Date of Award
Fall 12-13-2020
Document Type
Education 590 Project
Degree Name
Master of Education
Department
Education
Department Chair or Program Director
Huffman, Jane
First Advisor
Guth, Nancy
Major or Concentration
Education
Abstract
Abstract
Past research has explored how young children express giftedness as well as how parents and teachers can best meet the needs of these children once they have been identified. However, there is a distinct lack of literature on what parents and teachers actually know about how giftedness manifests in the youngest learners. This research investigates the background knowledge that teachers and parents of preschoolers hold on the notion of giftedness. Parents and teachers of young children were surveyed using online survey software by contacting a diverse set of private preschools within the Northern Virginia area. Parents and teachers at those schools responded to the survey. This research shows that parents and teachers are able to recognize gifted traits when they are presented in a stereotypical way, but lack the insight to recognize “negative” traits or asynchronous development. Implications for further research are discussed, as well as the possibility of providing literature to preschools that will help broaden the information base of parents and teachers about giftedness in young children.
Keywords: gifted, young children, preschool, gifted traits, teacher training, parent and teacher understanding
Recommended Citation
Goodman, Katie, "Giftedness in Young Children: What Do Parents and Teachers Know?" (2020). Student Research Submissions. 377.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/377