Gifted Preschoolers Playing Alone: Do We Need to Intervene

It is evident from the literature on play that much of what children learn in their early years is learned through play and interaction with other children (Hughes 1999). This paper reports on case studies that were conducted over a two year period on six gifted children to examine their play and social interactions in preschools in South Australia. The six participants came from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and were aged between 3 years and 5 months and 4 years and 9 months at the beginning of the study. The participants IQs ranged from 130 to 140. Two observation sessions were conducted on each participant and the parents and educators of the participating gifted children either completed a questionnaire about their children or were interviewed at the centre. The study’s findings revealed that 5 out of the 6 children involved in the case studies were often observed playing alone which highlights the need for planned coordinated approaches by preschools to provide opportunities for the gifted preschooler to interact with other children.