Implicit and Inclusive Early Education for Gifted Children Swedish Policy and International Possibilities

Abstract

Giftedness is a special education need that can receive more attention in Nordic early years’ education. Here, we draw upon examples provided in early years’ research literature and on a new narrative example of practice to illustrate inclusive and responsive teaching possibilities where gifted children’s special learning needs are acknowledged. Gifted children have a need for specific cognitive support and a need for social and emotional support. Specific strategies to account for such support include curriculum differentiation, higher-order questioning, partnerships, and opportunities to work with like-minded peers. Through a framework for engaging with gifted education in the early years titled SPARK, with the elements support, policy, awareness, relationships, and knowledge, giftedness in inclusive education is illustrated and discussed. The elements were inclusively integrated in the everyday context of a Swedish preschool that caters for children with various abilities and needs. There is a policy mandate for teachers to engage with gifted education in Sweden; however, it is largely implicit, and more work is required before the special needs of gifted children are explicitly recognised.