The idea of being considered gifted stretches in many different directions. As demonstrated in the timeline from A Brief History of Gifted and Talented Education, the definition of gifted has changed several times over the last nearly two centuries (National Association for Gifted Children [NAGC], n.d.). The definition started at being “qualitatively different in school, [being] slightly better physically and emotionally in comparison to normal students, and most successful when education and family values were held in high regard by the family” to “students who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields” (NAGC, n.d.).

Gifted students are students who often perform above their grade level because of their high intellectual capabilities. These abilities allow gifted students to think with more complexity and abstraction, which assists with learning at faster rates. Though this is made possible because of the capabilities of their strong, integrated, flexible, and complex brains, it is the result of a dynamic, stimulating, interactive process afforded to the student in their youth. The scope of giftedness, however, is not limited to just academic performance, as it may extend to creativity and leadership. Due to the identification procedures used for giftedness in a school, however, many gifted students are overlooked and underrepresented in the gifted programming. It is because of this that one of the key defining traits of giftedness is that the idea of giftedness is also continually changing.

It is important for a child to believe and act on the belief that their abilities are "malleable and can be developed" (Clark, 2007, p. 37). Ability is not determined at the time of birth, so teaching your child that setbacks, mistakes, and failures are stepping stools to success is imperative to their success in the future.

• • Help develop the growth mindset with your child by praising their efforts (hard work) instead of praising their intelligence (Clark, 2007, p. 37).

  • Model these behaviors by showing them your own uniqueness and demonstrate your abilities to share through understanding, kindness, and affection (Clark, 2007, p. 37).

  • Show them how you use your common sense and remain realistic and responsible to help shape their vision of themselves (Clark, 2007, p. 37).

  • Assist them in developing an "unusual willingness to do great amounts of work, a determination to do one's best at all cost, and the ability to learn rapidly" (Clark, 2007, p. 38).