Lessons learned about educating the gifted and talented: A synthesis of the research on educational practice

Abstract: This article discusses five reconsiderations (lessons) the research on the education of the gifted and talented suggests. Although several of the considerations derive from traditional practice in the field, some reconsideration is warranted because of more currently researched differences in how the gifted learner intellectually functions. It is argued that thinking of the gifted learner as idiosyncratic, not necessarily one of many classified as “the gifted,” requires a reconceptualization of how to appropriately and fully serve this unique learner. The research synthesized here covers the period from 1861 to present and represents the entire body of published research studies and repre-sentative literature (theory, program descriptions, and persuasive essays). Implications for service development and implementation are also discussed. Putting the Research to Use: This synthesis of the research covering instructional management options, instructional delivery techniques, and curriculum adaptation strategies is an attempt to aid school system administrators and educa-tors to identify which practices will best fit their respective settings rather than see the research as a more generalized set of “best practices ” that every school should implement. The research is objectively outlined, but more than any other lesson to be learned from this comprehensive research base is that there is no single practice or panacea that will work in every school setting and with every gifted or talented learner. If one reads the five lessons that can be learned from this study, one quickly comes to understand that there is a need to find some means to group gifted learners a