Gifted Children

Having a high intelligence quotient is not a requirement for being gifted. Giftedness also includes having a very good aptitude for the arts, music, dancing, and creative writing. One such youngster belongs to the top 3–5 percent of the population cognitively. An innovative youngster is associated with divergent thinking, whereas a talented child participates in convergent thinking. Children that are very talented and creative have particular educational demands. A challenging and complicated program, personality possibilities, teachers who can nurture talent, and classmates who can spark their enthusiasm are all necessary for the talented and creative youngster.

Giftedness Meaning

Fundamentally, being gifted is a significant difference in the brain that enriches our diverse and dynamic environment. Due to their unique brain makeup, highly gifted adolescents develop intellectually, academically, and socially and emotionally in ways that are distinct from neurotypical people. The Gifted Research and Outreach organization’s series of papers titled “The Neuroscience of Giftedness” describes these variations in depth.

Just like the majority of the population, highly skilled pupils are distinct personalities with a wide range of interests and skills. Certain people exhibit expertise in a range of disciplines, while others are exceptional in just one. Talented tests and more in-depth observations of gifted traits and behaviors are frequently combined for gifted identification.

Definitions of Gifted Child in psychology by different theorists

  • Lucito: “The gifted are those children whose potential, intellectual powers, and abilities are at such a high ideational level in both productive and evaluative thinking that it can be reasonably assumed that they could be future problem solvers, innovators and evaluators of the culture if adequate educational experiences are provided to them.”
  • W.B. Kolesnik: “The term gifted has been applied to every child who in his group is superior in some ability, which may make him an outstanding contribution to the welfare and quality of life in our society.”
  • R.J. Having Hurst: “Gifted children are those individuals from kindergarten through high school who show unusual promise in some socially useful area and whose talent might be stimulated.”

Abilities and Skills of Gifted child

Kids who are gifted can be exceptional in a multitude of settings, and each kid may be strong in one or more fields. These territories consist of:

  • Academic development, 
  • leadership, 
  • Social concerns, 
  • technology, and the 
  • arts, including music, are all important.
  • the potential for friendship.
  • commercial prowess.
  • physical abilities, such as those needed for athletics or dancing.

Gifted Children characteristics

  1. Early proficiency in reading and language comprehension: A gifted child frequently studies two or more reading levels beyond present grade assignment and reads broadly in many subjects or intently in one.
  2. Initial use of complex vocabulary: A gifted youngster frequently has the capacity to articulate their ideas clearly and effortlessly.
  3. Absorption of a range of knowledge: Parents and instructors are frequently astounded by how rapidly talented children pick up new material and retain the specifics over time.
  4. Durations of great concentration: The child may get entirely absorbed in subjects that fascinate them while remaining unaware of what is going on around them.
  5. A wide range of activities that are always shifting: The youngster may be working on many self-initiated activities at once.
  6. Sharp awareness and inquisitiveness: A gifted youngster often possesses a keen awareness of themselves and their surroundings. The youngster may consistently pursue a path of inquiry to find out additional information about subjects of interest.
  7. Advanced data handling: A gifted youngster is able to understand consequences, recognize linkages, and digest a lot of information.
  8. Conceptual thought capacity: The youngster may frequently transition from tangible to symbolic representation extremely easily and earlier than other kids.

Causes of Giftedness

While some psychologists highlight that a child’s socio – economic status is related to his or her IQ, giftedness is genetically determined. Genetic inheritance establishes an individual’s cognitive capabilities, and the environment influences how much of them is attained. To maximize his potential for personal fulfillment and societal commitment, specialized educational programs including enhancement (additional possibilities), accelerating, and withdrawal strategies (removal from school courses for special training) are required.

Ways of Identifying Gifted Child

  • Owing to his odd behavior, the extremely brilliant youngster is shunned by his peers.
  • His academic progress was shown to be accelerated.
  • He comes up with contrasting theories on the present society’s moral framework.
  • His demands, passions, and curiosities are not understood by a routine instructor or his uneducated parents.
  • Their temperament and social integration are problematic.

The Underachieving Gifted Child

Talented children endure a lot of suffering as a result of parental authoritarianism and inefficient use of time and energy. Despite having a high level of intelligence, they struggle in their academic studies. Their advancement in different disciplines might occasionally be slower than usual. “Talented underachievers” is the term used to describe these kids.

Causes of Giftedness and Talentedness

  • The underachiever has a feeling of carelessness.
  • They don’t care about other people.
  • They lack assertiveness, persuasion, and self-assurance.
  • They struggle to keep his ego in check.
  • They don’t appear to be concerned with the precision and certainty of his academic and professional choices.
  • He has a detached and indifferent outlook on life.
  • He is self-sufficient and has a reclusive mentality.
  • He was discovered to have neurotic traits.
  • The value of time and money is not given much consideration by him.
  • He is unable to satisfy his parents’ unreasonable demands.