MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Teacher Education

LESSON IV: GIFTED AND TALENTED LEARNERS

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the student must have:

1. described the different classification of
giftedness
2. identified the characteristics of the gifted

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Activating Prior Knowledge

What the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VNf4qKh4fg and answer the following

questions precisely.

1. What exceptionality does Klyde have? How old is Klyde?

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2. What are the things that he can do which other children of his age cannot do?
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3. What are the characteristics of Klyde?

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4. How did Klyde’s parents nurture his special abilities?

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Content Input

Gifted and Talented Learners

Definitions:
1. The gifted are those capable of superior performance and these include those with
demonstrated achievement or potential ability in one or more of the following areas:
a. General intellectual ability
b. Specific academic aptitude
c. Creative or productive thinking anility
d. Leadership ability
e. Ability in the visual or performing art
f. Psychomotor ability

2. Renzulli (1981) defines the gifted as individuals who manifest the following cluster of
traits:
a. Above average ability (including intelligence)
b. High creativity (implies the developmental appreciation of innovative ideas)
c. High task commitment (related to a high degree of motivation)

3. In a study conducted by Baldo (1987) 378 teachers, parents, medical doctors,

psychologists and gifted persons associated giftedness mainly with the concept God-
given talent. On the other hand Camara (1989) defines the gifted as those who possess
gifts in the mental, physical, social, psychological, moral, spiritual, psychic and other
areas and utilize these for his good and that of society’s.

4. In general, the term gifted and talented children and youth also applies to those who are
identified at the pre-school, elementary or secondary level as possessing demonstrated
or potential abilities that give evidence of high performance capabilities in areas such as
intellectual, creative, specific academic or leadership ability, or in the performing or
visual arts and those by reason thereof, require services or activities not ordinarily
provided by the school, (Taylor, 1989)

5. The Disadvantaged Gifted: These learners are pupils who are deprived and undeserved
sectors of society. Their primary deprivation is economic and material poverty along
with its social, cultural, and psychological components.

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Creativity

Creativity is generally defined as the process of bringing new, different, and expected
response to a situation.

Guilford (1977) defines creativity as the ability to produce many alternative ideas
problem-solving situation.

Khatena’s (1976) notion of creativity is “the power of imagination to break away

from perceptual set so as to restructure ideas, thoughts, and feelings into novel and
meaningful associate bonds.

Torrance (1969) stresses creative thinking ability as a creation for giftedness and
identifies some of the appropriate characteristics:

 Fluency of ideas- the number of responses produced by a stimulus

 Flexibility- shifts in thinking from one category to another
 Originality- unusual or clever responses
 Elaboration- adding details to basic ideas or thoughts

Talent

Some educators use the term giftedness to denote outstanding intellectual ability
and the term talent denotes superlative skills in a specific area, particularly the arts.
However, the terms are frequently used interchangeably.

Classification of Gifted Individuals

1. The Nurtured Gifted

a. Individuals with high IQ’s (Oden, 1968; Terma 1925 and Oden 1959) observed
some specific characteristics in 100 children with IQ’s of 130 or higher and
followed their development into adulthood.
Characteristics:

 Fast learning ability

 Interest in reading biographies
 Scientific inclination
 Reading prior entering school
 Good abstract reasoning
 Good command of language
 Poor handwriting
 Only child
 Eldest child
 Born of older parents

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 Good adjustment
 Good physical health
 High scores on achievement tests
 Imagination
 High energy level

 Capacity for learning- accurate perception of social and natural situations;

independent, rapid, efficient learning of facts and principles; fast meaningful
reading, with superior retention and recall
 Power and sensitivity of thought- ready grasp of principles underlying things
as they are quick in detection of similarities and differences among things
and ideas, able in analysis, synthesis, and organization of elements, critical
of situations, self and other people
 Curiosity and drive- mental endurance, tenacity of purpose, stubbornness,
curiosity about things and ideas; boredom with routine and sameness
(Ward, 1975)

b. Highly Creative Individuals

The 1962 Getzels and Jackson study revealed some important
differences between highly intelligent and highly creative youngsters. Highly
creative children tend to be nonconforming: they question, challenge, and even
psychologically threaten some teachers who do not tolerate high levels of
nonconformity.
 Generate a large number of ideas or solutions to problems and
questions
 Are uninhibited in expression of opinion, sometimes radical and
spirited in disagreement, tenacious
 Display a good deal of intellectual playfulness, fantasize, imagine,
not conforming, accept disorder, are not interested in details, do
not fear being different
 Rely more on own evaluations than on those of others.
 Build a reputation for having wild or silly ideas
 Display humor, playfulness and relaxation in their creative
products

