Contributors in Gifted Education

By KHarlow79

  • Francis Galton

    Galton's book Hereditary Genius was published, claiming that a person's intelligence comes from a cross between natural selection and a person's ancestors.
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    Major Contributors in Gifted Education

    These are the men and women who have contributed to gifted education.

  • Alfred Binet

    Binet, along with his partner Simon, created a test to measure the intelligence of a person. While initially intended to separate students that would not benefit from schooling, a modified version of the test is still used today (Jolly, 2005).

  • Lewis Terman

    In 1916, Terman created an improved version of Binet's intelligence test. Called the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, it has become the standard used in the country for measuring a person's IQ, or intelligence quota (Davis, Rimm & Siegle, 2011).

  • Terman

    Terman undertook the longest running study of intelligence, following 1528 children throughout their lives. The study even continued past his death (Davis et.al., 2011).

  • Leta Hollingworth

    Ms. Hollingworth started a Special Opportunity Class at a New York City public school. In this class, she personally taught 2 classes of students. The two classes had an average IQ of 145 and 165, respectively (Davis et.al., 2011). Based on her time in the classroom, she published over 40 articles and created the foundation for her work at the Speyer School (NAGC, 2017).

  • Terman

    Terman published another book, entitled Genetic Studies. In this book, he claimed that gifted students not only had a superior intellect, but were also emotionally and physically superior to their non-gifted peers (Davis et.al., 2011).

  • Hollingworth

    Hollingworth published her book, The Gifted Child. Her findings showed that gifted children can be vulnerable, rather than the strong and successful picture painted by Terman. This is considered to be the first book on gifted and talented education. (NAGC, 2017)

  • Calvin Taylor

    in 1978, Taylor came up with the multiple-talent totem pole. This moved away from the idea that gifted children are gifted in only academics, and showed that gifted students can display a variety of talents in different areas. Note that he also claimed that all students could be gifted in an area, if there were tests to determine it. (Davis, et.al., 2011).

  • Howard Gardner

    Gardner first presented his theory of multiple intelligence in 1983, and then revised it in 1993 and again in 1999. He claimed that one score to measure a person's IQ was ridiculous, and that there are eight intelligences that a person can display and that can be measured: visual/spatial, kinesthetic, musical, linguistic, logical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic (InFed, 2008).

  • Robert Sternberg

    Sternberg's claim to fame is that he came up with the triarchic theory of intelligence. This theory stated that a student's IQ could not be measured in just one score. Instead he said there were three types of intelligence: creative, analytical, and practical giftedness (Davis et.al., 2011).

  • Joseph Renzulli

    Renzulli designed the three-ringed model of giftedness in 1986. He claimed that for a student to be gifted, they needed to have the following three traits: above average ability, task commitment, and creativity. He has published on this topic several times since its initial presentation (Renzulli, 1986).

  • Abraham Tannenbaum

    Tannenbaum created the five-point model for measuring giftedness, which greatly influenced how children are classified as gifted. Instead of focusing on one aspect of the child, his approach took a more comprehensive view of the child and what makes them gifted (Teacher's College Newsroom, 2014).

  • Francoys Gagne

    Gagne developed a theory called the Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. In this, he claims that there is a difference between being gifted and being talented. Talents are learned abilities, while gifts are something people are born with and cannot be taught (Davis et.al., 2011).

  • Richard Hernstein & Charles Murray

    Hernstein & Murray published their book, The Bell Curve, in 1994. They claimed that there were variances in intelligence in America, using statistical evidence. They also discussed ways that gaps in the intelligences could hurt the nation, as well as policies that could be used to remedy the variations (Beatty, 2016).

  • Donna Ford

    Ms. Ford published her first book in 1996, entitled Reversing Underachievement Among Gifted Black Students. She has dedicated her career to closing the achievement gap between minority students and their peers, and working to ensure that minorities are identified as gifted as often as their non-minority peers. (Donna Y Ford, PhD, 2013).