LEARNER

WHO ARE
GIFTED
AND
 The idea of multiple intelligences leads to new ways of thinking
about students who have special gifts and talents. Traditionally, the
term gifted referred only to students with unusually high verbal
skills. Their skills were demonstrated especially well, for example,
on standardized tests of general ability or of school achievement.
More recently, however, the meaning of gifted has broadened to
include unusual talents in a range of activities, such as music,
creative writing, or the arts (G. Davis & Rimm, 2004). To indicate
the change, educators often use the dual term gifted and talented.
Qualities of the gifted and talented What are students who
are gifted and talented like? Generally they show some
combination of the following qualities:
• They learn more quickly and independently than most
students their own age.
• They often have well-developed vocabulary, as well as
advanced reading and writing skills.
• They are very motivated, especially on tasks that are
challenging or difficult.
• They hold themselves to higher than usual standards of
achievement.
 Renzulli’s Three- Trait Definition
(a)Above-average general abilities: Within the above average abilities Renzulli
makes a difference between general abilities (like processing information,
integrating experiences, and abstract thinking) and specific abilities (like the
capacity to acquire knowledge, perform in an activity).
(b)(b) A high level of task commitment: Under task commitment he understands
motivation turned into action (like perseverance, endurance, hard work, but
also self-confidence, perceptiveness and a special fascination with a special
subject). Renzulli argues that without task commitment high achievement is
simply not possible.
(c)(c) Creativity: By creativity Renzulli understands the fluency, flexibility, and
originality of thought, an openness to experience, sensitivity to stimulations,
and a willingness to take risks.
 5 Common Struggles of Gifted and Talented Students

Gifted and talented students are often the envy of their peers
and naturally succeed in an academic setting. However, these
gifts are not without their pitfalls. Exceptional students need
emotional and social support to make sure they take care of
themselves as well as reach their maximum potential. These
needs can sometimes fall through the cracks when support
systems in schools aren’t adjusted to these students. Below
are five common struggles that gifted and talented students
face.
 1. Many gifted students try to reach an impossible
goal – perfection.

While it is normal and healthy to have high

expectations for your child, it’s important to make
sure these expectations don’t negatively impact their
mental health. Signs of unhealthy perfectionism are
procrastination or unnecessarily long amounts of
time devoted to already excellent projects.
 It’s wonderful to strive to do your best, but
prolonged perfectionist tendencies can lead to
stomach problems, obsessive-compulsive
disorders, and even eating disorders in hopes to
maintain full control of their lives. Help your
student accept that perfection is unattainable
and set reasonable yet high academic goals and
accept that no one – themselves included – is
perfect.
 2. Because of the pressures of rigorous schoolwork or
extracurricular activities, many gifted and talented students
have little free time.

Academic challenges are often fun to students with

exceptional intelligence, but constant pressure and no time
to relax can wear this fun away. The heavy workload of an
accelerated program can cause a lot of stress and strain on
young minds. It can take a toll very quickly and lead to
burnout.
To prevent this, make sure you help your child
schedule time for themselves and encourage
rest and relaxation, especially in regards to
healthy habits and a full night’s sleep. It is vital
to make sure your child has time to
themselves as well as time to interact with
friends and family. Here are some additional
ideas of activities your gifted child may enjoy.
 3. Gifted children are often very socially mature for their age, but
this can cause them to have problems interacting with their peers.

Middle and high school are difficult transitions for any student, but
the pressure can be worse on exceptional students. Many children
with average academic capabilities see their gifted peers as “show-
offs,” and try to distance themselves. In other cases, the gifted or
talented student may have trouble finding similar interests to other
children their age. It’s easier to find friends when interests and
intellect are similar.
4. Talented and gifted students may have trouble focusing on
schoolwork that doesn’t interest them or they don’t
naturally excel at.

Accelerated children are used to academic curriculum

coming naturally to them – it’s part of being gifted! However,
there will always be difficult or uninteresting subjects and it’s
important to address that. Students who are gifted in some
areas aren’t always gifted in every area and often get
frustrated or bored with things they aren’t immediately good
at.
High expectations can make it difficult
to ask for support. On the other hand,
when students pick up new material
quickly, they can become bored and
leave the rest of their peers behind
and cause disruption in an ordinary
classroom.
5. Organization skills can also be a problem with gifted
students as many are abstract thinkers.

While it is more common for male students to become

distracted and disorganized, this is an issue that afflicts
everyone. It is easy to become overwhelmed for
abstract thinkers, as it can make it difficult to break
down large projects into easy pieces. Visual aids like a
homework planner and calendar are excellent, and old-
school pencil and paper can also help the organization
process.
 It’s important to remember that gifted and
talented students are still children and are in
need of parental and educational support. The
problems listed above can be easily dealt with
in an environment suited to accelerated
children, like our trained staff at The Tenney
School. The one-on-one approach and
specialized support group help our students
succeed, even in the face of these challenges.
Rose Mae Abello
Tricia Ann Alvarez
Maria Theresa I. Aquino
Rose Ann Cericos
Gellie Ann De Guzman