ABSTRACT
The earliest formal educational practices initiated for the gifted, bright children, or those of superior intellect in public schools focused primarily on ability grouping, grade skipping, and subject acceleration. Considered an educational visionary for his time, William Torrey Harris established the first permanent kindergarten in United States public schools. The National Education Association at its annual meeting in 1907, building upon some of the earliest recommendations for grade promotion, convened a special committee to discuss the educational needs of gifted learners. Lulu Stedman, Organizer of Teacher Training at Los Angeles State Normal School, provided one of the earliest and most detailed school-based descriptions of classroom interventions for gifted children. One can only speculate if Lewis Terman interacted with Stedman during his tenure at the Normal School, but given the size of the institution and the nature of the work, the interaction seems likely. William T. Root's investigation of Stedman's opportunity classroom sought to establish a baseline for "supernormal" children.