2. The Underachieving Gifted

Clark (1988) describes the underachieving gifted as those who have shown
exceptional performance on a measure of intelligence and who nevertheless do not
perform as well as expected for learners of the same age on school-related tasks.
They are frequently seen as:
 Excessively aggressive or withdrawn

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 Having negative self concepts

Davis (1989) described the underachieving gifted as having low self-esteem,

academic avoidance behaviors, poor study habits, unmastered skills and discipline
problems.

3. The Disadvantaged Gifted

Disadvantaged gifted learners are pupils who come from deprived and
undeserved sectors of our society. Their primary deprivation is economic and
material poverty along with its social, cultural and psychological components.
Characteristics of the disadvantaged gifted:
 Independence of actions
 Fluency in nonverbal communication
 Imagination in thinking
 Learning quickly through experience
 Originality and creativity
 Responding well to media
 Ability to generalize learning to other areas
 Ability to solve problems by ingenious methods
 Language rich in imagery
 Response to the concrete

4. The Handicapped Gifted

The gifted handicapped are those individuals who exhibit unusual gifts,
talents in spite of physical, mental, emotional, or experiential handicaps (Blocker-
Dixon, 1977) and exhibit the following characteristics:
 Limited communication skills
 Low self-concept brought about by negative attitude of others,
labels and lowered expectations from teachers and other
significant adults
 Inadequate social skills
 High level, abstract thinking skills

Check for Understanding

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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
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Read the attached story of Worth Lodriga and Shaira Luna. (https://r3.rappler.com/home-and-
parenting/228247-gifted-journey-little-picasso-philippines)and
(http://ssp.ph/youngster/index.php/youngster-columns/inspire-hub/item/shaira-luna-
embracing-the-beauty-of-imperfection ) Then answer the following questions.

1. Who is considered as the Little Picasso?

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2. Why did they call Worth The Little Picasso?

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3. What award was given to Worth Lodriga?

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4. How did his parents spot that Worth is gifted in art?

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5. How did Worth’s parents nurture his talent for art?

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Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education

1. What exceptionality
did Shaira Luna show as a young
child?
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2. Why was she called gifted?

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3. Did Shaira enjoy her life as a young child? Why? Why not?
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4. What are the exceptional things she did at age 12?

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5. What happened to Shaira when she became a teenager?
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6. How did her fame go with the win?

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7. Described Shaira as a lady. How different is she when she was a child?
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8. Why did she quit school?
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9. Describe Shaira Luna?
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10. What lessons did she learn from her experience?
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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
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The gifted journey of the Philippines’ “Little Picasso”
Get to know more about Worth Lodriga, award-winning visual artist and the newest Promil
FOUR kid
Rappler.com
Published 11:09 AM, April 22, 2019
Updated 3:49 PM, April 26, 2019

MANILA, Philippines – You’ve probably seen him and his masterpieces in a commercial.
It’s reminiscent of those featuring gifted children Shaira Luna and CJ de Silva.
Like them, he’s showing talent that’s beyond his age.
He’s Worth Lodriga. The Philippines’ “Little Picasso” and the newest Promil Four Gifted
Child.
As the 2018 Ani ng Dangal awardee for Visual Arts, winner of multiple international art
contests, and the youngest member of the Philippine Pastel Association and Art Expands, it
seems that Worth was also born with a gift.
But if not nurtured, a gift like Worth’s could become a wasted potential.
Spotting the gift
Worth’s mom, Wendy, noticed his interest in art when he was just two years old. As she was
teaching him how to read by writing on a whiteboard, she noticed Worth use the marker to
draw a human figure instead of a simple stick drawing.
It seemed that his interest in drawing was sparked by people around him – Wendy, an
architect; his grandparents, a painter and an art teacher; and his aunts and uncles who all took
up Fine Arts.

YOUNG AWARDEE. In 2018, Worth was chosen by the National Commission for Culture
and Arts as an Ani ng Dangal awardee for Visual Arts. Photo courtesy of Wendy Lodriga
Wendy began to think it was more than a fleeting interest by the way he would sit for hours
focused on his art. She knew it was something she should nurture.

