Kh.

Abovyan Armenian State Pedagogical University

Department of Foreign Languages
Chair of English Language Teaching

PRESENTATION

Topic: Gifted child

Student’s Name/Surname: Siranush Torgomyan
Academic Supervisor (Degree, Title): Z.Atanesyan.
Faculty: PSE
Year: IV course, II semester

YEREVAN 2020

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 Contents

1. Introduction…………………………...3
2. Gifted child……………………………4
3. Biological differences………………... 5
4. 15 Signs of a gifted child........................7
5. Conclusion …………………………....9
6. Bibliography……………………….….10
7. Glossary………………………………..11

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 Introduction

In these days, nations try to provide some of development standards to produce scientists in
different fields. So that our countries are speading to discover early gifted children and present
for them unsuitable look after to help them to be creative in the future.
Gifted children are, by definition, "Children who give evidence of high performance capability
in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership capacity, or specific academic fields,
and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully
develop such capabilities."Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher
than average. It is a characteristic of children, variously defined, that motivates differences in
school programming. It is thought to persist as a trait into adult life, with various consequences
studied in longitudinal studies of giftedness over the last century. There is no generally agreed
definition of giftedness for either children or adults, but most school placement decisions and
most longitudinal studies over the course of individual lives have followed people with IQs in
the top two percent of the population—that is, IQs above 130. Definitions of giftedness also vary
across cultures. The various definitions of intellectual giftedness include either general high
ability or specific abilities. For example, by some definitions an intellectually gifted person may
have a striking talent for mathematics without equally strong language skills. In particular, the
relationship between artistic ability or musical ability and the high academic ability usually
associated with high IQ scores is still being explored, with some authors referring to all of those
forms of high ability as "giftedness", while other authors distinguish "giftedness" from "talent".
There is still much controversy and much research on the topic of how adult performance
unfolds from trait differences in childhood, and what educational and other supports best help the
development of adult giftedness.

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Gifted child, any child who is naturally endowed with a high degree of general mental ability or
extraordinary ability in a specific sphere of activity or knowledge. The designation of giftedness
is largely a matter of administrative convenience. In most countries the prevailing definition is an
intelligence quotient (IQ) of 130 or above. Increasingly, however, schools use multiple measures
of giftedness and assess a wide variety of talents, including verbal, mathematical, spatial-visual,
musical, and interpersonal abilities.In countries that make special provision for educating gifted
pupils, the prevailing method of selection consists of written tests. Although standard IQ tests are
the most commonly used means of identifying gifted children, other tests of both intelligence and
creativity are also used. Tests vary widely in their validity and reliability for different ages and
cultures; therefore, fair identification procedures always take into account a wide variety of
behaviours that may be signs of giftedness.
It is generally agreed that gifted children differ from their peers in ways other
than intellectual ability alone. Evidence of this was found by the American psychologist Lewis
M. Terman, who in 1921 initiated a study of more than 1,500 gifted children with IQs higher
than 140. Following the study participants as they aged, Terman observed a greater drive to
achieve, along with greater mental and social adjustment, among the gifted group as compared
with nongifted children. In another early 20th-century study, which focused on children with IQs
greater than 180, psychologist Leta Hollingworth found that individuals within this group were
very sensitive to the ways in which they differed from others and often suffered from problems
such as boredom and rejection by their peers. Variability of development is another characteristic
observed in gifted children. In the late 20th century, the term asynchrony was used to describe
the developmental characteristics of gifted children; that is, their mental, physical, emotional,
and social abilities may all develop at different paces.
In theory, there are three ways of educating children who are intellectually and academically
more advanced than their peers: acceleration, whereby the gifted child is allowed to learn
material at a more rapid pace or is promoted more rapidly through grades; enrichment, whereby
the gifted child works through the usual grades at the usual pace but with a curriculum
supplemented by a variety of cultural activities; and differentiation, whereby gifted children are
accelerated or enriched within the regular classroom.
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Biological differences
There is a biological difference between the gifted child and the typical child. The gifted child
seems to have an increased cell production that also increases synaptic activity. This all adds up
to an increased thought process. The neurons in the brain of the gifted child seem to be bio-
chemically more abundant and, as a result, the brain patterns that develop are able to process
more complex thought. There seems to be more prefrontal cortex activity in the brain, which
leads to insightful and intuitive thinking. Gifted children have more alpha wave activity in the
brain. They not only get more alpha wave activity faster than the typical child, but they also
sustain it longer. This allows for more relaxed and focused learning with greater retention and
integration. The brain rhythms of the gifted child occur more often, and this allows for
concentration, attention, investigation, and inquiry.
Emotional characteristics
The gifted child also appears to have his share of emotional stresses. Interestingly enough,
studies seem to indicate that the gifted child may, in fact, have lower self-esteem than the
average child. There seems to be a direct correlation between the high expectations that the
gifted child has for himself, and therefore, his unrealistic goals for which he strives. This
situation tends to cause anxiety, as the gifted child pushes himself unrealistically.
Differences between the sexes
However, studies have shown that the characteristics of the gifted child can differ on the basis of
sex.

