Giftedness is often defined as an intellectual ability linked to an IQ score of 130 or more. However, not all gifted children excel in an academic area. Signs of a gifted child also include a high creative, artistic, musical and/or leadership ability relative to same-age peers.
Giftedness refers to having exceptional intellectual abilities, as measured by standardised academic assessments. Generally an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of 130 and above is required to identify a gifted child. This equals to an intellectual ability that is better than 95% of children at the same age level.
Generally speaking, we can say that gifted children are very intelligent children with an IQ of over 130 (the average intelligence is 100 in the normal population). On the other hand, geniuses are people who have excelled in a certain area thanks to a very specific talent.
This means their thinking and reasoning skills are well above their same-aged peers. To be classified as gifted, most education departments require children to have an IQ score at or above 130 on a standardised test administered by a psychologist.
Profoundly gifted individuals score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ and achievement tests and have an exceptionally high level of intellectual prowess.
Most gifted kids can learn and process information faster than kids their age and comprehend material several grade levels above their peers. But they are not always well-behaved, high-achieving students. In fact, neuroscience experts say that giftedness looks different in each child.
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. About 3 to 5 out of every 100 children could be considered gifted.
Gifted children often set very high standards for themselves and get frustrated when they can't meet them. This can sometimes result in tantrums and other difficult behaviour. It's great for your child to work towards high standards. But your child needs to understand that they can't have high standards for everything.
Gifted and highly gifted children can usually recognize common signs and words before they are three years old, some as early as two years, and many of these children in the higher Levels of Gifted move from reading simple children's books by age four or five to reading anything that interests them by age six (usually ...
Although a high IQ score is not the sole indicator of giftedness, usually if a student has a very high IQ, that is a significant indicator of high academic potential.
Ability to see things from a variety of perspectives
Gifted students often find unique ways to view a situation or problem. They use their creativity and abstract thinking skills to find unique perspectives and solutions to problems, even when there is an easier way to go about solving.
Giftedness is averaged to make up well less than 5% of the general population, and within that small number, there are subclassifications: mild, moderate, high, exceptional and profound giftedness. The latter three types make up only a very small portion of that less than 5%.
Gifted brains also appear to be both more active and more efficient on a neuronal level. Research has shown gifted children to have increased cell production that in turn increases synaptic activity, adding up to more intense thought processes.
Both bright and gifted kids are smart above average
The main distinction between them is how they get their knowledge. According to Psychology Today a bright child knows the answers, but a gifted child asks more questions. And it's not because gifted children don't know the answers, it's because they need to know more.
While giftedness and autism are two types of neurodivergent groups that are often confused, a child can absolutely be gifted and on the autism spectrum.
The development of high ability is influenced both by characteristics of the child (including genetic predispositions and aptitudes) and by environmental factors. Giftedness is therefore always subject to genetic influences, although these influences are not exclusive.
Language Skills
Some of the traits of giftedness to look for when considering your child's language development in relation to others of a similar age include: A highly developed vocabulary and the ability to learn new words easily. The tendency to speak quickly.
Gifted students learn differently than their peers. They master new material and remember it more easily, understand relationships between abstract and concrete concepts, and tend to be more focused and passionate about topics of interest.
Without understanding and support, gifted kids face an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, along with social and academic problems. Currently, experts estimate that up to 1 in 50 gifted kids drop out of school, while many more fail to live up to their full academic potential.
Negative Characteristics of a Gifted Child
Neglects some of their responsibilities: They may become overly focused on their current desires and ignore their seemingly simple responsibilities. Bullyrags or plays cruel jokes: They can quickly say anything that seems witty to them and make offensive jokes about people.
Strong Determination
Gifted children tend to be very strong-willed and determined. They may become very frustrated when they are prevented from doing something that they want to do.
Genetics do play a large part in being gifted, definitely. It has been thought that the brain of a gifted person can actually process information faster. However, one's surroundings are equally important. Nature and nurture are at work as some traits are genetic and others are learned.
Gifted children are born with natural abilities well above the average for their age. If your child is gifted, you might notice these natural abilities in the way they're learning and developing. Children can be gifted in any area of ability, and they can also be gifted in more than one area.
Multipotentiality is a fancy way of saying “good at many things.” It's a defining trait of gifted kids, and you've probably seen it in action. A student writes beautifully, masters a musical instrument, excels in math, and gets picked first in PE.