What is Giftedness?
In the Denver Public Schools, “gifted and talented children” means those students whose demonstrated abilities, talents and/or potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs. These students perform, or show the potential of performing, at remarkably high levels in intellectual, specific academic or creative areas when compared with others of their age and experience. Gifted and talented children are present in all student groups, regardless of gender, disability, English language proficiency, economic status, ethnic or cultural background.
Scroll down to find the following helpful summaries of GT Characteristics:
In the Denver Public Schools, “gifted and talented children” means those students whose demonstrated abilities, talents and/or potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs. These students perform, or show the potential of performing, at remarkably high levels in intellectual, specific academic or creative areas when compared with others of their age and experience. Gifted and talented children are present in all student groups, regardless of gender, disability, English language proficiency, economic status, ethnic or cultural background.
Scroll down to find the following helpful summaries of GT Characteristics:
- Traits Common to Gifted and Talented Students, Positive & Negative
- High Achievers & Creative Thinkers vs. Gifted Learners
Traits Common to Gifted and Talented Students, Positive and Negative*
A compilation of lists by May V. Seagee, Sandra Kaplan, Susanne Richert and Roger Hanson.
Positives Negatives
1. Exhibits a great curiosity about objects, situations, 1. May be bored with routine tasks, refuse to
events; delves into things and brings up new questions; do rote assignments and drill work.
involves self in many exploratory activities; interests
self in a wide range of things.
2. Is self-initiating - needs little help in knowing what 2. May tend to dominate, refuse to accept authority
to do; pursues individual interests, seeks own or be nonconforming or stubborn.direction.
3. Reveals originality in oral and written expression; 3. May make jokes or puns at inappropriate times consistently expresses unusually clever, unique
ideas and suggestions.
4. Is artistically self-expressive; i.e., music, dance, 4. May resist direction, reject the known and need to
drama, drawing, play activities, and/or other invent for self.
aesthetic expression.
5. Generates alternatives - suggests several directions; 5. May challenge generally accepted ideas, refuse
exhibits flexible thinking through constructive to focus on classroom tasks at hand, daydream.
departures from the mainstream of thought in the class-
room.
6. Is perceptually open to environment; employs all 6. May seem hypersensitive - over-react, get angry
senses in awareness of things; is keenly observant and easily or be ready to cry when things go wrong.
alert to things that are, as well as to things that are not.
7. Displays willingness for complexity - thrives on 7. May be difficult to move into a new topic.
problem situations; selects a more difficult response,
solution or problem over the easier; seeks complex,
asymmetrical forms rather than symmetrical.
8. Imaginatively employs knowledge and information 8. May invent own systems, sometimes conflicting.
other than to memorize, store and recall; shapes new May show frustration with inactivity and absence of
associations from items of information; combines progress.
elements of materials or knowledge in unique patterns.
9. Evaluates with superior judgment; employs reason 9. May be self-critical, impatient with failures; also
and logic; recognizes implications and consequences. may be critical of teachers and others.
Visualizes relationships from disparate data.
10. Elaborates well; produces a variety of detailed steps; 10. May be vulnerable to peer group rejection -
eagerly embellishes materials and ideas. needs recognition.
11. Hypothesizes well; possesses a sense of wonder 11. May be quite gullible.
about things; is an intelligent guesser, risk-taker.
12. Learns rapidly, readily, and efficiently. Achieves 12. May have failing grades, due to failure to
consistently good grades in most subjects. meet basic requirements or turn in assignments.
13. Shows great verbal proficiency; large vocabulary, 13. May escape into verbalism or “empty speech.”
facility in expression, interest in reading, breadth of in-
formation in advanced subjects.
A compilation of lists by May V. Seagee, Sandra Kaplan, Susanne Richert and Roger Hanson.
Positives Negatives
1. Exhibits a great curiosity about objects, situations, 1. May be bored with routine tasks, refuse to
events; delves into things and brings up new questions; do rote assignments and drill work.
involves self in many exploratory activities; interests
self in a wide range of things.
2. Is self-initiating - needs little help in knowing what 2. May tend to dominate, refuse to accept authority
to do; pursues individual interests, seeks own or be nonconforming or stubborn.direction.
3. Reveals originality in oral and written expression; 3. May make jokes or puns at inappropriate times consistently expresses unusually clever, unique
ideas and suggestions.
4. Is artistically self-expressive; i.e., music, dance, 4. May resist direction, reject the known and need to
drama, drawing, play activities, and/or other invent for self.
aesthetic expression.
5. Generates alternatives - suggests several directions; 5. May challenge generally accepted ideas, refuse
exhibits flexible thinking through constructive to focus on classroom tasks at hand, daydream.
departures from the mainstream of thought in the class-
room.
6. Is perceptually open to environment; employs all 6. May seem hypersensitive - over-react, get angry
senses in awareness of things; is keenly observant and easily or be ready to cry when things go wrong.
alert to things that are, as well as to things that are not.
7. Displays willingness for complexity - thrives on 7. May be difficult to move into a new topic.
problem situations; selects a more difficult response,
solution or problem over the easier; seeks complex,
asymmetrical forms rather than symmetrical.
8. Imaginatively employs knowledge and information 8. May invent own systems, sometimes conflicting.
other than to memorize, store and recall; shapes new May show frustration with inactivity and absence of
associations from items of information; combines progress.
elements of materials or knowledge in unique patterns.
