ABSTRACT
Students from minority populations have long been, and continue to be, severely underrepresented in programs that serve gifted and talented students. Troubling as the statistics are, the focus of this chapter is not on the identification or underrepresentation of gifted Native American students, but, rather, on better serving those students by making their education more relevant. Although there are plenty of Navajo children who are performing well academically, there are many who have difficulty learning to read, write, and master math facts. The Identifier consists of separate self-rating and observer forms. The concept of the visual-spatial learner, developed by Dr. Linda Silverman of the Visual-Spatial Resource, is based on the latest brain research and current understanding surrounding the functions of the brain’s hemispheres. Creative storytelling often is one of the many gifts of being visual-spatial and is certainly true for many Native Americans. Separate reports have demonstrated a right-hemispheric preference among Native American children as well.
