Gifted and Talented in the Early Years

Reviewed by Miranda Walker, playwork trainer and owner of Playtime Out of School Club and ABC Day Nursery in Cullompton, Devon

Drawing on her teaching experience, the author gives advice on identifying 'gifted and talented young children' in pre-school settings, and explains how existing resources can be used to stimulate and challenge them.

I felt reassured by the way practitioners are encouraged to consider children's development holistically. Ms Sutherland comments that 'labels for children are not always necessary, but challenging experiences are.'

She challenges practitioners to rethink their definition of 'gifted and talented' and points out that children who are articulate, confident and mature are often identified as gifted, while children who are quiet or have a disheveled appearance or poor motor skills may be overlooked. The reader is given examples of identification questionnaires and observation sheets that can be used to gather information about children from parents, and to track achievements.