From the time he or she can talk, a gifted child is constantly asking questions and will often challenge authority. Generally, a gifted child will cooperate more with parents who take the time to explain requests than with more authoritarian parents. Gifted children generally benefit by spending at least some time in a classroom with children of similar abilities. Their educational program should be designed to foster progress at their own rate of development. Parents who become involved with the school can help administrators and teachers be responsive to the needs of these children.
Open environments provide students with choices and encourage independence and creativity.
Early entrance or other types of acceleration may be considered when a school offers insufficient challenges or when gifted children are not grouped with peers their age who are intellectually advanced. Early entrance is the easiest form of acceleration. When a child expresses a willingness to be accelerated, chances are good that he or she will make an appropriate social adjustment. During the preschool and primary school years, mixed-aged groupings are beneficial as long as the gifted child is not the oldest in the group. Gifted, creative boys are often held back in the primary years because of so-called immaturity.