Elizabeth Artemis Bailey

*

**Youth who show the potential to perform at remarkably high levels

of accomplishment when compared with others of their age,

experience or environment.

*Exhibit high-performance capability in intellectual, creative,

and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity, or

excel in specific academic fields.

-US Department of Education

*

*A series of misconceptions surrounds gifted learners, fueling a

severe failure on the part of our education system to meet

their needs.

**MYTH: Global Giftedness. The idea that gifted children are gifted

across the board

*REALITY: This idea that all gifted children are “globally gifted” is

about as mythic as a robot unicorn, and nearly as dangerous. It

ignores the existence of “twice-exceptional” kids, children who

are gifted in one area and learning disabled in another. Belief this

myth can result in a lack of support for learning-disabled gifted

students as well as the failure to properly identify some students

as gifted.

**MYTH: Giftedness is entirely biological

*REALITY: Environmental factors play a major role in determining

the development of gifts. This is why we must deliberately

create a nurturing environment.

*Myth: Giftedness is entirely environmental.

*REALITY: This myth ignores the powerful role of biology.

**MYTH: Exceptional IQs are held by all gifted children.

*REALITY: There are many ways to be gifted, and not all of

them necessarily involve high IQ. For example, art and music.

These children’s needs are still not met by regular school

programming.

**MYTH: Gifted children are “made” by pushy, obsessive parents,

which often results on the child’s loss of interest.

*REALITY: Gifted children want to develop their gifts, and the

involvement of supportive and dedicated parents is extremely

positive! This is especially true when schools fail to meet gifted

needs.

**MYTH: Gifted children glow with psychological health.

*REALITY: Non-gifted peers often ridicule gifted students because

they are different. Gifted students often feel unable to connect

with classmates who are on a completely different intellectual

level. Gifted students often feel like they should not participate

in class, for fear of being perceived “show-offs.” Gifted students

often feel like their daily school routines are pointless.

*…Do these sounds like ideal conditions for cultivating glowing

psychological health?

*Gifted children’s needs are not met by regular classroom instruction. They need support if they are to learn and grow every day.

Key Ingredients

*Curriculum compacting

*Differentiation

*Parental support

*Support from administrators and teachers

*Opportunities to interact with other gifted children

*Gifted programming

*Projects that facilitate exploration of their gifts, and opportunities to tackle real life issues

*Teacher training

*

*National Association for Gifted Children

http://www.nagc.org/

*

Winner, E. (1996). Gifted Children. New York, New

York: Basic Books.

Callard-Szulgit, R. (2012). perfectionism and gifted

children. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.

Callard-Szulgit, R. (2010). Parenting and Teaching

the Gifted. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman &

Littlefield.