ABSTRACT
The arts in many students’ lives serve as a bridge to deeper levels of cognition. In order to understand how to use the arts effectively as a tool for addressing the social-emotional needs of the gifted, teachers and other educators first must have an appreciation for the counseling process and how analogous it is to the way the arts work for individuals engaged in them. Teachers of gifted learners may use these standards to integrate the visual arts into their teaching of core content. Because gifted children usually are avid readers, literature can be a powerful way to help them deal with their social and emotional problems. The process of identity development, a crucial component in reaching socioemotional maturity, is furthered by personal student reactions to dramatic works. Ogburn-Colangelo pointed out that it is important not for the client to resolve conflict but to be valued for having it, that emotional conflict is useful to development.
