What Does it Mean to be
Gifted?
The federal definition of gifted:
Students,
children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas
such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in
specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily
provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities.
The Illinois definition of gifted:
- (1) Gifted and talented children
- (i)exhibit high performance capabilities in intellectual, creative, and artistic areas,
- (ii) possess an exceptional leadership potential,
- (iii) excel in specific academic fields, or
- (iv) have the potential to be influential in business, government, health care, the arts, and other critical sectors of our economic and cultural environment;
- (2) Gifted and talented children require services and activities that are not ordinarily provided by schools;
- (3) Outstanding talents are present in children and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.
According
to the Illinois General Assembly “gifted and talented children” means children
an youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for
performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with other
children and youth of their age, experience, and environment. A child shall be
considered gifted and talented in any area of aptitude, and, specifically, in language
arts and mathematics, by scoring in the top 5% locally in that area of
aptitude.
Characteristics of Giftedness
According to Dr. Linda Silverman, the director of the
Gifted Development Center,
“Parents are excellent identifiers of giftedness in
their children: 84% of the children whose parents say that they fit ¾ of the
following characteristics score at least 120 IQ (the superior range). Over 95%
show giftedness in at least one area, but are asynchronous in their
development, and their weaknesses depress their IQ scores.
- Reasons well (good thinker)
- Learns rapidly
- Has extensive vocabulary
- Has an excellent memory
- Has a long attention span (if interested)
- Sensitive 9feelings hurt easily)
- Shows compassion
- Perfectionist
- Intense
- Morally sensitive
- Has strong curiousity
- Perseverant in their interests
- Has high degree of energy
- Prefers older companions or adults
- Has a wide range of interests
- Has a great sense of humor
- Early or avid reader (if too young to read, loves being read to)
- Concerned with justice, fairness
- Judgment mature for age at times
- Is a keen observer
- Has a vivid imagination
- Is highly creative
- Tends to question authority
- Has facility with numbers
- Good at jigsaw puzzles
My Child is Bright: But Does That Mean He’s Gifted?
Many
parents find themselves asking this very question. Family members, neighbors, even people in
grocery stores are constantly commenting on how intelligent your child is. But does this translate to gifted? Parents often acknowledge the fact that their
child is smart, but does it go any further than that? According to Janice Szabos, this list can
help distinguish the “bright” child form the “gifted” child.
BRIGHT LEARNER
|
GIFTED LEARNER
|
Knows the answer
|
Asks the questions
|
Is interested
|
Is highly curious
|
Is attentive
|
Is mentally and
physically involved
|
Has good ideas
|
Has wild, over-the-top
ideas
|
Works hard
|
Constantly seeking
to learn
|
Answers the
questions
|
Answers questions
with details and elaborates
|
Top group
|
Beyond the group
|
Listens with
interest
|
Shows strong
feelings about opinions
|
Learns with ease
|
Already knows it
|
6-8 repetitions for
memory
|
1-2 repetitions for
memory
|
Enjoys peers
|
Prefers adult companionship
|
Grasps the meaning
|
Draws inferences
|
Completes
assignments
|
Initiates projects
|
Is receptive to
learning
|
Is intense about
learning
|
Copies accurately
|
Creates a new design
|
Enjoys school
|
Enjoys the learning
process
|
Absorbs information
easily
|
Manipulates
information
|
Technician
|
Inventor
|
Good memorizer
|
Good guesser
|
Enjoys
straightforward, sequential presentation
|
Thrives on
complexity
|
Is alert
|
Is keenly observant
|
Is pleased with
learning
|
Is highly self-critical
|
Szabos, Janice. (1989). Bright child, gifted learner. Challenge Magazine, 34. Good Apple, Inc.
Giftedness: The Ups & Downs
Children that are identified as gifted are
unfortunately not guaranteed an easy ride through school. There are many challenges and frustrations
along the way, especially when the needs of the child are not being met. Often behaviors can be misinterpreted,
causing the child to remain unidentified, or even be incorrectly labeled as ADD
or ADHD. Negative behavior often occurs
when the child’s need are not being met, thus causing the child to be under
stimulated. According to Ellen D.
Fiedler, Ph.D., Wings for Education LLC, characteristics of gifted learners can
have both a positive and a negative effect.
Negative behaviors can be diminished by appropriately matching the child
with an educational program that will best meet his/her needs.
