How should gifted children be identified? Parents may not be able to identify gifted children thy do not have sufficient basis for comparison. Their observations may be distorted by their ambitions. However, they may be able to furnish details about the child's early development that indicate to the discerning teacher or psychologist the presence of superior ability. Teachers who are familiar with the characteristics of gifted children and who have a chance to observe children in an informal and challenging environment can give evidence that is valuable in identifying the gifted. Teachers have daily opportunity to observe how skillfully children use language, how quickly they see relations, how sensitive they are to things in their environment, how readily they learn, how easily they remember. Moreover, gifted children usually show out- standing resourcefulness and imagination, sustained attention, and wide interests. Classroom and playground also offer opportunities to identify children who get along exceptionally well with others and handle frustrating situations with exceptional maturity. It is most rewarding to study children's interaction in groups. However, teachers have been given little help in using these daily opportunities to identify and educate the socially gifted. Like parental observation, teacher observation also has its pitfalls. Some teachers have a tendency to overrate the abilities of docile, obedient, conscientious children. Others fail to recognize potential giftedness that is suppressed by emotional conflicts or by boredom with dull, reutilized, teacher - dominated situations. According to the author, parents ______.