Abstract
In this study, we provide analyses of a convention, a declaration and preschool curriculum texts (from Australia, Estonia, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden) relating to talent development, giftedness and gifted children’s rights. The analyses indicate a commitment towards children’s rights and needs, empowering children’s agency and fostering the learning and development of all children as well as some but few explicit mentions (mentioned one, two, three or four times) of talent development, giftedness and rights of gifted children. Further, there is an absence of explicit attention (five or more mentions) of giftedness or talent development. This largely implicit attention in international and national macro policies may be applied with good intentions. However, when being considered in relation to lived experience reported about in media and research studies, gifted children do not always seem to be recognised within the aspirations of children/all children having the democratic right to learn and be supported towards their individual capability. Thus, implicit attention or few mentions in macro policies do not seem sufficient; the risk is that gifted children are unseen.
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Margrain, V., Lundqvist, J. (2019). Talent Development in Preschool Curriculum and Policies: Implicit Recognition of Young Gifted Children. In: Margrain, V., Löfdahl Hultman, A. (eds) Challenging Democracy in Early Childhood Education. International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development, vol 28. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7771-6_4
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