| INFORAMTION FROM CONVERSE ON GIFTED In
many fields of human endeavor, a mentor, coach, guide, or special teacher is essential in
the development of talent.
The excellent research by Bloom and Sosniak (1981) and studies of eminent individuals
emphasize the effort and commitment required to develop high talent.
1. The development of giftedness is the result of an interactive
process.
2. Our political and social system is based on democratic principles.
3. When human beings are limited and restricted in their development, they suffer physical
and psychological pain.
4. Society gains from the advancement of all abilities and from the highest development of
the talents of all of its members, whatever their strengths.
5. Gifted youngsters often think differently and have different interests from those of
their age mates.
6. When the needs of the gifted are considered and the educational program is designed to
meet these needs, these students make significant gains in achievement, and their sense of
competence and well-being returns.
7. Contributions to society in all areas of human endeavor come in overweighted
proportions from this population of individuals.
Kids Who are Different
Here’s to the kids who are different
The kids who don’t always get A’s
The kids who have ears twice the size of their peers,
And noses that go on for days...
Here’s to the kids who are different,
The kids they call crazy or dumb,
The kids who don’t fit, with the guts and the grit,
Who dance to a different drum...
Here’s to the kids who are different,
The kids with the mischievous streak,
For when they have grown, as history’s shown,
It’s their difference that makes them unique
The Next ones come from lesson 4: Slides 1 - 65 come from:
Talented Children and Adults, Their Development and Education. Second
Edition, Jane Piirto,
(1999), Merrill.
PREDICTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN TALENTED IN SCIENCE
Logical-mathematical intelligence underlies both science and
mathematics.
Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to deduce and then to
apply.
Fliegler (1961) came up with a checklist that still seems apt:
1. Interest in science during the preschool years
2. Curiosity as to what makes things work
3. Ability to understand abstract ideas at an early age
4. Strong imagination in things scientific
5. A love of collecting
6. Abundance of drive--willingness to work on a science project for long periods of time
in the face of difficult obstacles
7. Better-than-average ability in reading
8. Better-than-average ability in mathematics
9. Unusual ability to verbalize ideas about science
10. High intelligence, IQ of 120 or more
11. Tendency to think quantitatively--to use numbers to help express ideas
12. Willingness to master the names of scientific objects
13. Willingness to pass up sports and other games in favor of scientific pursuits
14. Tendency to relate stories about science, including the writing of science fiction
15. Creativity in science projects, including writing
16. Evident discontent with reasons that other children readily accept for things
scientific
17. Unwillingness to accept explanations about things scientific without proof
18. Exceptional memory for details
19. Willingness to spend long periods working alone
20. Ability to generalize from seemingly unrelated details
21. Ability to perceive relationship among the various elements in a situation
CHILDREN TALENTED IN MATHEMATICS
1. The ability to grasp the formal structure of the problem
2. The ability to be logical in numerical and special ways, utilizing symbolic information
such as numbers and letters, and to think with mathematical symbols
3. The ability to generalize rapidly using mathematical objects, relations, and operations
4. The ability to learn efficiently by abbreviating and shortening steps in mathematical
processes
5. The ability to be flexible in solving problems, to shift strategies, and to take
different roads to the desired end
6. The ability to appreciate parsimony (simplicity or economy) and elegance (grace and
richness) in solutions to mathematical problems (note that this ability may be a main
difference between those who become mathematicians and those who become scientists)
7. The ability to reconstruct problems, to reverse the steps in the mental process
8. The ability to remember the main features of mathematical problems and solutions, and
to store mathematical information
Mathematical ability of the highest sort, according to Kruteskii (1976)
combined strong analytical ability with strong spatial ability and superior rote memory
for such things as mathematical tables, saying that average calculating ability and
average rote memory were enough.
Business and Entrepreneurial Talent Qualities Found in the Writing of
Children Who Display Extraordinary Talent
1. The use of paradox
2. The use of parallel structure
3. The use of rhythm
4. The use of visual imagery
5. Unusual melodic combinations
6. Unusual use of figures of speech--alliteration, personification, assonance
7. Confidence with reverse structure
8. Unusual adjectives and adverbs
9. A feeling of movement
10. Uncanny wisdom
11. Sophisticated syntax--hyphens, parentheses, appositives
12. Prose lyricism
13. Displaying a "natural ear" for language
14. Sense of humor
15. Philosophical or moral bent
16. A willingness to "play " with words
CHILDREN TALENTED IN VISUAL ARTS
Predictive Behaviors of Visual Arts Talent
1. Interest
2. Precocity
3. Ability to concentrate
4. Works on own time
5. Draws for emotional reasons
6. Fluency
7. Communication
Winner (1996) said that "the core ability of the visually artistic
child is a visual-spatial precocity that makes it possible to capture the contour of
three-dimensional objects in two-dimensional space".
Hurwitz (1983) also listed the characteristics found in the artwork of
visual arts talented children:
1. Realistic representation, or verisimilitude
2. Use of detail
3. Visual and kinesthetic memory
4. Use wide variety of media
5. Improvisation
Characteristics of Musically Talented Children
1. Spontaneous response to rhythm and music
2. Love for singing familiar and made-up songs
3. Relative or absolute pitch and strong feelings for tonality
4. Highly developed ear
5. Ability to associate pitch with visual symbols
6. Memory for music heard
7. Chooses music to express feelings
8. Ability to match pitch
9. Appreciation for the aesthetic structure of music
10. Ability to discriminate among contrasting phrases and sections of song and
musical compositions.
11. Wants to take music lessons or play an instrument
12. Concentrates on music; stops to listen to music
Characteristics of Dramatic Talent in Young Children
1. Readily shifts into the role of another character
2. Shows interest in dramatic activities
3. Uses voice to reflect changes of idea and mood
4. Understands and portrays the conflict in a situation when given the opportunity to act
out a dramatic event.
5. Communicates feelings by means of facial expression, gestures, and bodily movements
6. Enjoys evoking emotional responses from listeners
7. Shows unusual ability to dramatize feelings and experiences.
8. Moves a dramatic situation to a climax and brings it to a well-timed conclusion when
telling a story
9. Gets a good deal of satisfaction and happiness from play acting or dramatizing
10. Writes original plays or makes up plays from stories
11. Can imitate others; mimics people and animals
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