The document discusses gifted learners, including common characteristics like intense focus, quick learning, and sensitivity. It addresses common problems gifted students face like boredom, underachievement, and peer issues. The document also aims to dispel myths about giftedness, such as the ideas that giftedness is only in academics or requires an exceptional IQ. It emphasizes that both nature and nurture contribute and that gifted students need specialized support to reach their potential. The document concludes by discussing programming and curriculum options that can help meet gifted students' unique academic needs.

1. Gifted Learners:
A Closer Look at Who They Are and
What They Need
By: Jennifer Barrett

2. Who are the Gifted?
• The U.S. Department of Education defines
giftedness as:
“Children and youth with outstanding talent who
perform or show the potential for performing at
remarkably high levels of accomplishment when
compared with others of their age, experience or
environment.”
(Callard-Szulgit, 2012, p. 13)

3. Common Characteristics of Gifted Learners
(Callard-Szulgit, 2010, p.10-11)
• Able to express themselves • Demonstrates intense
easily, succinctly, and without concentration and attention in
hesitation areas of interest- can become
• Accomplished across a broad highly focused and absorbed
range of skills • Learns quickly
• Easy recall of facts and mastery • Likes to assume leadership roles
of knowledge • Loves learning
• Enjoys detailed discussions • Nonconformist
• Enjoys/prefers adult company • Perfectionist
• Broad base of knowledge- • Observant
knows many facts • Persistent
• Delightful sense of humor and • Questioning, curious, inquisitive
appreciates wit
• High expectations of self and • Self-critical
others • Can be highly opinionated
• Sensitive, intuitive • Can be very intense

4. Common Problems faced by the Gifted
(Webb, 2011)
• Boredom: gifted children spend 25-50% of their time
waiting for others to catch up
• Underachievement: many gifted children are
underachieving by 2-4 grade levels
• Peer issues
• Belongingness
• Anger/depression
• Power struggles
• Stress/ Perfectionism
• Misdiagnosis
• Health/behavior problems (asthma, allergies)
• Problems sleeping (night terrors, bedwetting)
• Judgment Lags behind Intellectual Abilities

5. Common Myths of Gifted Education
(Myths/Realities presented by Winner, 1996)
There are many myths that exist about
giftedness that we must be made aware of. It is
essential that these myths are revealed so that
educators can be provided with accurate
information regarding our gifted students.

6. Myth #1: Global Giftedness
Gifted students are gifted across all
domains/subject areas.

7. Reality
While some students may
demonstrate giftedness in all subject
areas, this is more the exception
than the rule. In fact, many students
may show giftedness in one area
(language or math) and struggle in
another. Some may even be gifted in
one area and have a learning
disability in another (known as
Twice-Exceptional students).

8. Myth #2: Talented But Not Gifted
Students who demonstrate exceptional ability in
academic areas (skills assessed by an IQ test) are
considered gifted, those who show exceptional
ability in the areas of the Arts (music, dance, art)
are considered talented.

9. Reality
There is no justification for a
distinction between gifted and/or
talented students in academic areas
vs. arts or athletics. Students in both
areas may demonstrate an
exceptional ability in their area and
therefore should be considered
gifted.

10. Myth #3: Exceptional IQ
Gifted students perform exceptionally well on an
IQ test.

11. Reality
An IQ test measures a narrow range
of abilities, dealing with language
and numbers. Therefore, giftedness
does not require an exceptional IQ,
as a student who is gifted in the Arts
may not demonstrate their ability
through this type of assessment.

12. Myth #4 and #5: Biology vs. Environment
• Giftedness is entirely inborn/genetic.
• Giftedness is entirely a result of one’s
experiences/environment.

13. Reality
Both nature and nurture play an
important role in the giftedness of a
child. Biology determines whether a
gift exists for the environment to
provide support to reach the full
potential for ability.

14. Myth #6: The Driving Parent
Gifted children are “made” by obsessive parents
desire for their child to be stars. They may push
their children too far and be a destructive force.

15. Reality
Parents do not create their child’s
giftedness. However, their support
can help nurture them so that their
gifts can be fully developed.

16. Myth #7: Glowing with Psychological
Health
Gifted children are popular, well-adjusted, and
glowing with psychological and physical health.

17. Reality
Gifted children are often socially
isolated from their peers and
unhappy emotionally. While
moderately gifted children may fit
this idealized vision, those who are
extremely gifted may experience
ridicule and depression.

18. Myth #8: All Children Are Gifted
All children could be considered gifted and
therefore there is no need for any specialized
education for gifted students.

19. Reality
While all students may have areas of
strengths and/or special talents, and a
potential for learning, not all students
can be identified as gifted according to
the U.S. DOE’s definition of giftedness.
Gifted students show exceptional
ability well above those of their same-
aged peers. These students do require
an individualized education to meet
their unique needs.

20. Myth #9: Gifted Children Become
Eminent Adults
Gifted children go on to become prominent and
creative adults in the future.

21. Reality
While some gifted children do go on
to become successful adults, many
may become burnt out, pursue other
areas of interest, and do not in fact
do anything creative.

22. Other Common Misconceptions
• Gifted students do fine in the regular classroom
because teachers challenge all students.
• Gifted education programs are elitist.
• Acceleration placement options are socially harmful to
gifted students.
• Gifted students do not need help because they can do
things on their own.
• Gifted students always show/emphasize their abilities.
• Gifted students enjoy being role models for their peers
and help others learn by sharing their knowledge.
• Gifted students are easy to teach and parent.
• A gifted student wouldn’t receive poor grades.
• “For someone so bright, you have no common sense.”

23. Reality
• Gifted students do require a
specialized education to meet their
needs. Gifted education programs
can help do this.
• Gifted students do face problems
and need support to succeed. They
are not fine on their own.
• Gifted students may not always
demonstrate their ability and
perform to their highest potential
(underachievement and boredom)
• Common sense and giftedness do
not go hand in hand.

24. Meeting the Needs of the Gifted
Gifted students have the right to an education
that is appropriate to their ability levels. There
are various program models, curriculum
developments, and teaching methods that can
help to meet these unique needs of our gifted
students.

25. Programming for Gifted Education
• Acceleration: moving the student to a level of study that
matches his or her aptitude and mastery level in on or
more area
• Enrichment: classroom teacher provides additional work
and/or activities/materials for individual students who
already have mastered the grade-level materials
• Curriculum Compacting: students may pretest our of units
of study they have already mastered and pursue other
studies of interest of more advanced materials in the
current curriculum being studied
• Differentiation: teaching approach that focuses on the
higher-level thinking skills of application, synthesis, and
evaluation and can be applied in the education areas of
content, process, and product in the learning environment

26. Final Thoughts
• It is imperative that educators learn to identify
our gifted students and provide them with the
appropriate education they deserve.
• We must allow our gifted students to advance
their thinking and meet their fullest potential by
challenging them and providing them the
appropriate supports to meet their unique
academic needs.
• What works for gifted students, works for ALL
students!

27. References
• Callard-Szulgit, R. (2010). Parenting and Teaching the
Gifted 2nd Edition. Baltimore, MD: Rowman and
Littlefield.
• Callard-Szulgit, R. (2012). Perfectionism and Gifted
Children. 2nd Ed Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Education.
• National Association for Gifted Children (2012).
Retrieved from www.nagc.org.
• Webb, J. (2011). Accurate Assessment? Asperger's
Disorder, and Other Common Misdiagnoses and Dual
Diagnoses of Gifted Children. Accessed from
http://videos.med.wisc.edu/videos/32540.
• Winner, E. (1996). Gifted Children: Myths and Realities.
New York: Basic Books.