Thankfully, in 1988, two leaders in gifted education provided some answers for both teachers and parents. In their “Profiles of the Gifted and Talented,” George Betts and Maureen Neihart identify six profiles of student behaviors, helping adults to better understand student feelings and needs.
Giftedness falls into one or more of the following areas: intellectual, academic, creative, artistic and leadership. A student may be intellectually (cognitively) gifted if he or she uses advanced vocabulary, readily comprehends new ideas, thinks about information in complex ways, or likes to solve puzzles or problems.
The five domains of giftedness are intellectual, academic, creative, leadership, and visual/performing arts. While students can show advanced skills in multiple domains, sometimes they only excel in one and may even fall behind in others.
Signs of Giftedness in Children Include:
an insatiable curiosity, as demonstrated by endless questions and inquiries. ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers. surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age. enthusiastic about unique interests and topics.
Gifted children typically start reading at an early age and also have a larger-than- normal vocabulary for their age. They tend to be intellectually curious, persistent, and capable of critical thinking. They may be "natural-born"; skeptics and don't take much at face-value; they will always want to know more.
The child may be both gifted and have ADHD, which presents as an inconsistent (or even average) performance across school subjects. It can be difficult to correctly address a common situation like this even for experienced teachers.
Although there are no standard IQ levels of intellectual giftedness, some experts suggest the following IQ ranges: Mildly gifted: 115 to 129. Moderately gifted: 130 to 144. ighly gifted: 145 to 159.
Early and rapid learning - One of the most common characteristics of gifted students is their ability to learn things early and rapidly.
Signs your kid may be gifted
Keen observation, curiosity and tendency to ask questions. Ability to think abstractly, while showing signs of creativity and inventiveness. Early development of motor skills (e.g., balance, coordination and movement). Finds joy in discovering new interests or grasping new concepts.
The National Association for Gifted Children specifies five domains where children may demonstrate their talent: intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, and academic domains.
Parents and caregivers are usually the first to identify a child's extraordinary gifts and talents. Parents recognize above norm abilities, interests, and passions that are different in other children they see.
Signs your older child may be gifted:
Vivid imagination. Large vocabulary. Highly independent. Evolved sense of humor.
Often, gifted characteristic checklists, inventory, and nomination forms are completed by students, parents, teachers, and administrators to provide an informal perspective. Student Cumulative Records. Grades, state and standardized tests are sometimes used as data points during the gifted identification process.
A: Screening for gifted and talented students must include all five categories of giftedness (general intellectual aptitude, specific academic aptitude, creative or divergent thinking, leadership, and the visual or performing arts).
Developed by Joseph Renzulli, the three-ring conception of giftedness has been a popular view of giftedness for over 30 years. The three rings represent three clusters of traits: 1) above average ability, 2) creativity, and 3) task commitment.
Sternberg says that gifted leaders will exhibit three basic qualities: creativity, intelligence and wisdom. Sternberg defines creativity as the skill to come up with novel solutions to problems and to create new ideas worthy of further development.
The research shows that while children are born with the potential to be gifted, the environment and nurture plays an important role in developing those innate abilities. In fact, researchers estimate conservatively that environmental influences can add 20-40 points on measured intelligence.