Characteristics Of Gifted Students

Characteristics Of Gifted Students

Chapter 2

May Alessa

Stephanie Livingston

- Cognitive and language ability- Interests- Learning styles- Motivation and energy- Personality- Mental health and self-concept- Habits and behavior- Background and experience (32)

GT kids differ from one another in…

Terman studies based on “usual”• …traits that have appeared and reappeared in studies

of gifted children and adults.• These traits will not and cannot apply to each gifted

child.• Biased study-group (teacher nominations)

(32)

Terman Studies• Psychologist at Stanford – pioneer of educational

psychology in the 20th century. • His studies showed that gifted students were not only more

intelligent but better adjusted psychologically, socially, and physically.

• His studies did not include the “undesirables.” Teachers nominated students for the studies that they deemed “gifted.”

• Relationship between giftedness and health and socioeconomic level – In his studies, students who were gifted were born healthier.

(32-34)

Traits of Intellectually Gifted Children

Precocious Language and Thought• Intellectually gifted students are developmentally

advanced in language and thought.• They express higher mental age compared with their

chronological age.• Asynchronous development characterized by

advanced cognitive abilities.• Mental development outstrips their chronological

(physical) development.

(35)

ACTIVITY

Logical Thinking • Gifted students have quick and logical thinking

process.• They are characterized with natural curiosity and urge

to learn.• They articulate higher levels of internal control and

personal responsibility.• High expectations and perfectionism also set them

apart from other students. (35-

36)

ACTIVITY

Early Math, Art, and Music• Definition – early appearance of advanced

mathematical, artistic, and musical abilities• Examples

– Kindergartener counting by 5s and 10s and adding and subtracting 2-digit numbers

– 5-year old blind child with perfect pitch and the ability to play Beethoven on the piano

• Musical giftedness appears as early as age 1 or 2• Might be hindered by slower-developing motor ability

– Student who learns to draw at an early age, has superior visual memory, and sees the world less conceptually and more in terms of shapes and visual surfaces

(36)

Motivation, Persistence, Advanced Interest• Definition – productive gifted students have higher

motivation with persistence• High motivation + curiosity, advanced comprehension

and logical abilities = advanced accomplishments – Due in large part to family values

(36)

Affective Characteristics

Social Skills, Personal Adjustment, Self-Concept

Terman Studies• Bias study group (teacher

selected)• Students had high mental

health• Better adjustment for

those who don’t feed extremely different – Level of giftedness

Leta Hollingworth• Troubled gifted students • Too smart and too different• IQ above 180 (140-160 –

well adjusted)• Disliked and rejected• In need of “emotional

education”– Fully aware that they are

disliked and rejected (Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory)

(36-38)

Independence, Self-Confidence, Internal Control• High level of self-confidence and independence

– Stems from comparison with “average” peers, teacher/parent praise, and history of success

• Internal Control vs External Control– Confident. Feel responsible for success and failure.

In control of their destiny. Set high goals.• Disappointment, frustration, self-criticism.

Comparing to their own high-expectations and perfectionism.

– Contribute success/failure to luck or chance and/or teacher generosity. Does not accept responsibility.

(38)

Preferred styles

Intellectually gifted students are noted for their preferred styles of learning, instruction, thinking, and expression. They are keen in selecting various styles that enable them to grasp lessons in no time. They prefer styles that match the frequent characteristics of high motivation, persistence, self-confidence, independence and high internal control.

(38-40)

Preferred styles of instruction• Self-motivated learners more than teacher motivated.• Pursuing active participant approach to learning

rather than spectator approaches.• Lecture tied with drill and recitation, discussion,

demonstration, small group discussion, peer tutoring, co-operative learning , field trips, learning centers, learning games, electronic learning, simulation/role playing, projects, mentorships, and independent study.

Preferred styles of expression• Regarding the styles of expression, intellectually

gifted students seek variations. • It includes written style, oral, manipulative,

discussion, display, dramatization, artistic, graphic, commercial, or service types of demonstrations of learning.

Thinking style preferences• Intellectually gifted students prefer triarchic

categories of thinking, namely, analytic, synthetic and practical giftedness.

Superior Humor • Majority of the gifted students are quick witted.• Their humor springs from their to think quickly and

see relationships and from general confidence and social adeptness.

(40)

High Moral Thinking and Empathy• Sensitive to values and moral issues.• Intuitively understand ‘good’ and ‘bad’ behaviors.• Not ego-centric, but are able to see a situation from

another person’s point of view. (40-

41)

Characteristics of the Creatively Gifted:

Creativity and Intelligence: The Threshold Concept• Relationship between creativity and intelligence

– Threshold concept: a base level of intelligence usually is essential for creative productivity; above that threshold there is virtually no relationship between measured intelligence and creativity.

• Highly creative and highly intelligent students did equally well in course work – teachers preferred the highly intelligent.

• GT tests will miss a majority of creative students• Teachers nominate well-behaved, conforming, neat, dutiful

students rather than highly creative, unconventional students.• Less visible due to the lack of application of creativity in some

content areas• Contribution to society will surpass intelligently gifted students

(41)

Personality and cognitive characteristics• One of the notable features of the character of

intellectually gifted children is their intuitive understanding of a creative person.

• Another notable personality characteristic is their high energy and motivation.

• Sometimes described as impulsive, overactive (even hyperactive), enthusiastic, excitable, spontaneous, persistent, preserving, adventurous.

Other Traits and Some Negative Traits

• Understanding Creative Students– Likes to work by himself or herself– Is a “what if” person– Sees relationships– Is full of ideas– Possesses high verbal, conversational fluency– Constructs, builds, rebuilds– Copes with several ideas at once– Is irritated and bored by the routine – Goes beyond assigned tasks– Enjoys telling about his or her discoveries or

inventions– Finds ways of doing things differently from

standard procedures– Is not afraid to try something new– Does not mind consequences of appearing

different(42-43)

Stereotypical characters can ensnare teachers and parents • Typical characteristics of gifted children can confuse

teachers and parents.• Teachers make the mistake of assuming that gifted

children who are not self-directed, persevering, and motivated should not be considered gifted.

• Parents often misunderstand the undesirable character of their children as giftedness.

Characteristics of the Teachers of the

Gifted

• Teachers should be competent, skilled and should have knowledge rather than personal traits to teach gifted students.

• Competencies needed to teach gifted math and science students should be different from teaching art, music or literature students.

• Personal-social character of teachers are more important than intellectual qualities.

ACTIVITY