Discovering and Supporting Gifted Children in Kindergarten: Approaches and Practices of Preschool Teachers in Slovenia

The study aimed to investigate the attitudes of preschool teachers towards gifted children. A sample of 70 Slovenian preschool teachers was included in the study. The data was collected using a quantitative data collection technique and a questionnaire as a measurement tool. The results showed that preschool teachers believe gifted children’s characteristics are most easily recognised in the preschool years, especially in the second age group (3-6 years). Most respondents (82.9%) believe it is easier to recognise giftedness in children in the general intellectual domain. Most preschool teachers consider pedagogical differentiation and individualisation important when working with gifted preschool children. More than half of the respondents (57.1%) answered that they do not use tools for discovering gifted children, and the majority of them believe that they do not know the early signs of giftedness. In conclusion, gifted children should be identified in early childhood so that their development and potential can be adequately nurtured.

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