Characteristics of Gifted Children
General Characteristics
* They typically learn to read earlier with a better comprehension of the nuances of the language.
* They commonly learn basic skills better, quicker, and with less practice.
* They are better able to construct and handle abstractions than their age mates.
* They take less for granted, seeking the "hows" and "whys."
* They display a better ability to work independently at an earlier age and for longer periods of time than other children.
* They can sustain longer periods of concentration and attention.
* They frequently have seemingly boundless energy, which sometimes leads to a misdiagnosis of "hyperactive."
Creative Characteristics
* They are fluent thinkers, able to produce a large quantity of possibilities, consequences, or related ideas.
* They are flexible thinkers, able to use many different alternatives and approaches to problem solving.
* They are original thinkers, seeking new, unusual, or unconventional associations and combinations among items of information.
* They are elaborative thinkers, producing new steps, ideas, responses, or other embellishments to a basic idea, situation, or problem.
* They have a high level of curiosity about objects, ideas, situations, or events.
* They often display intellectual playfulness. They fantasize and imagine readily.
Learning Characteristics
* They often read a great deal on their own, preferring books and magazines for youngsters older than they.
* They take great pleasure in intellectual activity.
* They have well developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis.
* They have rapid insight into cause-effect relationships.
* They are often skeptical, critical, and evaluative. They are quick to spot inconsistencies.
* They show a ready grasp of underlying principles and can often make valid generalizations about events, people, or objects.
* They readily perceive similarities, differences, and anomalies.
Behavioral Characteristics
* They exhibit an intrinsic motivation to learn, find out, or explore and are often very persistent.
* They have a longer attention and concentration span than their peers.
* They are more independent and less subject to peer pressure than their age mates.
* They have a highly developed moral and ethical sense.
* They often exhibit daydreaming behavior.
* They may seek to conceal their abilities so as not to "stick out."
* They typically learn to read earlier with a better comprehension of the nuances of the language.
* They commonly learn basic skills better, quicker, and with less practice.
* They are better able to construct and handle abstractions than their age mates.
* They take less for granted, seeking the "hows" and "whys."
* They display a better ability to work independently at an earlier age and for longer periods of time than other children.
* They can sustain longer periods of concentration and attention.
* They frequently have seemingly boundless energy, which sometimes leads to a misdiagnosis of "hyperactive."
Creative Characteristics
* They are fluent thinkers, able to produce a large quantity of possibilities, consequences, or related ideas.
* They are flexible thinkers, able to use many different alternatives and approaches to problem solving.
* They are original thinkers, seeking new, unusual, or unconventional associations and combinations among items of information.
* They are elaborative thinkers, producing new steps, ideas, responses, or other embellishments to a basic idea, situation, or problem.
* They have a high level of curiosity about objects, ideas, situations, or events.
* They often display intellectual playfulness. They fantasize and imagine readily.
Learning Characteristics
* They often read a great deal on their own, preferring books and magazines for youngsters older than they.
* They take great pleasure in intellectual activity.
* They have well developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis.
* They have rapid insight into cause-effect relationships.
* They are often skeptical, critical, and evaluative. They are quick to spot inconsistencies.
* They show a ready grasp of underlying principles and can often make valid generalizations about events, people, or objects.
* They readily perceive similarities, differences, and anomalies.
Behavioral Characteristics
* They exhibit an intrinsic motivation to learn, find out, or explore and are often very persistent.
* They have a longer attention and concentration span than their peers.
* They are more independent and less subject to peer pressure than their age mates.
* They have a highly developed moral and ethical sense.
* They often exhibit daydreaming behavior.
* They may seek to conceal their abilities so as not to "stick out."