Articles

The transitions between home, preschool and school are major steps in a child's life, and early learning experiences in a formal educational environment are acknowledged as formative, influencing later success at school. Yet, research within the gifted education field has paid scant attention to young gifted children. This article describes the findings from a study investigating the experiences of seven young gifted children as they adjusted to the formal educational environment of a preschool and the beginning grade of primary school. The study confirmed characteristically gifted behaviours among all seven children. It also identified preschool and school practices that either facilitated or hindered the children's adjustment to the formal learning environment.