What's in a Name?

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

                           -William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Gifted.  It's a loaded word, and defining it is not easy.  You will encounter many opinions on what "gifted" means and there are many definitions floating out there depending on who you ask.  While there is no single definition of giftedness that is accepted by everyone, today we will try to understand the world's origin and how it is typically defined and used in schools to describe students. People refer to gifted children in many ways, but we will focus primarily on how this word is used in schools.  

The term gifted was first used in 1869 by Francis Galton who used it to refer to adults with exceptional talent in some area.  He also referred to children with the potential to become a gifted adult as gifted children.  By the 1900s this term had expanded to also include high IQ and it was around this time that the long-term study of gifted children began, leading to the first publications on giftedness.  In 1926, psychologist Leta Hollingworth published the book Gifted Children, Their Nature and Nurture, which also emphasized the role of nurturing in order for childhood ability to develop into adulthood.  Since then, the term gifted has been used by many to refer to children of high potential.  

Here are a few big things to remember as you encounter this word in the education "world".  

Different school districts have their own specific definitions of giftedness. 
The Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act defines gifted and talented students as "Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who needs services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities." [Title IX, Part A, Definition 22. (2002)]

Many states and districts follow the federal definition but may vary slightly.  While school are responsible for growing ALL of their learners.  It is often necessary to identify and name the unique needs of students.  All learners need different supports and activities to help them grow and meet their full potential.  The main purpose of Gifted Education Services is to ensure that there are supports and opportunities for these types of learners to fully develop and grow their skills.  

"Gifted" does not mean "special". 
While you will hear this word in schools, it does not imply that one child is better or more special than another.  Unfortunately, many people interpret the word this way.  In the field of gifted education, "gifted" does not mean having a "gift" but rather, that a student has a specific learning difference.  

Each child is unique and has something special to offer the world.  But not every child is "gifted".  In addition not all gifted learners are gifted in everything.  A student who is reading far above grade level, may not necessarily be performing in the same manner in other areas such as math or science.  Often times, these students also develop asynchronously, meaning that their minds are often ahead of their physical growth.  Sometimes their social-emotional needs and cognitive abilities.

Gifted students learn differently.
Gifted or not, all of us learn differently and have different preferences/styles.  Gifted learners however, have dramatic differences in how they learn information.  For example, while most students begin learning how to read in Kindergarten/1st grade, some gifted learners begin learning as early as age 3 or 4 without being formally taught how.  This example does not apply to all gifted children all of the time, but you can see how this difference illustrates a need for support.

Should we talk about this word with students?
Yes!  Begin a conversation not just with gifted learners, but with ALL learners.  While you don't have to go into all of the details, it is important for students to understand how they may learn differently than their peers.  In fact, gifted learners are often excited to talk about this.  They want to know what "gifted" means, why they may be working with another teacher, and what this means for their learning.  They want to understand and know that someone "gets them".  Kids are smart.  They may sense the elitism that many people assign to them.  Talking about what gifted means may begin to help the accept who they are in addition to becoming sensitive to the learning needs of others.

Questions? 
I would love to hear your feedback in the comments.  If there is a specific issue you would like to know more about, please leave a suggestion for future blog posts.

Want more information? 
Click here to find out more about how giftedness has been defined in the research and to compare different definitions of giftedness in other states.  The National Association for Gifted Children is a great place to learn more.  Seriously, you could get lost in that site!