A recent New York Magazine article questioned whether “giftedness” is a real concept and whether gifted programs are necessary. Many experts see it differently.
Below are a few thoughtful counterviews that affirm giftedness as a real learning profile and focus on improving access rather than eliminating services:
- “Barriers in Gifted Education: Working Together to Support Gifted Learners and Families” – examines the real-world hurdles families encounter when seeking gifted support. (Davidson Institute)
- “Giftedness isn’t a lie—it’s just much broader than we realize” – argues that giftedness is real, but too often defined too narrowly by schools and tests. (Psychology Today)
- “Broken Systems Are Not Proof That Gifted Children Don’t Exist” – explains that imperfect gifted programs don’t disprove giftedness; instead, the focus should be on improving systems and expanding access for gifted learners. (Michelle Tanner)
- “Are gifted kids really just a mirage?” – agrees that gifted identification is flawed, but makes the case that giftedness is real and that the better solution is improving access, not eliminating services. (The Gifted Perspective)
- “Less scarcity, greater efficacy, and more pluralism in advanced education” – calls for broader access, universal screening, and more effective models for serving advanced learners. (Advance)
- “The real problem with “gifted” education” – says many gifted programs emphasize access and labels more than actual educational impact. (Slow Boring)
At the Davidson Institute, we’re working to expand access to testing, programming, and support for profoundly gifted and twice-exceptional learners.
Learn more about what we do >