The following are common characteristics of the female gifted child:

• She likes school, especially courses in science, music, and art. 
• She likes her teachers. 
• She regularly reads news, magazines, an other non-required reading. 
• She is active in drama and musical productions.
• She does not go out on dates as often.
• She is a daydreamer.

The following are common characteristics of the male gifted child:

• He dislikes school.
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• He dislikes teachers and thinks they are uninteresting.
• He does little homework.
• He dislikes physical education and seldom engages in team sports.
• He is regarded as radical or unconventional.
• He often wants to be a lone to pursue his own thoughts and interests.

15 SIGNS OF A GIFTED CHILD

You may be wondering how to identify a gifted kid. Well, here are 15 signs to look for:

1. THEY SOUND LIKE A PROFESSOR:

Gifted children often reach knowledge milestones much faster than average. Language skills, in
particular, seem to come more naturally for the children with gifts. An extensive vocabulary and
speaking in complex sentences are two ways that a child may exhibit these skills.

2. THEY IDENTIFY PATTERNS:

Pattern identification (e.g. a jigsaw puzzle or what time of day Mommy comes home) isn’t
something too ubiquitous in little ones. Unless that is, your little one possesses gifted-level
intellect.

3. THEY’RE VORACIOUS READERS:

Gifted kids, as mentioned earlier, have an insatiable curiosity. To satisfy this curiosity, they’ll
read every book they can get their little mitts on. This sign is especially evident when something
piques their interest.

4. THEY’RE INCREDIBLY TALENTED AT SOMETHING:

Gifted is just another word for “exceptionally talented.” Some kids are naturals at certain things,
like sports, science, or the arts. Extreme talent is almost assuredly a sign of gifted intelligence.

5. THEY LIKE THE COMPANY OF ADULTS OR OLDER KIDS:

Gifted kids, because of their advanced intelligence, have difficulty relating to their peers. They
may be misunderstood – or just plain bored. As such, they may seek out older kids, teachers, and
other adults for stimulation.

6. THEY HAVE EXCELLENT FOCUS:

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Okay, so there is a caveat to this one. Most gifted kids have an exceptional ability to focus on the
things that interest them. A gifted kid stuck in a boring classroom will quickly lose this ability,
however. As such, they might even be considered as having poor focus in a typical classroom
setting.

7. THEY ARE MATURE:

A gifted child can also have deep emotional intelligence. If you have a gifted child, they may
shake their heads at the antics of their peers. Gifted children won’t pull too many pranks or get
into (too much) mischief.

8. THEY ARE ORIGINAL:

Being gifted and problem-solving often go together. Not only do these kids approach everyday
problems differently, but they may also offer up suggestions on how to improve something.

9. THEY ARE LEADERS:

Because of their maturity and uncanny ability to solve problems and think outside the box, some
gifted kids show a remarkable aptitude for leadership. Of course, these skills are more evident
when the child is in a desirable setting.

10. THEY DON’T NEED DIRECTIONS:

While some kids patiently wait for the parent or teacher to say how they want something done,
gifted kids jump right into it and ask questions later. Or not ask questions at all, having figured
things out on their own.

11. THEY’RE HIGH ENERGY:

Gifted kids, probably because their brain is always going, seem be in perpetual movement.
Notice, too, that really smart and gifted kids tend to speak way too fast. The reason for this
verbal assault is that they’re trying (unsuccessfully!) to get their words to catch up with their
thoughts.