9. Evaluates with superior judgment; employs reason 9. May be self-critical, impatient with failures; also
and logic; recognizes implications and consequences. may be critical of teachers and others.
Visualizes relationships from disparate data.
10. Elaborates well; produces a variety of detailed steps; 10. May be vulnerable to peer group rejection -
eagerly embellishes materials and ideas. needs recognition.
11. Hypothesizes well; possesses a sense of wonder 11. May be quite gullible.
about things; is an intelligent guesser, risk-taker.
12. Learns rapidly, readily, and efficiently. Achieves 12. May have failing grades, due to failure to
consistently good grades in most subjects. meet basic requirements or turn in assignments.
13. Shows great verbal proficiency; large vocabulary, 13. May escape into verbalism or “empty speech.”
facility in expression, interest in reading, breadth of in-
formation in advanced subjects.
High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Thinker **Note: Weebly doesn't seem to do columns well, which are helpful for comparing the different learners. For a more user-friendly version, click here.
Bertie Kingore, Ph.D.
A High Achiever…
Remembers the answers.
Is interested.
Is attentive.
Generates advanced ideas.
Works hard to achieve.
Answers the questions in detail.
Performs at the top of the group.
Responds with interest and opinions.
Learns with ease.
Needs 6 to 8 repetitions to master.
Comprehends at a high level.
Enjoys the company of age peers.
Understands complex, abstract humor.
Grasps the meaning.
Completes assignments on time.
Is receptive.
Is accurate and complete.
Enjoys school often.
Absorbs information.
Is a technician with expertise in a field.
Memorizes well.
Is highly alert and observant
Is pleased with own learning.
Gets A’s.
Is able.
A Gifted Learner…..
Poses unforeseen questions.
Is curious.
Is selectively mentally engaged.
Generates complex, abstract ideas.
Knows without working hard.
Ponders with depth and multiple perspectives.
Is beyond the group.
Exhibits feelings and opinions from multiple perspectives.
Already knows.
Needs 1 to 3 repetitions to master.
Comprehends complex ideas.
Prefers the company of intellectual peers.
Creates complex, abstract humor.
Infers and connects concepts.
Initiates projects and extensions of assignments.
Is intense.
Is original and continually developing
Enjoys self-directed learning.
Manipulates information.
Is an expert who abstracts beyond the field.
Guesses and infers well.
Anticipates and relates observations
Is self-critical
May not be motivated by grades.
Is intellectual
A Creative Thinker …
Sees exceptions.
Wonders.
Daydreams; may seem off task
Overflows with ideas, many of which will never be developed.
Plays with ideas and concepts.
Injects new possibilities.
Is in own group.
Shares bizarre, sometimes conflicting opinions.
Questions: What if ….
Questions the need for mastery.
Comprehends in-depth, complex ideas.
Prefers the company of creative peers but often works alone.
Relishes wild, off the wall humor.
Makes mental leaps: Aha!
Initiates more projects than will ever be completed.
Is independent and unconventional.
Is original and continually developing.
Enjoys creating.
Improvises.
Is an inventor and idea generator.
Creates and brainstorms well.
Is intuitive
Is never finished with possibilities.
May not be motivated by grades.
Is idiosyncratic.
Bertie Kingore, Ph.D.
A High Achiever…
Remembers the answers.
Is interested.
Is attentive.
Generates advanced ideas.
Works hard to achieve.
Answers the questions in detail.
Performs at the top of the group.
Responds with interest and opinions.
Learns with ease.
Needs 6 to 8 repetitions to master.
Comprehends at a high level.
Enjoys the company of age peers.
Understands complex, abstract humor.
Grasps the meaning.
Completes assignments on time.
Is receptive.
Is accurate and complete.
Enjoys school often.
Absorbs information.
Is a technician with expertise in a field.
Memorizes well.
Is highly alert and observant
Is pleased with own learning.
Gets A’s.
Is able.
A Gifted Learner…..
Poses unforeseen questions.
Is curious.
Is selectively mentally engaged.
Generates complex, abstract ideas.
Knows without working hard.
Ponders with depth and multiple perspectives.
Is beyond the group.
Exhibits feelings and opinions from multiple perspectives.
Already knows.
Needs 1 to 3 repetitions to master.
Comprehends complex ideas.
Prefers the company of intellectual peers.
Creates complex, abstract humor.
Infers and connects concepts.
Initiates projects and extensions of assignments.
Is intense.
Is original and continually developing
Enjoys self-directed learning.
Manipulates information.
Is an expert who abstracts beyond the field.
Guesses and infers well.
Anticipates and relates observations
Is self-critical
May not be motivated by grades.
Is intellectual
A Creative Thinker …
Sees exceptions.
Wonders.
Daydreams; may seem off task
Overflows with ideas, many of which will never be developed.
Plays with ideas and concepts.
Injects new possibilities.
Is in own group.
Shares bizarre, sometimes conflicting opinions.
Questions: What if ….
Questions the need for mastery.
Comprehends in-depth, complex ideas.
Prefers the company of creative peers but often works alone.
Relishes wild, off the wall humor.
Makes mental leaps: Aha!
Initiates more projects than will ever be completed.
Is independent and unconventional.
Is original and continually developing.
Enjoys creating.
Improvises.
Is an inventor and idea generator.
Creates and brainstorms well.
Is intuitive
Is never finished with possibilities.
May not be motivated by grades.
Is idiosyncratic.