Characteristics of Giftedness
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They have a natural talent and interest in one or more areas, and a great capacity within that area of talent(s).
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They learn quickly in the area of talent(s).
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They require little repetition when learning new information in the area of talent.
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They have a finely-tuned nervous system which responds quickly to multiple sensory and affective stimuli.
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They seek out more knowledge and deeper meaning in the area of talent.
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They synthesize many sources of information.
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They view the world and situations holistically or globally.
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They often have strong opinions and feelings.
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They have a variety of learning styles: self-directed/guided by others, individual learners/group learners.
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They will often take on the problems of the world; will self-impose the obligation to better the world (family, school, environment, etc.)
Ways to encourage your gifted child
| If Your Child: |
-is an avid reader |
| This Can Mean: |
-that your child takes both pleasure & information from printed word |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-reading with your child, having her read to you, and reading as a role model |
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| If Your Child: |
-seems very emotional, reacts to happy or sad situations with a great degree of intensity |
| This Can Mean: |
-that your child’s ability to feel is very mature, more adult-like than child-like |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-reassuring your child that such intensity is okay and helping him find ways to express his care |
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| If Your Child: |
-prefers friendships and relationships with older people |
| This Can Mean: |
-that your child’s sense of socialization is more refined than age peers |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-locating other gifted children, older kids, and adults for socializing |
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| If Your Child: |
-refuses to do schoolwork or homework that he is quite capable of doing |
| This Can Mean: |
-that required tasks may be so easy that your child finds them purposeless |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-talking with your child’s teacher, asking that his pace match his knowledge level |
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| If Your Child: |
-often “fidgets” or is out of seat at school, in a world of their own |
| This Can Mean: |
-that your child’s need for intellectual stimulation is going unmet |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-observing when your child is “on task” and able to concentrate and share this with teacher |
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| If Your Child: |
-scores very well on standardized IQ and achievement tests, but has low grades in school |
| This Can Mean: |
-your child doesn’t see the purpose of learning something they already know |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-telling your child that learning can and does occur anywhere and informing your child’s teacher of specific interests |
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| If Your Child: |
-understands humor that is more subtle and mature |
| This Can Mean: |
-that your child has a fine command of language and understands puns and irony |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-sharing different types of word games and puzzles with advanced language levels |
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| If Your Child: |
-understands complex concepts and sees patterns |
| This Can Mean: |
-that your child is a conceptual thinker (global) |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-studying and playing with big ideas instead of memorizing rote facts |
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| If Your Child: |
-is highly focused on one topic, often to the exclusion of others, but shifts frequently to other topics |
| This Can Mean: |
-that your child is absorbing so much new information that one discovery leads to another |
| Encourage Talent By: |
-exposing your child to new ideas, books, people, museums, etc. to encourage interests |
Parent Links
The Supersaturday Program (opportunities for gifted students throughout the year)
Ohio Association for Gifted Children (Parent Division Contact: Kathy Jackson)
National Association for Gifted Students
Dr. Sylvia Rimm’s Parent Articles
SENG - Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
Center for Talent Development
Gifted Kids Network (Find summer opportunities, online enrichment courses, parenting tips, and more!)