The fields of gifted and engineering education share many common interests, and their students share many common attributes. Infusing and making engineering implicit in the K-6 education programs creates opportunities to develop concepts, skills, and habits of the mind that are valuable in all disciplines while providing opportunities to discover and develop talent in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
SummaryEngineering, the E in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), should be integrated in the elementary classroom as a way to discover and develop talents in STEM. The various perspectives of engineering-concepts, skills, and career choices-are a natural fit for many gifted students. Evidence of fit is clear in the side-by-side comparison of the similarities of attributes of engineers and gifted students. Several engineering concepts are already incorporated within the K-6 curriculum but need to be recognized and discussed as engineering. Talent in engineeringrelated fields is more than strength in mathematics and science; communications, literacy, teamwork, and leadership talents are also critical to the success of engineering design projects. To increase engineering presence in the classroom, there are many organizations that provide curriculum resources that portray engineering concepts.