I have just been reading one of the threads about the book "Outliers":

http://giftedissues.davidsongifted....utliers_anyone_reading_it.html#Post33973

and found this quote from Inky:

Originally Posted by inky
This reminded me of a concept I came across today called "Zone of Proximal Development" by Vygotsky. It was described in a book called Alternative Assessments with Gifted and Talented Students by Joyce L Tassel-Baska.
Quote
The zone of proximal development is that band representing the potential to learn wherein a child can complete a task with the help of an adult or a more advanced peer. To create lessons that are in a student's zone of proximal development, teachers must determine where the student currently stands-that level of understanding that represents the difference between what a student can do independently and what the student can do with guidance. The planning process should incorporate tasks that are just beyond the point where the student can do the task without any assistance and should incorporate learning activities that may require some guidance by an adult or peer in execution so that new learning will occur.

I have wondered for a while why there is such a common theme of GT kids who aren't "seen" in the school environment, or even if it is acknowledged that they are advanced their abilities are still underestimated.

Is this proximal development the root of the problem? Are parents of GT kids particularly good at working with their kids at the child's proximal development level and schools particularly bad at it? Do schools pitch at any child's proximal development level or are they in fact pitching work at the average child's independent work level?

Thoughts?