Nurturing the gift

It wasn’t an easy journey. At four, Worth became the target of bullying at school. To help
him recover, Wendy stopped working for a year to focus on Worth and even ran for batch
PTA president so she could be near him.
Hoping to rebuild her son’s confidence, she encouraged him to join art competitions.

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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
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“Worth stopped believing in himself… it takes a lot of courage and strength and prayers for
your kid to believe in themselves again. It took a lot of sweat and a lot of love,” said Wendy.
Worth joined and won a number of competitions here and abroad beginning when he was 6
years old. One of these was the Junior Picasso 2016 art competition where he got the moniker
“Little Picasso of the Philippines” after winning the 7 Star Artist Award.

LITTLE PICASSO. Worth's love for the Philippines manifests in his art. Here, he holds up
his favorite painting called '€La Familia'. 'It’s a Filipino family and it represents the Filipino
as one,' he says. Photo courtesy of Wendy Lodriga
That same year, Worth also joined Promil Four’s iShine, a competition which mentored and
showcased young children gifted in music, dance, and the visual arts. Worth, representing
visual arts, was one of the grand finalists.
“[I tell my boys that] every time you’re gonna join a competition, just laugh it off when you
lose. [I ask them] ‘When you play a video game and you lose, what do you do?’ [They tell
me] ‘Mom, I press the restart button.’ Competitions are like that as well. When you lose, join
again,” she said.
She makes sure to nurture any other interest he
has, including baseball and badminton. Wendy
recognizes the importance of ensuring that her
children’s growth and development are on track
to help them reach their potential, especially
when it comes to proper nutrition. Worth and her
younger son, Wisdom, have always been Promil
Four kids.

ALL-OUT SUPPORT. Wendy remains by

Worth's side at every step of the way, from art
competitions to baseball games and everything in
between. Photo courtesy of Wendy Lodriga
“Proper nutrition is very important. For example,
you’re very willing to be there for them but they
cannot grasp what you’re saying because they’re
unhealthy. For me, it’s very important that you
choose what you give them,” she shared.
With Worth now joining the ranks of iconic
Promil Four kids, Shaira Luna, Kiko Galura, and James Flores, Wendy is nervous yet excited
to inspire other parents with their family’s story.
“I’m excited and I’m wanting, not just the Filipinos, but people around the world to know,
especially the parents, that you [play] a big role in the life of your kid. Whatever you want to
happen to your kid, you have a very big responsibility and you have to do it
well.” – Rappler.com

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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
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Shaira Luna: Embracing the Beauty of Imperfection

on Friday, 03 June 2016. Posted in Inspire Hub

by Anthony Capirayan, SSP

I whipped out my phone and showed her a photo of a woman which would serve as our peg
for the shoot.
“Okay!” she giggled and walked back to the spot where I asked her to pose.
I snapped a photo. Then another one. Before I knew it, she was posing in her own way, so I
just let her do her thing as I rapidly fired away. After all, she has been a professional fashion
photographer for ten years now. And she made it this far neither because she carefully
planned it, nor because she tried to imitate someone’s work; she has become a well-sought
lenswoman because she deviated from the “perfect career” she was groomed to have.
The “Gifted Child”
At a very young age, Shaira Luna can soak up all information like a sponge. She can get
herself lost in the wonders of astronomy, anatomy, biology, world history, and multiplication
tables at the age of two. A room full of encyclopedias was her playground. When her head
was not buried in books, she would go experimenting, painting, and learning to play a
musical instrument. With an IQ of 164, she breezed through her elementary years on top of
her game.
It was in 1995 when she appeared in a milk commercial, which dubbed her as the “Junior
Anatomist.” Her face then was all over various spreadsheets, magazines, and TV programs
bearing the monikers “Gifted Child” and “Promil Kid.” She was the girl every kid dreamed to
be— a genius. (And I even begged my mother to buy me that “wonder milk” to give my
average mind an extra boost, but to no avail!)
She stepped onto high school when she was nine. But because she was chosen to be the
Department of Education’s official youth spokesperson, she was flying all over the country to
give inspirational speeches to students on . . . guess what? Choosing the best career in life! At
thirteen, she was already in college taking up human biology and was juggling her time for
studies and work as she was also producing a segment in a TV show.

