INTRODUCTION

PART ONE: WHO ARE THE VERY ABLE?

DEFINITIONS: POTENTIAL AND ACHIEVEMENT

Does giftedness last?

Predicting adult excellence

WAYS OF IDENTIFYING THE VERY ABLE

1 Intelligence

The concept of intelligence is changing

IQ tests

Can gifted performance be learned?

2 Teacher recommendation

Checklists

3 Parent recommendation

4 Peer nomination

Brakes on identification

THE BEST WAY TO IDENTIFY THE VERY ABLE

Identification by provision

Identification by provision in practice

Freeman's Sports Approach

SPECIFIC PROBLEMS OF RESEARCHING THE VERY ABLE

How typical is the sample group?

PART TWO: WHAT ARE THE VERY ABLE LIKE?

HIGH-LEVEL THINKING AND LEARNING

Self-regulation in learning

VERY ABLE GIRLS AND BOYS ARE DIFFERENT

Gender expectations

THE VERY ABLE ARE EMOTIONALLY NORMAL

Specific pressures

PART THREE: HOW TO EDUCATE THE VERY ABLE?

MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOMS

Boredom

Unfulfilled talent - underachievement

Grouping the highly able for teaching

FORMS OF ACCELERATION

The emotional effects of acceleration

Acceleration within specialist schools

FORMS OF ENRICHMENT

High-level creativity

The Assisted Places Scheme

Vacation courses and out-of-school activities for the very able

TEACHER EXPERTISE

EDUCATIONAL POLICY FOR THE VERY ABLE

The new National Curriculum

A policy in every school

EDUCATIONAL DIRECTIONS FROM THE RESEARCH

REFERENCES