What does it mean to be gifted?

The term "gifted" is typically used to define exceptional talent or natural ability which would include gifted artists, soccer players, and chefs, but in the educational setting, the connotation of "gifted" is academically focused. The difficulty, even in this, is a multitude of definitions from a multitude of professionals, especially school districts. They have to provide some sort of objective criteria with which to label these kids while avoiding the ire of school boards and parents who feel gifted programs are somehow cheating the average children. There is no agreed upon national measure since there are flaws and biases in most tests. Truly gifted students, not just those who can pass a test, do have some common characteristics however. My husband and I took the following information from some well-respected sources in gifted education and pared it down to what we have observed in the typical public-school educational setting. Note that we are careful to say "usually," or "typically" as every child is different. While we've had more than a few students display all these traits, most don't.

Characteristics of gifted kids

ADVANCED LANGUAGE SKILLS
  • Gifted kids usually display a highly developed vocabulary and easily incorporate new words into their daily speech. They tend to use longer, more complex sentences than their peers and they do so in a grammatically correct fashion.
  • They are often eager and more willing to participate in conversations with adults than peers. They often pick up on nuances and double meanings in conversations that go over the heads of kids their own age. Despite this mini-adult speech, they can typically code-switch and speak in more simple terms to younger kids.
  • The reading abilities of gifted children is almost always far beyond the norms for their age group. They devour books and often prefer adult level texts. They not only read what's assigned to them for school, but also for the pure pleasure of it.
  • They often possess a sophisticated sense of humor.
  • Gifted students are able to quickly master and recall factual information whether presented verbally or in texts.
  • They oftentimes speak quickly, as if their mouths can't keep up with their brains.

ADVANCED MOTIVATIONAL SKILLS
  • Gifted kids have long attention spans and an advanced ability to concentrate. Their minds operate quickly on information, so they're often bored with routine tasks. This is probably the most common characteristic of gifted students, especially if they're interested in the subject.
  • They question everything, often at a frantic pace and demand answers in an effort to understand complex concepts and what makes things and people tick. Because of this, they often challenge authority and not always respectfully.
  • They prefer independent work and typically have little need for prompting or instruction. They actually prefer to figure out things on their own.
  • They appreciate and are eager to be challenged by complex subjects in which they are interested. They don't require much in the way of encouragement or prompting to follow through in work that interests them.
  • Gifted children often have a high personal standard. They are perfectionists who are highly self-critical. This sometimes leads to problems in school as students with this trait don't turn in homework or assignments, especially when it is something they had difficulty understanding quickly.

ADVANCED LEADERSHIP ABILITIES
  • Gifted kids often step easily into leadership roles and take over in group settings. They take charge and direct others with little effort.
  • They readily adapt to new situations and environments.
  • They are self-confident (sometimes to a fault) with peers and adults.
  • Gifted children generally carry out responsibilities well.

What now?

While the Doogie Howsers and  Sheldon Coopers of the world are few and far between, many kids show an aptitude for learning and this can be fostered by parents and teachers. Maybe this doesn't really describe your child, but he or she is bright and you're eager to enhance their academics. Maybe this describes your child to a T and you just want to know what to do.

Read on for the foundation of a successful academic career.

Palmer, David, Ph.D., "Is Your Child Gifted? What to Look for and Why You Should Know..." Psychology Today. Sussex Directories, Inc., 1 May 2011.            
        http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/gifted-kids/201105/is-your-child-gifted-what-look-and-why-you-should-know
"Characteristics of Giftedness." Mensa. American Mensa, Ltd.,
        http://www.us.mensa.org/learn/gifted-youth/insights-into-gifted-youth/gifted-characteristics/