Educators Call for Universal Screening for Gifted in Early Childhood
Gifted children often show early signs of their unique abilities, hitting developmental milestones well before their
time - and well before beginning school. Some children walk as early as 8 months, and some children talk in complete
sentences at the age of 2. There is diversity of abilities well before schooling age.
Yet the Ministry of Education’s recently released draft Disability and Learning Support Action Plan proposes universal
screening between the ages of 6 and 8. Early childhood specialist educators are supportive of centralised data
collection on gifted children, but also questioning why earlier identification - and intervention - hasn’t been included
in the plan.
giftEDnz Board Member, Jo Dean, an early childhood head teacher who co-edited the first New Zealand book on young gifted
children, asks, “If a child has advanced language skills, which may include a sophisticated vocabulary, complex
conversations, or writing and reading before starting school at age 5, why wait until the second or third year of
schooling to confirm extraordinary abilities?”
“The draft plan is yet another Ministry initiative that aims for a fully inclusive education system, yet excludes full
participation in learning for young gifted children,” says giftEDnz co-chair Dr Nadine Ballam, a Senior Lecturer at the
University of Waikato. Ballam agrees that earlier screening should be supported, but shouldn’t end there.
“Identification of learners’ gifts and talents must be ongoing, as these develop over time, with experiences and factors
like chance - getting the right teacher who sees potential others haven’t, for example.”
giftEDnz Board member and Associate Professor at Massey University, Tracy Riley, says, “Screening needs to be against
local norms, developed from already existing observational scales of behaviours, and inclusive of the ways in which
giftedness is represented in diverse cultural and social groups. It should not be reliant on teachers who are often
biased, with low expectations for some children.”
The Draft Plan is open for consultation until 31 October and giftEDnz Secretary, Andi Delaune, an early childhood
teacher, says, “Our association represents all sectors of education and we will be working with early years educators to
ensure our young children are not overlooked by plans to screen after they begin school. If identification of gifted
children is included earlier, children will be more likely to receive appropriate support and intervention throughout
their educational journey.”