VOLUME 17, NUMBER 3 FMU.1998 NEWSLETTER OF THE WORLD COUNCIL FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED CHILDREN A Message Early Indicators of from the Intellectual Giftedness President By MIRACA U. M. GROSS, Director Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre, University of New South Wales sit hardly I seems possi Teachers and parents often as 12 months; however, moderately gifted ble, the first sume that intellectually gifted children begin to speak, on average, 2 year of my tenure of office has passed. Dur children cannot be reliably iden months earlier. Studies of highly gifted ing this first year a number of necessary goals tified in the pre-school years or children note instances of remarkably were pursued beginning with overseeing and in the early years of schooling. In fact early speech development. Since 1983 completing the transitions of the headquar there are several indicators that par I have been conducting a longitudinal ters office and the association journal. A ents can take note of. Unfortunately, study of Australian children of IQ 160 number of other important tasks also had to these predictors of high intellectual po or greater. The median age at which be accomplished in a timely order. Among tential are often disregarded by teach these remarkably gifted young people ut these were: ers, both because they first appear tered their first word was 8.5 months, (1) The development of an infra during the pre-school years when the and several began to speak as early as structure to support the business of teachers are not able to observe them 4- and 5-months-of-age! the organization, including finding and and because, when parents report them, For example, by 4-months-of-age hiring a business consulting firm to they are not often believed. Among the Kate was regularly greeting her parents, serve as an administrative manager. most powerful indicators of possible grandparents, and family friends with Committee chairs were appointed and intellectual giftedness are the early ac a confident and precisely articulated listed in the first newsletter along with quisition of speech, movement and continued on page 5 the names of those who volunteered to reading. serve on the committees. Numerous researchers have noticed (2) The development of an updated the early development of speech which Inside computerized membership database to is typical of even moderately gifted chil Calendar allow more frequent communication dren. Children of average ability begin with members. Letters were sent to all to use single words at about the age of News from Around the World. current members and those whose mem English in Turkey bership had recently expired, inviting them to participate in the organization. Time to Renew? Youth Summit '99 Delegates - Special mailings were sent Check the expiration date on your mail Call for Papers to the delegates outlining their respon ing address label. To continue receiving sibilities and duties. Included were World Gifted and Gifted and Talented In Collaborative Research brochures to distribute, and a list of ternational as well as conference mail & Projects ings, make sure your membership the members in their country. Mem Web Reviews bers in countries that did not have del- doesn't expire. Fill in the membership ap plication form on page 16 and mail it with International Conferences. egates were invited to accept an your dues to Headquarters. appointment as a delegate for their Progress Report continued on page 12 The World Council for Gifted and Calendar Talented Children, Inc. (WCGTC) is a nonprofit international organization ded April 16-17,1999 Fax: 90-0216-318-7021 icated to the needs of gifted and talented "Inside-Out: Understanding the Needs of e-mail: [email protected] children throughout the world. For mem the Gifted," www.99wconference.org bership information contact Headquar Christchurch College of Education, or ters: 18401 Hiawatha Street Christchurch, New Zealand. For informa WCGTC Headquarters Northridge, California 91326, USA tion and enrollment brochures, write to 18401 Hiawatha Street Tel: 818-368-7501 Eddy Van Til, Executive Events Northridge, CA 91326 USA Fax:818-368-2163 P.O. Box 647 818-368-7501 e-mail: [email protected] Rangiora, New Zealand, Fax: 818-368-2163 www.WorldGifted.org or e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] www.WorldGifted.org WORLD COUNCIL PUBLICATIONS 1999 WORLD CONFERENCE World Gifted is the newsletter of the December 31,1998 August 1-14,1999 World Council. Published three times a Deadline for Call for Papers Proposal 12th International Session of the year, it contains the latest news and Cosmonautic School and 9th Interna information concerning the organization, its June 16,1999 membership, and the international gifted Deadline for pre-registration tional Conference Space and Gifted education community. It is produced and For parents, educators, and high school August 2-6,1999 edited by Sheila Madsen and Barbara Clark. students. 