12. THEY NEED SOME “ME TIME”:

Like most children, gifted kids love spending time with people. But solitude allows them to be
alone with their thoughts and exercise their creativity. Gifted kids enjoy solitary activities such
as reading, writing, and drawing.

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13. THEY LOVE NATURE:

Some gifted kids, especially those with high artistic intelligence, love the sights and sounds of
nature. Their curiosity and talents of observation may be on full display when out in nature.

14. THEY UNDERACHIEVE:

Yes, you read that correctly. While highly intelligent, gifted kids tend to devote most of
their mental energy toward things of interest. It is not altogether uncommon for an advanced kid
to excel at one subject and struggle with another. Underachievement for gifted kids is usually
attributable to short attention span, carelessness, frustration, and most of all, flat-out boredom.

15. THEY THINK LEARNING IS FUN:

Gifted children love learning so much that it becomes a hobby. Because of their advanced
intelligence and love of learning, the child may share few interests with his or her peers. 

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 Conclusion

During the last few years the results of tests and measurement in the public schools have
brought into relief a great variety of educational problems which had previously been
overlooked or the importance of which had been insufficiently appreciated. Among these is
the problem of the gifted child. Although experimental studies in the education of defectives
have been made from time to time for almost a century, it was not until the results of
intelligence tests began to come in, a decade ago, that the need of special educational
provision for children of exceptional ability began to be recognized. One reason for the
general neglect of this field of pedagogy has been the widespread belief that the apparently
gifted child is merely precocious, and usually pathologically so. However, recent
experimental studies have shown conclusively that this belief has little or no foundation in
fact. All the scientific evidence at hand points to the conclusion that gifted children are
superior to unselected children in physical and non-intellectual mental traits as well as in
intelligence, and that they carry this advantage into adult life. We are coming to recognize
that from their ranks, and from nowhere else, our geniuses in every line are recruited.
Instead of working upon the "wonder child" as an individual to be pitied because of his
supposed abnormality, and to be shielded from intellectual stimulation for fear of injury to
his delicate nervous structure, we are beginning to see the problem in an entirely different
light. The education of the gifted child has adopted a positive rather than a negative aim. We
wish to know what educational methods will enable us to make the most of the superior raw
material afforded by our gifted group; it is no longer a question of how best to defend a
special type of pathologically tainted individuals from an imminent and unhappy fate. At the
present time there are in progress scores if not hundreds of experiments in the training of
gifted children. Unfortunately, few of these have been under way any considerable length of
time and fewer still have been adequately reported. We are learning a great deal about the
mental and physical traits of such children, but we still know very little as to the most
effective methods of training them.

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 Bibliography

1. Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home (8th
Edition; April 2012, Pearson), by Dr. Barbara Clark
2. Thompson, R., Berger,T. and Berry, S. (1980). An introduction to the anatomy,
physiology, and chemistry of the brain. In M. Wittrock, (Ed.) The brain and psychology,
New York: Academic.
3. https://www.britannica.com/science/gifted-child
4. https://www.powerofpositivity.com/gifted-child-signs/

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 Glossary

1. Definition- սահմանում
2. Devote-նվիրել
3. Abundant-հարուստ
4. Attention- ուշադրություն
5. Investigation- հետաքննություն
6. Especially – հատկապես
7. Evident –ակնհայտ
8. Solve- լուծել
9. Reason- պատճառ
10.10.Skill –հմտություն
11.Mature- նախագիծ
12.Order- պատվեր
13.Degree-աստիճան
14.Seldom-հազվադեպ
15.Ability- ունակություն
16.Specific- հատուկ
17.Sphere- ոլորտ
18.Mental-մտավոր
19.Rejection- մերժում
20.Rapid- արագ
21.Wave- ալիք
22.22.Peer- հասակակից
23.23.Pursue- հետապնդել
24.Exhibit-ցուցադրել
25.25.Basis- հիմք
26.26.Extensive- ծավալուն
27.Lead-առաջնորդել
28.28.Individual- անհատական
29.29.Pace- տեմպ
30. Insightful-խորաթափանց

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