Longitudinal study of development in gifted pupils of primary school

The research has been carried out as a part of Moscow Longitudinal Study of Giftedness. Gifted pupils of the first grade have been selected by two-stage procedure: teachers' checklists and tests of intellectual abilities and creativity. A control group has included the children of the same age without selection. All the groups have been treated thrice: in the first, the second and the third grades. Intellectual abilities, creativity, motivation, and other personal characteristics have been observed. Significant differences between gifted and non-gifted schoolchildren have been found in cognitive and personal development. Average, high- and super-gifted children have been differentiated and evaluated. The results demonstrate that gifted children need special support, otherwise they cannot develop their intellectual and creative potential.