13th Biennial World Conference of the Any article or portion thereof may be For information, contact World Council for Gifted and Talented reprinted as desired with credit given to the Krasnoyarsk State University source. Send all news and articles for future Children and '99 Youth Sumit 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk 660041, editions to Headquarters. For information, contact Russia Edna McMillan Gifted and Talented International, ref- Tel/Fax: 3912-44-57-76 Burhaniye mah. Resmi Efendi sok. No. 4 ereed by an editorial review board of lead e-mail: [email protected] Beylerbeyi, Istanbul ing international gifted educators, is the official journal of the World Council. The purpose of the journal is to share current theory, research, and practice in gifted ed ucation with its audience of international educators, scholars, researchers, and par ents and is published twice a year. Prospec tive authors are requested to submit Guest Editors Wanted manuscripts or queries to: Members are Invited to become guest editors for one of the upcoming World Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Editor, Gifted and Talented International Council newsletters. The task of the guest editor is to collect and contribute ar College of William and Mary ticles and news, especially from their region, and send the copy to Headquar P.O. Box 8795 ters where it is edited and formatted. A disk with the completed issue is then Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795 mailed back to the guest editor who has it printed and mailed, contributing this Tel: (757) 221-2185 Fax:(757)221-2184 expenditure to the World Council as a donation. e-mail: [email protected] Sally Todd, a US Delegate, was the first guest editor and in addition to help ing to gather articles and news she elicited a contribution from her university WORLD COUNCIL of over $2,000 for the printing and mailing of the Winter, 1998 newsletter (Vol. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 17 #1). The World Council paid for the printing and mailing of the Spring and Barbara Clark President Fall issues of the 1998 newsletters (Vols. 17 #2 and #3). USA Taisir Subhi of Jordan has agreed to be the guest editor for the Winter issue, Klaus Urban President-Elect Germany 1999 (Vol. 18 #1). He has found a sponsor to provide the money for the print Shirley Kokot Secretary ing and mailing of this issue. If you are willing to serve as guest editor, please South Africa send your name, address, e-mail address, and the issue that you would like to Janice Leroux Treasurer work on to Headquarters as soon as possible. Canada The production schedule for the newsletter is: Miraca Gross Member Australia Deadline for articles & news To be mailed Juan A. Alonso Member Winter issue December, 1998 January, 1999 Spain Spring issue April, 1999 June, 1999 Utami Munandar Member Fall issue September, 1999 November, 1999 Indonesia, World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, World Gifted, Fall 1998 News from Around the World FROM AUSTRALIA GERRIC has two full-time academic When teachers can help students leam staff, Dr Miraca Gross and Dr Kather- motivating incentives to sustain their "Happy Birthday" to GERRIC ine Hoekman, a clinical psychologist, personal efforts and manage stress, stu On September 19th, GERRIC, the Ms Fiona Smith, and seven general staff dents come to accept that self-regulatory Gifted Education Research, Resource and research assistants. Information on skills can improve performance. Self- and Information Centre at the Univer GERRICs services and resources can be efficacy beliefs, therefore, affect a full sity of New South Wales in Sydney, accessed through its website www.arts. range of behaviors and performance in Australia, celebrated its first birthday. unsw.edu.au/gerric or by fax at 61-2- generic and particular courses of ac Since 1991 the Girted Education Unit 9385-5770. tion. at University of New South Wales, led Submitted by Miraca Gross, Bandura's theory has value for the ed by Associate Professor Miraca Gross, Executive Committee Member, WCGTC ucation of gifted and talented students has established a strong academic focus because it gives additional depth and on teaching and research in gifted edu breadth to assessment and identifica cation, and this has been married to tion strategies. the development and expansion of a Submitted by Janice Leroux range of vacation programs for gifted FROM CANADA Treasurer, WCGTC children, courses for their parents, con ferences, seminars and workshops for Self-Efficacy Changing Societies: A teachers with a special interest in gifted dialogue with Albert Bandura education, and the development of a In June, Albert Bandura, author of range of teaching resources. Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, FROM GERMANY UNSW's teacher programs have had met with graduate students and the fac a remarkable influence on the education ulty of Education at the University of German Summer Academy of gifted and talented children through Ottawa to discuss his latest research on For ten years now the nationwide out Australia.