Who are Gifted Children?

Psychologists have different opinions about gifted children. Some psychologists consider children with higher IQ than 130 as gifted children, while some psychologists consider those children as gifted children who have higher ability in a particular field, such as the children having special ability in the fields of literature, art, music, dance, mechanics, etc. Some psychologists include only creative children in the category of gifted children. Joining these three facts Fiegler and Bish have defined gifted children in the following form:

The term gifted encompasses those children who possess a superior intellectual potential and functional ability to achieve academically top fifteen to two percent of school population, and or talent of high order in such special areas of mathematics, mechanics, science, expressive art, creative writing, music and social leadership, and a unique creative ability to deal with their environment.  –Fliegler and Bish

Kolesnik has taken gifted children in a title wider form and has defined them in a very brief form, in his words:

The term gifted has been applied to every child who is his age group is superior in some ability which may make him an outstanding contributor to the welfare and quality of living in our society.  – W.B. Kolesnik

Characteristics of Gifted Children

The western psychologists Terman, Hollingworth, Vity, Skinner and Harriman, etc have revealed some characteristics of gifted children on the basis of their studies. We and you also have some experiences in this field. All these facts and experiences can be summarized into 6 characteristics:

1. Physical Characteristics: Most of the gifted children are more than normal children in weight and height at the time of their birth. They learn to walk and speak faster than others and get maturity sooner than others.
2. Mental Characteristics: The conclusions of studies tell us that the IQ of about 95% gifted children is more than 130. They possess comparatively more mental abilities, such as memory, thinking, logic, imagination, analysis, synthesis and problem-solving. They have the ability to understand abstract facts and to make original thinking. They have additional desire to get knowledge. Their educational achievements are also higher. They become discoverers later in life.
3. Emotional Characteristics: Gifted children have emotional stability. They are self-confident, optimist and patient. Their interests are of higher level. They keep away from orthodox beliefs and accept any fact after verifying it on logic. They are always eager for achievements.
4. Social Characteristics: Most of the gifted children come from those families which are literate, intellectual and economically sound. This is the reason that these children are unable to adjust themselves with all circumstances. Most of them have the ability to lead and they become the leader of their group when they get an opportunity. The results of studies tell that 95% of the gifted children are disciplined and they respect others.
5. Other Characteristics: Most of the gifted children get special achievement in one or the other field. They are the source of creative children who occupy the front rows in art, music and dance, etc. Creative children too emanate from them who create novel things in literature, art, science and technology, etc.
6. Negative Characteristics: It has also been seen that if gifted children are not given suitable environment in their family, neighborhood, school and society, then their talent starts to function in the negative direction. If they are not given property treatment in the family, they become solitary and introvert and do not take interest in studies. If they get bad company in the neighborhood and society, then they become problem children. And if the teachers in school fail to solve their problems, then they revolt against them. Sometimes some children think that they are more able and become egoistic. Most of the gifted children have healthy competition, but in some of them, this competition can transform into an inferior feeling or rivalry due to which they become jealous of one another.

Identification of Gifted Children

Generally, the number of gifted children in a country is about 10% of its total population and very gifted are only about 5%; however, so long they are not identified and separated from others, special education cannot be provided for them.

7 techniques  used for identification of gifted children.

1. Opinion of parents and friends
2. Anecdotal records
3. Interviews
4. Achievement tests
5. Intelligence tests
6. Aptitude tests
7. Creativity tests

In our country, the achievement tests and intelligence tests are chiefly used for the identification of gifted children. In some specific fields, aptitude test and creativity tests are also used.