Strategy Acquisition and Maintenance of Gifted and Nongifted Young Children

Abstract

Young childrens strategy acquisition and maintenance were examined by comparing the recall, clustering, and study behaviors of children of different ages and intelligences. Three groups were included in the study: 5-year-old gifted children, 5-year-old nongifted children, and 7-year-old nongifted children. All were observed and measured on 5 consecutive days, with training on strategy use provided on the third day. Several differences among groups were found, generally favoring the gifted children in terms of performance and maintenance of strategies. In addition, the 5-year-old gifted children seemed to spontaneously use categorization strategies and clustered items in recall before training, while the 7-year-old children used categorization and clustering in recall after training. Implications for instruction for gifted students are discussed.