The U.S. Department of Education defines giftedness as "Gifted and talented children are those identified by professionally qualified individuals, who by outstanding abilities are capable of high performance. These are children who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school to develop such capabilities" (1993). 

Georgia defines a gifted student as one who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability, exhibits exceptional problem-solving skills, and shows potential for advanced achievement in academic or artistic fields. Identification is based on specific eligibility criteria, which utilize multiple measures, including mental ability tests, achievement scores, and creativity assessments.

Students can show aptitude and competence in the following areas: 

• Intellectual ability

• Creative thinking

• Artistic expression

• Leadership capacity

• Academic achievement in specific subjects

Gifted students are often misunderstood by peers, parents, and even educators. These myths can lead to under-identification, inappropriate classroom placements, and unmet needs. Let’s replace misconceptions with the truth, backed by research and advocacy.

Myths: 

1. Gifted students will succeed on their own.

2. Giftedness means high achievement.

3. Gifted students are gifted in all areas of learning.

4. Talented students are well-behaved and emotionally mature.

5. Gifted education is elitist.

6. Gifted programs are often only available to students who speak English fluently or come from high-income families.

Truth: 

1. Gifted students need differentiation and acceleration with support, like all other learners. The Davidson Institute for Talent Development states, “Being gifted doesn’t mean a child will automatically succeed without help. In fact, many gifted students experience boredom, frustration, and isolation without adequate support.” (2025). We want our students to succeed, and we must provide them with adequate support to help them achieve this goal. 

2. Gifted students can be at various achievement levels. Giftedness is about potential, not just academic performance. 

3. Giftedness can be domain-specific, where stduents can excel in one area but not another. For example, a student may be highly skilled in mathematics but struggle with reading.  

4. Many of our gifted learners may struggle with social-emotional skills or perfectionism.  Neihart et al. state, “Their cognitive skills may far exceed their emotional or social maturity” (2002).  We need to recognize that these students, although academically gifted, may require additional emotional support. 

5. Equity in gifted education ensures that students from all backgrounds have access to opportunities that enable them to reach their full potential and thrive. This is essential in all classrooms, especially in gifted classrooms. We want to ensure that our talented students are diverse and that all cultures are represented. You can see more on diversity in the Equity and Diversity in Gifted section. 

6. Gifted students come from every culture, language, and income level. Underrepresentation is a systemic issue, not a result of a lack of talent. We need to ensure that we are representing students who speak different languages and require more inclusive testing to provide proper enrichment for students who do not speak English fluently.