DEFINE GIFTED PLUS

Ability to think abstractly and metaphorically.Ability to perceive many sides of an issue.Need to make sure things are done “just right”.Fascination with ideas and a sophisticated vocabulary.Regardless of the cutoff, children who are gifted tend to have similar characteristics which include traits such as: Some people would define it even more broadly, as being in the top 20% of the population. People argue about what the cutoff should be for giftedness, with some arguing that 5 percent of the population could qualify while others argue that it should be 1 or 2 percent. The most commonly used test for children aged 6 to 16 years is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). Not surprisingly, these tests are called intelligence (IQ) tests. However, a number of tests can identify children with superior intelligence. There are no tests to identify children with a superior talent in music or the arts, because talent is somewhat subjective. Children with a superior talent for something, like arts, drama, or dance, aren’t typically provided with services within the school setting, though there are exceptions as some districts offer special schools for children who are exceptional in the sciences or performing arts. Most public-school programs for the gifted select children who have superior intellectual skills and academic aptitude. Their high standards can lead to a fear of failure and, at worst, feelings of low self-esteem and depression.īy definition, people who are gifted have above-average intelligence and/or superior talent for something, such as music, art, or math.

DEFINE GIFTED PLUS

In contrast, gifted students can also be quite perfectionistic and may define success as not just getting 100 on a test but getting a 100 plus all the extra credit. Their boredom sometimes results in low achievement and grades. In other cases, a gifted child may be so far ahead of his age-mates that he already knows much of the curriculum before it is even taught. In some cases, it’s because a teacher notices that a child isn’t fitting in socially because her intellectual skills set her apart. However, gifted students are often referred for assessment because something is out of place. In part, this is because giftedness is not a “disorder” in need of treatment but something to be fostered. The special needs of the gifted child have received much less attention than students whose difficulties fall at the other end of the bell-shaped curve. This presents an interesting challenge to the classroom teacher, who must keep a hyperactive, information-hungry child motivated while meeting the needs of the other students. They’ve been labeled as “oppositional” or “lazy” because they’ve failed to complete assignments that they see as “mindless busywork.” Then there is also the possibility that a child can have both above-average intelligence paired with an issue or disorder, such as ADHD. I often see children who were never identified as intellectually gifted at an early age, but who by adolescence feel depressed and bored with school.

Peers can sometimes be less than supportive of a child who knows the answer to every math problem before anyone else does. For example, the verbal maturity of a gifted child (which might lead a child to dominate class discussions) can be interpreted by some teachers as disruptive or inappropriate. In addition, being a gifted student is not a guarantee of success in school. Gifted children have often been stereotyped as unsociable “nerds,” but research suggests that most gifted children do not fit that stereotype. Although intellectual abilities represent only one type of exceptionality, it would be rare to classify a child as gifted without administering an IQ test. Gifted children can be considered so in a number of areas, including intelligence, creative or artistic abilities, specific academic abilities (e.g., gifted at math), or leadership skills. Giftedness in a statistical sense is something that’s very unique. Most people use terms like “bright,” “gifted,” “exceptional,” “remarkable,” and “talented” interchangeably, but when a psychologist uses the term “gifted,” we’re usually talking about something that is statistically quite rare.Ībout 3 to 5 out of every 100 children could be considered gifted.

Watching a child grow from an infant into a human who can read, complete math problems, and have friendships seems miraculous. Grade School, Parenting Concerns, Pre-SchoolĬhild + Adolescent Development, Learning + Attention IssuesĪlmost all parents think their children are gifted.

Define gifted