How to recognize a 'gifted' child?

Do you think that your child is gifted or immensely talented? Here is how you can spot the exceptional brain right next to you. The word gifted has been defined differently by various lexicon sources, but it is generally associated with a child whose potential in one or more areas of skill, would place him /her in the top two to five per cent of children in the same age group. These skills can be traditionally academic, creative or even interpersonal. A United States Office of Education definition describes these children as those "who have outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance and who require differentiated educational programs (beyond those normally provided by regular school programs) in order to realize their contribution to self and society." In this articleHow are gifted children identified?General intellectual ability or talentSpecific academic aptitude or talentCreative thinking and productionLeadership abilityVisual and performing artsPsychomotor abilityWarning for parents How are gifted children identified? Gifted characteristics can be observed either by a parent, a teacher or even a friend or anyone close to a child. Exceptional skills or advanced vocabulary and learning abilities cannot escape the ones close to a gifted child. On further testing, an IQ score of over 130 points can confirm the basic observations. 100 to 114 - upper normal 130 to 144 - gifted 145 to 159 - highly gifted 160 and above - profoundly gifted Most school systems are thus able to classify 10 to 15% or more of its student population as gifted or talented. But the cream will fall into the top 2 to 5%. General intellectual ability or talent An amazing general knowledge, high level of vocabulary, good memory and alertness, knowledge of abstract words and exceptional reasoning are signs of a gifted child. Such a child will be extremely resourceful, energetic and persistent. He or she is an avid reader with an interest in science and literature and a very wide range of other pursuits. Specific academic aptitude or talent These children can be identified by their outstanding performance in either mathematics or languages or arts. They are more focused than their colleagues. They have a longer attention span, which is difficult to find in children of their age. Organizers of various talent searches identify gifted students as per their specific academic aptitude and high scores in the achievement tests. These students are also given the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Creative thinking and production Creativity is described as the core characteristic in a gifted child. This helps in generation of creative ideas-the ability to bring together seemingly independent and dissimilar elements. The mind of a `gifted child is very clear and flexible and therefore can indulge in an intellectual play. Such children can also submerge themselves in a particular task and provide very radical solutions. Leadership ability Many teachers identify this ability through a students keen interest and skill in problem solving. These children are generally very self-confident, responsible, cooperative, adaptable and quite dominating. They are good at organizing things and have the ability to stimulate and excite others. They are also very articulate and can empathize with the rest of the group. Visual and performing arts Special talents in visual art, music, dance or drama show a pointer towards a gifted child. Such children are dominated by moods and whims. They have an ear for music. They are emotional and therefore they often express themselves creatively, either by singing or painting. Psychomotor ability These are kinesthetic motor abilities like physical, mechanical, practical and spatial skills. Gifted children possess these psychomotor abilities and therefore they are very athletic, coordinated, balanced and confident in physical activities. They are generally quite well built and rhythmic, and very inventive in constructing or modifying games. Obviously they are quite energetic and demonstrate great stamina, persistence and endurance. Warning for parents While the above-mentioned sub-heads are characteristics of a `gifted child, it is important to realize that all gifted children will not display all these qualities. They might possess one or more of these qualities. However, it is for parents to recognize the areas of expertise and utilize it to the optimum level. If these special areas remain unappreciated and underutilized, it might frustrate the child in the later years.