Characteristics
Characteristics of Gifted Learners
During a child’s first five or six years, some of the most commonly exhibited characteristics are: (this is not an exhaustive list)
Extraordinary vocabulary at an early age.
Varying sleep patterns and needs, often beginning in infancy.
Exceptional understanding of complex or abstract ideas.
Precocity in math and language tasks — knowledge and behaviors that are not taught or coached, but surface on their own.
Advanced sense of humor and understanding of jokes and puns.
Heightened sensitivity to feelings and ideas.
Amazing curiosity—questioning and touching almost everything (it seems!)
General Intelligence
Recalls facts easily.
Is very well informed about one or more topics.
Shows keen insight into cause-effect relationships.
Has exceptional ability to solve problems.
Has phenomenal memory.
Intelligence in a Specific Academic Area
Exhibits extended attention in math, science, and/or humanities.
Displays a passion for a topic of interest.
Makes independent contact with or carries on correspondence with experts in the field.
Puts extensive efforts into a project; time is of no consequence.
Manages to change a topic under discussion to the discipline of his/her interest (e.g., a discussion on today’s weather soon becomes focused on meteorology or global warming).
Creativity
Possesses strong visual thinking or imaginative skills.
Transfers ideas and solutions to unique situations.
Prefers variety and novelty and an individual way of solving problems.
Asks many and unusual questions.
Often has several projects going at once.
Resists external controls, tests, and challenges limits.
Leadership
Relates to and motivates other people.
Organizes others for activities.
Demonstrates high levels of self-assurance when making decisions or convincing peers.
Sees problems from many perspectives.
Listens to and respects the opinions of others (or listens to, and debates the opinions of others).
Visual/Performing Arts
Shows very high ability in the visual arts, i.e., painting, sculpting, and/or arranging media in a unique way.
Possesses unusual ability to create, perform, or describe music.
Possesses unusual talent in drama or dance.
Uses artistic ability to express or evoke feelings.
Persists with an artistic vision.
Adapted from an article by Dr. Paula J. Hillmann, Ph.D., Emeritus Faculty, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Educational Psychology; published by the Washington State Family and Community Engagement Trust.