With all the talk about education, we all have big question marks about our own kids. I know there has been a lot of buzz about the education scene here in VT. I also know that many children do not "fit" the mold and if you feel your child may need some extra support, gifted & talented might be a place for you. I have yet to contact these people but they are on my list because of all the issues I'm having with my son. The following characteristics of "gifted" (I think they need a better "label"- it sounds elitist...but if you have to deal with one, you know it's different!) are from the Green Mountain Center for Gifted Education website. If you see your child's personality in the list below, there are many resources out there. This is one of those things- you can go with your gut if you feel your child needs something else, something more. I can say that because I know one child of mine does and one does not (the third I've yet to discover- although he may be a chrystal child, lol). Anyway, I say that objectively and I feel they are both smart- but one struggles so much more with intellectual issues that are beyond his control. He gets too much and can control too little...and so, if you are pulling your hair like me, try this avenue (why not?).
btw- can you tell my hubby is not home & my kids are snoozing...it's 6:30 and I am on my own! bedtime is going to be a mess tonight.
Characteristics of Giftedness
One great list of gifted characteristics is the following one, which is found on pp. 52-53 of Linda Silverman's book, Counseling the Gifted and Talented. For each intellectual characteristic listed on the left, there is a corresponding personality characteristic listed on the right. Each of these characteristics can be an incredible positive force in a gifted child's life. Many of these characteristics can also lead to problems for gifted children. (See gifteddevelopment.com for more information about Silverman's work.)
Related Intellectual and Personality Characteristics of Gifted Children
| Intellectual:
Exceptional reasoning ability
Intellectual curiosity
Rapid learning rate
Facility with abstraction
Complex thought processes
Vivid imagination
Early moral concern
Passion for learning
Powers of concentration
Analytical thinking
Divergent thinking/creativity
Keen sense of justice
Capacity for reflection
|
Personality:
Insightfulness
Need to understand
Need for mental stimulation
Perfectionism
Need for precision/logic
Excellent sense of humor
Sensitivity/empathy
Intensity
Perseverance
Acute self-awareness
Nonconformity
Questioning
Tendency toward introversion
|
(Silverman, 1993, pp. 52-53)
