Need-Based and Instrumental Approach to the Development and Training of Gifted Children

The main problem of the development of gifted children, especially the so-called "prodigies", are the difficulties of turning their increased mental capabilities (potential giftedness) into actual creative abilities (talent). The vividly developed cognitive need in these children most often has a passive character, turning, in fact, only into an "accumulation of knowledge", and therefore does not become the basis for the development of talent. As the main motivation necessary for the transformation of potential giftedness into talent, a special "searching need" is considered which manifests itself at an early age, but under the influence of society, including school education, it is significantly deformed and does not ensure the development of creative potential. The article considers a new, needs-based and instrumental approach to the development and training of gifted children, which contributes to the preservation and strengthening of the search need, as well as the possibilities and prospects of collecting evidence for its further development and application. The article is intended for psychologists and educators.