Croatian Curriculum for Kindergartens
(2014, p. 26), fosters the comprehensive development of the preschool child.
Neither curriculum defines the concept of giftedness and the identification
thereof in the preschool period; at the same time, however, both do allow a
subjective interpretation of the goals of the curriculum, and provide teachers
with options for individualising and differentiating the education process in
line with the education needs of the child.
135
