Articles are listed in descending order by year (most recent first), and then by first author's last name.
Lloyd-Zannini, L. (2008). Emily & Jacob and your child, too: Accelerating in language arts. Understanding Our Gifted, 20(2), 9-13.
This paper discusses multiple alternatives to the challenges of finding appropriate educational placements for gifted children. Using a case study approach, the author introduces Emily and Jacob, two kindergarten students reading at the 3rd grade level. Despite their high levels of achievement, the two have different ability profiles; while Emily was affectively mature and had advanced motor skills, Jacob was less advanced in these areas. These different profiles influenced their academic placement; Emily was placed into the 3rd grade class and Jacob divided his time between the preschool class and 3rd grade language arts.
The author notes that both students were successful in their placements, part of which can be attributed to using diagnostic-prescriptive instruction. In this approach, teachers individualize instruction based on the results of specific diagnostic tests that students take, resulting in well-designed acceleration.
The author concludes by offering suggestions for both parents and teachers, ranging from encouraging children to read a wide variety of books at home to advocating for students.
Muratori, M. C., Stanley, J. C., Gross, M. U. M., Ng, L., Tao, T., Ng, J., et al. (2006). Insights from SMPY's greatest former child prodigies: Drs. Terence ("Terry") Tao and Lenhard ("Lenny") Ng reflect on their talent development. Gifted Child Quarterly, 50(4), 307-324.
If the academic needs of the most profoundly gifted students can be met through the use of existing educational practices, specialists in gifted education can assume that the educational needs of less able, but still academically talented, students can also be met by using some combination of these strategies as well. This paper illustrates the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing an individualized educational approach with gifted students by highlighting the unique educational paths taken by two of the very ablest math prodigies identified by Dr. Julian Stanley through the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) since its founding in 1971. Interviews with Dr. Terence ("Terry") Tao and Dr. Lenhard ("Lenny") Ng, now both highly successful mathematicians, are presented in their entirety, demonstrating that even among the very ablest, strategies can be tailored effectively to the characteristics of each student through a combination of creative planning and the cooperation of parents, educators, and mentors.
Montour, K. (1977). William James Sidis: The broken twig. American Psychologist, 32(4), 265-279.
The case history of William James Sidis is as concerned with the adverse impact his sorry example has had on special education for the intellectually gifted as it is with the dynamics that led to his tragic outcome. Sidis, the archetypal father-exploited prodigy, is examined in his social and historical context and is contrasted to another famous prodigy who had a similar background, Norbert Wiener. By presenting cases of prodigies who entered college as early as Sidis but who succeeded, the author attempts to dissuade the public from its opposition to educational acceleration for precocious children, to which the "Sidis fallacy" has helped give rise.
