Who is Identified as Gifted?

There are many definitions for giftedness. They all have one element in common: A gifted person is someone who shows, or has the potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression. Some of these abilities are very general and can affect a broad spectrum of the person's life, such as leadership skills or the ability to think creatively. Some are very specific talents and are only evident in particular circumstances, such as a special aptitude in mathematics, science, or music. The term giftedness provides a general reference to this spectrum of abilities without being specific or dependent on a single measure or index. It is generally recognized that approximately five percent of the student population, or three million children, in the United States are considered gifted.
- National Association for Gifted Children

Is My Child Gifted?

Should I nominate my child for GATE-Gifted And Talented Education?

Gifted and Talented students often demonstrate the following traits and behaviors (TABS):

• Memory: Large storehouse of information, on school and/or non-school topics;
• Inquiry: Asks unusual questions for age
• Reasoning: Logical approaches to figuring out solutions; ability to think things through and come up with a plausible answer;
• Problem-solving: Effective, inventive strategies for recognizing and solving problems;
• Motivation: Persistent in self-selected tasks; enthusiastic learner;
• Insight: Quickly grasps new concepts and makes connections; keenly observant;
• Imagination/Creativity; Produces many ideas; highly original; fluent and flexible producer of ideas; highly curious;
• Communication Skills: Highly expressive; unusual ability to communicate (verbally, nonverbally, physically, artistically, symbolically);
• Interests: Unusual or advanced interests in a topic or activity; self-starter; pursues an activity unceasingly;
• Humor: Conveys and picks up on humor quickly.

TABS adopted from Dr. Mary Frasier, University of Georgia