Sorry to drag up this old thread, but I was just re-reading this article and thought that it was very relevant to this conversation:
http://www.georgeparkyncentre.org/documents/high-achievers-pdf.pdfI think that what we are talking about is two different groups of kids as Ms. Cathcart mentions in this article. A focus on talent development serves the kids who function within the box that is the current school system much better than it does the square pegs, IMHO. I know that not all gifted kids are square pegs. My oldest functions fairly well within school with some significant frustrations regarding the level of work of the other students, but I suspect that she'd be functioning much less well were she not nearly two year younger than most of her grade mates. None the less, she can do it.
I am particularly sensitive to focus on functioning highly within the box, though, b/c my 2e kid doesn't do well with that regardless of the amount of acceleration. She's devising new formulas during math rather than focusing on learning the ones that exist, for example. She just can't bring herself to engage and she is, thus, shut out using a talent development approach.
