Gifted and Talented students
With National Gifted Awareness week just around the corner, I thought it a good time to put together a few thoughts and findings on the concept of giftedness, and the implications of giftedness for parents, teachers, schools, and the children themselves.
So what is ‘giftedness’?
The complex nature of the term ‘giftedness’ makes it not an easy thing to define. In most states of Australia, Gagne’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (2008) has been adopted as the model of preference when defining giftedness. This model sets clear distinctions between what constitutes giftedness, and what constitutes talent.
According to Gagne, the term ‘giftedness’ refers to the possession and use of untrained and spontaneously expressed natural abilities (called aptitudes or gifts) in at least one ability domain (Intellectual, creative, social, physical) to a degree that places a child among the top 10% of his or her age peers.
Talent is defined as the superior mastery of systematically developed abilities (or skills) and knowledge in at least one field of human activity to a degree that places a child's achievement within the upper 10% of age-peers who are active in that field or fields.
So in other words, giftedness is a superior natural ability whereas a talent is an ability/skill that has been developed exceptionally well.
What are some of the traits and behaviours associated with gifted children?
The National Association for Gifted Children (www.nagc.org) lists a number of common characteristics that gifted children may share. Some of these traits include:
Learning quickly and easily
Possessing an exceptional memory
An unusually large vocabulary and using complex sentence structure for their age
Reading from an early age
Enjoying problem solving, especially with numbers and puzzles
Highly sensitive
Developing friendships with older children
A long attention span and intense concentration
A wide range of interests, or extreme focus in one area
Abstract, complex, logical and insightful thought processes.
Unfortunately, some of the indicators may also manifest as behaviour at home or in the classroom that is less socially acceptable. Farrall et.al. (2007) identified a number of behaviours that may negatively impact gifted and talented students, including:
Getting bored easily
Being inattentive or absorbed in a private world
Avoiding monotonous, repetitive written tasks
Being naughty or irrepressible in class
Being unwilling to undertake tasks seen as irrelevant
The challenges of being gifted
The notion of giftedness doesn’t automatically translate to success at school. On the contrary, research suggests that many gifted and talented student struggle to connect socially with average ability peers, preferring the company of older children, or even themselves – ‘When gifted children are asked what they most desire, the answer is often 'a friend'. The children's experience of school is completely colored by the presence or absence of relationships with peers’. (Silverman, 1993, p. 72, in Gross, 2001)
Additionally, unless a child’s gifts are appropriately cultivated through what Gagne defines as ‘catalysts’ – which include maturity, motivation, interests, family and school support – they may not be realised to their full potential and at worst, not even recognized at all.
Types of giftedness
A study conducted by Betts and Neihart (1988) identified six profiles of gifted and talented children and youth based upon their needs, feelings, and behaviour. The study argues that gifted children are not a homogenous group; just as all children are unique individuals, so too do gifted children have unique combinations of many characteristics that makes it impossible to categorise them as a whole. A brief outline of each profile is provided below:
Type I students are bright, motivated achievers. These students are motivated to please, learn well and score high on achievement tests and tests of intelligence.
Type II students are the ‘challengers’ – they may typically possess a high degree of creativity but may appear to be obstinate, tactless or sarcastic. Type II children feel frustrated because the school system has not affirmed their talents and abilities, and if appropriate support is not given, they may be at risk of disengaging from school, and/or dropping out completely.
Type III children are known as ‘the underground’ gifted – their need to belong and to feel more included with a non-gifted peer group sees them denying and suppressing their giftedness, sometimes losing all interest in previous passions.
Type IV are the ‘dropouts’ – students who are typically angry and resentful that the system never accommodated their talents and interests (which frequently fall beyond the realm of the regular curriculum). These students are often in high school, having not been identified as gifted until later. For these students, school seems irrelevant and hostile to them.
Type V students are often called ‘double labeled’ or ‘twice exceptional’, as they may be both gifted and have a disability in another area. Unfortunately, school systems often tend to focus on the weaknesses of these students, thus failing to nurture their talents and strengths.
Type VI children are autonomous learners – unlike the Type I’s who are eager to please, Type VI students are independent and self-directed, accepting themselves for who they are, and willing to take risks. They are confident they can create change in their own lives, and do no wait for others to facilitate change for them.
What can parents, teachers and schools do to help identify and support gifted children?
Parents play a vital role in the identification of giftedness – often they are the first to realise that their child is developing at a rate different from their peers. Early contact with state-based gifted and talented associations will provide information and resources that can help parents understand their gifted child and their special learning needs. Contact details for all State and Territory Gifted and Talented Associations, as well as affiliated associations, can be found here.
The Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) (www.aaegt.net.au) provides a wealth of information for parents, teachers and schools wanting to know more about giftedness, and ways to support learning.
For parents – links to affiliated organisations and information, plus articles and activities for children from preschool to year 12 are provided on the website. To access, click here.
For teachers and schools – the AAEGT website provides a comprehensive list of websites, teaching resources, and internet-based programs available for teachers of gifted children, as well as numerous literature, policies, teaching practice information and links to research centres and tertiary institutions. To visit, click here.
Inaugural National Gifted Awareness Week – starts March 15, 2015
The Australian Association for the Education of Gifted and Talented students, in conjunction with affiliated statewide associations, have established a Gifted Awareness Week in Australia, which will be held in the third week of March each year. The aim of Gifted Awareness week is to raise community awareness of giftedness and to promote activities that celebrate gifted-ness in all its forms.
For more information about Gifted Awareness Week, and how you can participate, please visit the AAEGT website.
REFERENCES:
Betts, G., & Neihart, M. (1988). Profiles of the gifted and talented. Gifted Child Quarterly, 32(2), 248-253.
Farrall et. al., (2007). Raising your Gifted and Talented Child; the Joys and Challenges – an information book for parents and caregivers. Gifted & Talented Children’s Association South Australia. Retrieved from http://gtcasa.asn.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/raising-your-gt-child-joys-and-challenges.pdf
Gross, M. (2001). “Play Partner” or “Sure Shelter”? Why gifted children prefer older friends. Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre, The University of New South Wales, Australia 2052. Retrieved from http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/play_partner.htmhttp://www.hoagiesgifted.org/play_partner.htm
