Giftedness in Children: Definition, Characteristics & Conceptions

Original article published on Study.com

What Is Giftedness?

While there is no formal definition of giftedness, it is generally accepted that giftedness is a personality trait that is usually characterized by high intelligence, creativity, and leadership.

The definition of giftedness varies depending on the situation. For example, some people might think of giftedness in relation to cognitive ability, while others might think of it in terms of creativity.

In general, being gifted means that one is better, or very good in certain skills. It can also be used to describe someone who has demonstrated outstanding achievements, or unusual abilities during certain stages of their life.

What does it mean to be gifted? It mostly means having high intelligence, creativity and leadership, as well as demonstrating outstanding achievements or unusual abilities during certain stages of life.

If a child is considered gifted, then it means that they have a high potential for success in one or more intellectual abilities. Gifted children tend to show a higher level of intelligence than their peers, and are often more creative. They are likely to do better in school, and have a more developed social life.

No Child Left Behind Legislation's Definition

The No Child Left Behind Act is an American federal law designed to improve the education of all children in public schools by holding them accountable for their academic progress, in order for students to graduate from high school prepared for college or work.

The No Child Left Behind legislation has defined giftedness as a child demonstrating a high level of intellectual ability, or advanced talent in one or more areas recognized for its intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, and/or social contributions.

The Columbus Group's Definition

The Columbus Group defines giftedness as a characteristic of some individuals who show unusual promise, and a high potential to achieve. The group concludes that giftedness is not only about academic performance, but also about the individual's personal interests and abilities.

Giftedness can be thought of as a state of mind that is characterized by curiosity, creativity, and a tendency for innovation. Gifted people tend to have high IQs, but not always.

Characteristics of Gifted Children

Gifted children are intelligent and talented, but not all of them share this trait. There are many different types of gifted people, and that is why it is important for educators to know how to recognize the different characteristics which may present themselves in gifted children.

Just as no child is exactly like another, no gifted person is exactly like another. Characteristics of giftedness manifest differently in different persons, presenting as a range of talents, temperaments, and behaviors (some of which may even seem contradictory). This is why it is so important for parents and educators to guide and encourage gifted children to learn about themselves, so these children may learn how to use their giftedness to their fullest potential.

Some of these characteristics include:

• A drive for learning and curiosity about the world

• Self-direction, an intrinsic need to learn things on their own

• Early interest in ideas, often having questions about how things work, how things are put together, or what makes people tick

• A high level of independence and self-motivation

• High levels of creativity and imagination

• Being full of energy

• Being a problem solver

• Possessing a large vocabulary

• Being a quick learner

• Being interested in social issues

• Being comfortable with older peers and adults

• Possibly having learning disabilities (such as ADHD or dyslexia) that are not diagnosed in the early years

Various Conceptions of Giftedness

There are several conceptions of giftedness and development in child and adult psychology. Below are two of the most widely accepted viewpoints regarding giftedness.

Joseph Renzulli's Opinion on Giftedness

The Three-Ring conception of giftedness is a model that was developed by Joseph Renzulli, which defines the three different aspects of giftedness: intellectual, creative, and social.

Intellectual gifted people are those who have an accelerated brain function, and can think abstractly and create new ideas easily. Creative people have a higher level of imagination, and are able to draw pictures or write stories easily. Social gifted people are those who have a strong sense of empathy towards others, and they can communicate very well with others.

Renzulli's theory describes how giftedness is not just about intelligence, but about having a strong sense of purpose, and being able to persevere through difficult times.

Renzulli believed that gifted children are usually highly-motivated self-starters with an insatiable curiosity. They will often gravitate toward their interests with little to no prompting from adults. It is then the adult's job to teach the child about their interest, and enable the child to pursue this interest.

Joseph Renzulli's 'Three-Ring conception of giftedness' helps people understand that gifted children are not just merely talented kids, but also experience other common attributes such as high interest and motivation.

Renzulli argues that high-gifted students are those who are particularly talented in creative endeavors, such as the arts and sciences; whereas average-gifted students excel in 'practical' fields, such as mathematics, science, and engineering. Low-gifted students are those who don't have particular talents, but often work well nonetheless.

Robert Sternberg's Opinion on Giftedness

Robert Sternberg is an American psychologist who developed a theory of giftedness. According to his theory, giftedness is a personality trait that shows high-ability in at least one domain that is not primarily related to the person's age and experience.

This theory has been widely accepted by psychologists and educators in the field, because it considers individual differences in intellectual capacity and the development of exceptional skills, as well as physical and social maturity.

In Robert Sternberg's definition, giftedness is an intelligence that is characterized by creativity and originality. Giftedness can be shown as having an outstanding intellectual or creative achievement. It can also be shown as having outstanding performance on standardized tests.

Sternberg believes that there are specific temperaments that are more conducive to certain types of giftedness than others. For example, high verbal ability might suit someone who enjoys giving speeches, while visual-spatial ability might suit someone who enjoys drawing things out.

Lesson Summary

There is no single definition of giftedness. Joseph Renzulli believes giftedness to be an intersection of above-average ability, creativity, and task motivation; while Robert Sternberg emphasized the cognitive, experiential, and practical aspects of giftedness. Despite the lack of a universal definition, there are several characteristics which are generally associated with giftedness. These include: a tendency for a person to be more naturally inclined to one talent over another (i.e. musical giftedness), higher-than-average IQ, high energy, perfectionsim, strong vocabulary from an early age, persistence, etc. Another characteristic of giftedness, which is often overlooked in children, is learning disability. Many highly gifted individuals are ADHD, autistic, or dyslexic - and this shows up primarily in spelling issues, language processing delays, or difficulties with word recall (despite their higher perchance for using developed language).