Characteristic
|
The
Plus Side
|
The
Minus Side
|
Learns rapidly
|
Completes assignments early
|
Disrupts others when
done
|
Intense &
sophisticated
|
Reads &
researches in special areas
|
Ignores regular
assignments
|
High level verbal
skills
|
Expresses self
clearly using advanced vocabulary
|
Intimidates those in
authority
|
Wide/diverse
interests
|
Wants to know
everything
|
Asks questions at
inappropriate times
|
High-level figural
skills
|
Enjoys & excels
in math
|
Makes careless errors
in computation
|
Retentiveness
|
Retains knowledge
easily
|
Dislikes routine
& drill
|
Appreciates
structure
|
Consistent
|
Invents own systems
Order sometimes
conflicting
|
Excellent powers of
concentration
|
Long attention span
|
Resists
interruptions
|
Independence in work
& study
|
Works well alone;
self-reliant
|
Rejection;
rebellion; non-conforming
|
Power of abstraction
|
Can see implications
& consequences; makes decisions easily
|
Rejects detail;
resists direction
|
Highly imaginative
thinkers
|
Fluent, flexible
& original
|
May want to do
things own way
|
High degree of
curiosity
|
Is interested in a
variety of things
|
Wants to do
everything
|
Keen power of
observation
|
Readily perceive
similarities, patterns & differences
|
Quick to spot
inconsistencies
|
Reasons things out
|
Rapid insight into
cause/effect relationships
|
May see
relationships others don’t & disrupt class with answers
|
Websites for Parents of
Gifted Learners
Local Area Programs for Gifted and Talented Students
http://www.dom.edu/gifted - Dominican University, River Forest http://www.centerforgifted.org/
- Northern Illinois University, multiple locations
http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/
- Northwestern University, multiple locations
Web-based
Resources for Advocacy and Education
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/pages/ed.gifted.html
Kidsource has a host of links to articles on gifted and talented students ranked by depth and breath of information within them.
Kidsource has a host of links to articles on gifted and talented students ranked by depth and breath of information within them.
http://www.prufrock.com/
Prufrock Press offers award-winning products focused on gifted education, gifted children, advanced learning, and special needs learners. For more than 20 years, Prufrock has supported gifted children and their education and development. The company publishes more than 300 products that enhance the lives of gifted children and the teachers and parents who support them and contains blogs, newsletters, and articles.
Prufrock Press offers award-winning products focused on gifted education, gifted children, advanced learning, and special needs learners. For more than 20 years, Prufrock has supported gifted children and their education and development. The company publishes more than 300 products that enhance the lives of gifted children and the teachers and parents who support them and contains blogs, newsletters, and articles.
http://www.accelerationinstitute.org
The Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) is dedicated to the study and support of curricular acceleration for academically talented students. They serve educators, parents, students, administrators, policy makers...in short, anyone with an interest in learning more about why and how academic acceleration works for meeting the needs of high-ability students.
The Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) is dedicated to the study and support of curricular acceleration for academically talented students. They serve educators, parents, students, administrators, policy makers...in short, anyone with an interest in learning more about why and how academic acceleration works for meeting the needs of high-ability students.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/
Hoagies is the "All Things Gifted" resource for parents, educators, administrators, counselors, psychologists, and even gifted kids and teens themselves! Your kids will love it as much as you will.
Hoagies is the "All Things Gifted" resource for parents, educators, administrators, counselors, psychologists, and even gifted kids and teens themselves! Your kids will love it as much as you will.
http://www.sengifted.org
SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) is dedicated to fostering environments in which gifted adults and children, in all their diversity, understand and accept themselves and are understood, valued, nurtured, and supported by their families, schools, workplaces and communities including webinars and information about starting parent groups.
SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) is dedicated to fostering environments in which gifted adults and children, in all their diversity, understand and accept themselves and are understood, valued, nurtured, and supported by their families, schools, workplaces and communities including webinars and information about starting parent groups.
http://www.educationaladvancement.org/
The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting our nation's most talented young people in pursuing their full academic and personal potential. Wonderful searchable resource databases.
The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting our nation's most talented young people in pursuing their full academic and personal potential. Wonderful searchable resource databases.
http://www.nagc.org/
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is an organization of parents, teachers, educators, other professionals, and community leaders who unite to address the unique needs of children and youth with demonstrated gifts and talents as well as those children who may be able to develop their talent potential with appropriate educational experiences. Parenting for High Potential is the quarterly magazine designed for parents who want to make a difference in their children's lives, who want to develop their children's gifts and talents, and who want to help them develop their potential to the fullest.
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is an organization of parents, teachers, educators, other professionals, and community leaders who unite to address the unique needs of children and youth with demonstrated gifts and talents as well as those children who may be able to develop their talent potential with appropriate educational experiences. Parenting for High Potential is the quarterly magazine designed for parents who want to make a difference in their children's lives, who want to develop their children's gifts and talents, and who want to help them develop their potential to the fullest.
http://tagfam.org/
Families of the Talented and Gifted site provides a significant amount of information on identification and education of gifted students as well as advocacy for the gifted. There’s a section on social and emotional issues too.
Families of the Talented and Gifted site provides a significant amount of information on identification and education of gifted students as well as advocacy for the gifted. There’s a section on social and emotional issues too.
http://www.iagcgifted.org
The Illinois Association for Gifted Children is an organization of parents, educators, and others committed to the education and development of children with diverse gifts and talents. We educate, support, and influence those who touch the lives of children and focus our energies to meet the needs of children with gifts and talents in Illinois. (Great section on advocacy.)
The Illinois Association for Gifted Children is an organization of parents, educators, and others committed to the education and development of children with diverse gifts and talents. We educate, support, and influence those who touch the lives of children and focus our energies to meet the needs of children with gifts and talents in Illinois. (Great section on advocacy.)
http://www.our-gifted.com/
Understanding Our Gifted offers a quarterly i-journal for families and teachers of gifted students.
Understanding Our Gifted offers a quarterly i-journal for families and teachers of gifted students.
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