Shared Experiences of Parents with Gifted and Advanced Preschoolers: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the shared experiences of parents with gifted and advanced preschoolers at a preschool center. In this study, gifted and advanced preschoolers were defined as children aged 3–5 years old who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement based on performance on the Individual Student Assessment (ISA). The study adheres to Vygotsky’s social constructivism learning theory, which describes the social construction of reality and argues that the process of social interaction, cooperation, and co-constructed learning contribute to cognition. The central research question for this study was “What are the shared experiences of parents of gifted preschoolers?” A transcendental phenomenological research design was used to explore this question. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 participants who had the specific characteristics and unique experiences of parenting gifted preschoolers. The study setting was a preschool center in Washington, DC. Data was collected from participants through semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a questionnaire. This data was then analyzed and synthesized, resulting in three major themes: challenges in the identification process, support, and effort and commitment. These results have major policy and practice implications. Future research should include longitudinal studies on gifted preschoolers as well as compare the parental resources of gifted and non-gifted preschoolers.