An early interest in math, reading, and science is not unusual. These students have a need to know "why", "how" and "when".

   Extensive vocabulary development and precocious reading ability occur in some children at a very early age, and game that require concentration and reasoning are appealing to them.

   Some children exhibit artistic, musical, and theatrical talent while others demonstrate overall intellectual ability or develop an intense interest in reading, math, or science.

   When presented with open-ended or challenging problems, gifted students demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, and task commitment in order to reach productive solutions.

   Frequently, students with gifted potential may achieve high test scores, but lack task commitment and academic focus. The may be considered to be under-achievers in the classroom, although they exhibit behaviors such as persistence in a particular interest area, the ability to see complex patterns, and the use of humor. These students require differentiated services to meet their specific characteristics and needs and may be place in gifted programs in South Carolinas by achieving an aptitude test score at or above the 96^th national percentile.