Giftedness by Definition
Is my child gifted? That is a question many parents ask. However, finding the right answer to this is not always easy. According to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), gifted children are those who demonstrate outstanding aptitude or competence in some structured area of activity or learning.
Many people believe that gifted children are the last to require nurturing and additional resources. However, not all gifted children excel in an academic area. Some may display high creative, artistic, musical and/or leadership abilities relative to their peers. Giftedness can be focused on one skill, or it may be more general.
Children with gifts perform or have the capability to perform at higher levels compared to others of the same age, experience, and environment. Gifted children require sufficient access to appropriate learning opportunities to realize their potential. Special schools or classes enable gifted children to progress at an accelerated pace. The instruction, method, and materials can be adapted to the needs of each student, and, because the children work and study with others who are bright, each is motivated to put forth his best effort.
Some Common Myths About Gifted Kids
Gifted children are often treated differently than ‘non-gifted children.’ This being said, there are plenty of myths about gifted kids, one of them being, such children do not need help as they are beyond smart. Educators say this is a wrong way of viewing the matter. The truth is, gifted children are not gifted in every way. While they may be able to understand a book on a difficult subject, they may not be able to write well. Gifted students, like their peers, still require help in various ways, such as selecting a course of study or choosing a career.
Another common myth is that many gifted children are more mature than other kids their age. Although this is correct to a certain extent, that does not mean they are ready to have mature conversations that children a few years older than them are having. Emotionally they are still the age on their birth certificate. They might be able to talk about quantum physics but still throw a fit when things do not go their way. No matter how smart they appear to be, it is important not to forget they are children.
Like most myths, there are glimpses of truth in these statements, but to make a blanket statement that all gifted children are like this is to suggest that all gifted children are the same. That would not be true because, in reality, gifted kids are just as varied and diverse as everyone else.
Recognizing Early Giftedness
Giftedness follows a child into adulthood and every gifted individual is unique. Although there is no single formula for identifying a gifted child, there are specific characteristics that may point to it.
Gifted kids are often curious about the world around them and may ask detailed questions to satisfy their thirst for knowledge. This curiosity goes beyond simple interest in a topic and can extend to aspects that are seemingly outside the scope of a lesson. It is important to avoid discouraging a child from asking questions as this can be de-motivating and shut-down future communication attempts.
Several studies have also shown that gifted kids prefer handling assignments their own way. While bright students seek to please the teacher and finish their assignments, gifted children often have their own way of doing things. This can be due to a desire to focus on only one aspect of a topic or a perceived lack of challenge in the task itself. In this context, it is important for teachers and parents to be tolerant and avoid reprimanding or penalizing the child for performing differently because this can damage morale and self-esteem and result in less effort being put into future assignments.
Apart from that, these children have a large vocabulary and prefer interacting with adults. Gifted children often understand and use more words than their peers, including abstract and figurative languages. This may be due to their reading habits and exposure to more advanced texts. It is also easier for these kids to remember words, as they require less repetition in order to acquire language. As a result, they may feel more at ease communicating with adults due to their advanced language skills.
Gifted children are cognitively advanced and able to self-teach new skills. Children who are gifted may teach themselves how to read and write before they learn in school. They often have advanced cognitive reasoning skills and a good memory. Gifted children also tend to learn quickly and do not require as much practice as other children to develop new skills. Therefore, they may easily become bored when a lesson is repetitive and this can lead to them tuning out.
Finally, gifted kids are sensitive towards their environment. From a young age these kids are very alert and tuned into their environment. Some have acute concentration skills and can easily become hyper-focused on a task. It is through engaging with new stimuli that they are able to develop cognitively. That is why it is important to ensure gifted children receive adequate stimulation, particularly in school settings that offers plenty of room for advancement.
Gifted children may demonstrate some but not all of these traits because every child is different. In certain cases, however, it is important to remember that there is a difference between a gifted child and a bright child. Although both may be top performers, there are some key differences. Bright children work hard to do well, while gifted children do well naturally with little effort. Bright children also often learn synchronically or in order but gifted children may have gaps, with extremely high achievement in some areas and not so much in others.
Identification & Assessment
Deciding whether you should pursue gifted testing or seek out a full professional assessment will be based on your overall goals and the questions for which you are seeking answers. Parents or teachers should, in the end, remember that test scores or results of a full assessment does not change who the child is. The test results are only intended to provide specific words and tools to better understand a gifted child.
There are two primary types of tests for gifted children – IQ tests and achievement tests. IQ tests measure ability and an achievement tests measure what a child already knows. Children as young as three can be given IQ tests, but gifted testing at a later age would be more valid. There are also online tests that can be given for informal assessments. The average intelligence for a normal person falls in the range of 85-115. The intelligence of gifted children is usually considered to be 120-130 or above.
If you think your child might be gifted, talk to his teacher on how to discover potential and support him to unleash his personal best. It is also very important to note that not all gifted children look or act alike. Giftedness exists in every demographic group and personality type.
