Evnerike barn i barnehagen: Rett til tidlig innsats og inkludering – i møte med diskursiv stillhet i nasjonale policydokumenter
This chapter examines how national policy documents in Norway address
the needs and rights of gifted children in early childhood education and care (ECEC)
and discusses implications for inclusion and pedagogical responsibility. Gifted education
has received limited attention in Norway until the white paper NOU 2016:14
More to Gain. The study therefore analyses subsequent policy to explore how gifted
children in ECEC are recognised and supported. Applying Bacchi’s (2009) “What’s
the Problem Represented to Be?” approach, the analysis examines how needs are
constructed and responsibilities assigned in policy texts. The findings show that
giftedness remains weakly conceptualised in ECEC frameworks, despite inclusion as
a central principle. Gifted children are only briefly acknowledged, with limited guidance
on definitions, identification, or pedagogy. Needs are primarily framed through
deficit-oriented perspectives, and these children risk falling between general and
special education, contributing to their invisibility. Without recognition of how giftedness
may manifest, for example through intensity or social withdrawal, children
may be misinterpreted or overlooked. The analysis identifies a discursive silence
that constrains professional mandate and narrows understandings of support.
Consequently, responsibility for pedagogical adaptation is largely individualised to
educators, with limited structural support. The chapter calls for clearer policy concepts
and practice-oriented tools to support more inclusive ECEC for gifted children.
the needs and rights of gifted children in early childhood education and care (ECEC)
and discusses implications for inclusion and pedagogical responsibility. Gifted education
has received limited attention in Norway until the white paper NOU 2016:14
More to Gain. The study therefore analyses subsequent policy to explore how gifted
children in ECEC are recognised and supported. Applying Bacchi’s (2009) “What’s
the Problem Represented to Be?” approach, the analysis examines how needs are
constructed and responsibilities assigned in policy texts. The findings show that
giftedness remains weakly conceptualised in ECEC frameworks, despite inclusion as
a central principle. Gifted children are only briefly acknowledged, with limited guidance
on definitions, identification, or pedagogy. Needs are primarily framed through
deficit-oriented perspectives, and these children risk falling between general and
special education, contributing to their invisibility. Without recognition of how giftedness
may manifest, for example through intensity or social withdrawal, children
may be misinterpreted or overlooked. The analysis identifies a discursive silence
that constrains professional mandate and narrows understandings of support.
Consequently, responsibility for pedagogical adaptation is largely individualised to
educators, with limited structural support. The chapter calls for clearer policy concepts
and practice-oriented tools to support more inclusive ECEC for gifted children.
Published in 2026
Read the article here