ABSTRACT
Defi nitions and conceptions of giftedness have evolved over time from those considered more conservative and restrictive (“the top 1% level in general intellectual ability, as measured by the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale or comparable instrument,” Terman, 1926, p. 43) to broader and more comprehensive definitions based on current models of, and research on, intelligence and its development. Some of the more recent defi nitions are based on generic intelligence(s) (e.g., Gardner, 1983, 1999 or Sternberg, 1988), whereas others have focused on more specifi c academic abilities, such as mathematics or verbal talent (Brody & Stanley, 2005; Van Tassel-Baska, 2005). At the most extreme, Borland (2005), while acknowledging individual differences, questions the validity of the construct of the gifted child altogether (except in the case of prodigious talent) and posits differentiated curriculum as the solution to meeting the needs of students with different learning needs.