A Fork in the Road

Just as when everyone thought she would become the next finest doctor in the country or a
Filipina scientist who would discover a vaccine, she decided to quit her premed course after
two years. “I would look at my medical books, and there was nothing . . . like connection,”
said Shaira. She realized she was not having fun anymore; she felt she was missing a lot in
life.
“I would go to class, but my mind would go blank, daydreaming,” she confessed. She spent
most of her college life alone, cutting classes, and playing arcade in the mall. She shifted
courses four times after Human Biology. She even flunked in some of her subjects (She took

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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
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algebra thrice!). For many, she was not really the whiz kid they grew up to watch and admire.
For some others, they thought she had gone a little crazy. And for her family, she was a waste
of extraordinary talent; she let an opportunity (that promised a sizable income) fly out of the
window.
Stumbling into Photography
“I had a point-and-shoot camera sometime in college, but I never really had an inkling,” she
shared. Shaira would take pictures of her bandmates whenever they had a gig and posted
them on the now-defunct Friendster.
In her sixth year in college, she stopped going to school, used her tuition to buy her first
DSLR camera, ran away from home, and focused more on her craft. “I even sold my flute
when I was starting out, and I would save my money to the last centavo,” she reminisced. She
would shoot almost everything, and people started to notice her photos. Many would ask her
to do their posters and album covers, and later was requested to shoot various events—
birthdays, baptisms, fiestas, and whatnot. She discovered that photography was more fun than
she thought it would be.
Daily Grind and Find
At present, Shaira, 29, is represented by Jed Root Manila, one of the world’s creative talent
management agencies. Her photographs have graced the covers of prestigious glossies in the
country. She also gets to travel abroad for some shoots. She possesses a ready-to-roll attitude
that she shoots every day with the same amount of passion. People she works with wonder
how she does it. “Because I really, genuinely enjoy shooting!” she shrieked with delight.
She recalled that when she was young everything was taught to her. She was boxed in “this-
is-the-proper-way-to-go-about-it” discipline. With photography, in which she was never
taught, she enjoys the learning and exploration that come with it. She also feels like a
psychologist who brings out her clients’ personality in her photographs.
“Every day I discover or try something new. Or even if the shoot is something that I’ve done
before, I would ask myself how could I make it more interesting or different,” she said.
“That’s why I never get tired or burnt out. Not yet, at least! And I don’t think it’s gonna
arrive soon.”
Rest for Shaira would mean doing research for her future shoots or immersing herself into
something fun to watch as she studies how the light falls on the characters’ faces. She also
loves thrift-shopping in an ukay-ukay,  cooking, or doing the grocery.
“When I feel like I need to take a breath, I’d vacuum. I really like vacuuming!” She said it
like it is best thing next to the glamorous photography business. Believe it or not, hanging
out, partying, and flying off somewhere for a vacation are not her kind of unwinding.
Shooting, and yes, vacuuming do the job. And besides, she loves shooting so much for it to
be considered work.

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The Imperfect Way

Shaira does not wait for big milestones to make her happy and fulfilled. For her every shoot
is a great reward in itself. She does not aim for perfection in her work. She’s free-spirited and
doesn’t like things rigid. “Just don’t beat yourself up over things,” she advised.
She also feels sad about how some people would screen her interviews and put her in the
pedestal of perfection by leaving out the parts of her life where she stopped schooling,
flunked, and ran away. She said, “How you are perfect is how you get around stuff like that.
But don’t be perfect. That’s not fun.”
She also believes that one’s journey through life has no exact pattern. “You can idolize
someone, but eventually you have to make your own way.”

A Life Full of Cracks

As I walked her to the gate to wait for her Uber, she spotted a vintage Mitsubishi Lancer
parked in front of our building. She then rolled up her sleeve and showed me a car tattoo on
her arm. “It’s my Dad’s; he was once a drag racer,” she explained. I asked her if she also
drives fast. “No, I don’t. I’m not very good with directions. I get lost easily,” she said matter-
of-factly.
Shaira did not mind showing to me her scarred soul. My encounter with her left me in
contemplation; she taught me that it’s okay to mess up, to falter, to get lost, to be imperfect.
And oftentimes, it is through these “cracks” that the light of life, of happiness, of love, of
beauty, comes in. 

Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

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