Identification Process
Identification of students for eligibility in additional gifted and talented services outside of the general education classroom setting are based on procedures that are organized into five phases. Each phase of the process delineates the procedures to determine eligibility, beginning with student nominations based on the common characteristics of gifted and talented students.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS
Because gifted children are so diverse, not all exhibit all characteristics all of the time. However, there are common characteristics that many gifted individuals share:
Unusual alertness, even in infancy
Rapid learner; puts thoughts together quickly
Excellent memory
Unusually large vocabulary and complex sentence structure for age
Advanced comprehension of word nuances, metaphors and abstract ideas
Enjoys solving problems, especially with numbers and puzzles
Often self-taught reading and writing skills as preschooler
Deep, intense feelings and reactions
Highly sensitive
Thinking is abstract, complex, logical, and insightful
Idealism and sense of justice at early age
Concern with social and political issues and injustices
Longer attention span and intense concentration
Preoccupied with own thoughts—daydreamer
Learn basic skills quickly and with little practice
Asks probing questions
Wide range of interests (or extreme focus in one area)
Highly developed curiosity
Interest in experimenting and doing things differently
Puts idea or things together that are not typical
Keen and/or unusual sense of humor
Desire to organize people/things through games or complex schema
Vivid imaginations (and imaginary playmates when in preschool)
Reproduced by permission from: Webb, J., Gore, J., Amend, E., DeVries, A. (2007). A parent's guide to gifted children.Tucson, AZ: Great Potential Press, www.greatpotentialpress.com.