Identifying Gifted and Talented Students:

What to Consider
Monday, June 13, 2022

When educators look to their classrooms and lesson plans, so

much goes into the design of instruction. So many different types
of learners exist in a general education classroom that it is hard to
identify a “typical” learner.

All students have the right to learn new things every day, but
managing the range of academic levels within a classroom is a
formidable task. Students identified as gifted and talented (or
some combination of these terms) can often be underchallenged.
There can be a mismatch between how they preferer to learn and
how they are taught. This can lead to a host of behavior,
confidence, and peer relationship challenges.

Giftedness is not fixed; all students have the ability and the
potential to excel, and all students have special talents and
strengths. The important thing is finding a way to nurture those
talents and strengths in such a way that students can develop their
potential to the fullest.

Given how easy it is for gifted students to go unidentified and the

many types of assessments that may gauge them as gifted, it
should be no surprise that it can be hard to recognize a gifted
child. The difficulty in assessing whether a child is gifted is also
complicated by the fact that children can be gifted in so many
different domains.

The problem with Gifted and Talented programs

The value and fairness of gifted and talented education programs
are often topics of debate, and with fair reason. While the
intention of catering to the advanced abilities to better help
students meet their full potential might come from a good place,
historically, admission to these programs tend to favor children
with wealthy, educated parents who are more likely to be white.
According to an article from U.S. News, “in the 2017-18 school year,
white students were 48% of the public school population,
according to NCES data, but made up roughly 58% of those in
GATE programs, according to estimates from the U.S. Department
of Education. Black students represented 15% of the overall
student population but only 8% of students in gifted education.”

While advocates for gifted and talented education (GATE), such as

the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), are taking
steps to address racial and socioeconomic disparities, it is not a
quick fix, nor is by any means the only issue with GATE programs.
NAGC defines gifted students as those who “perform—or have the
capacity to perform—at higher levels compared to others of the
same age, experience, and environment,” but there is no formal
universal method for deciding who qualifies as gifted. Rather,
states and local districts generally define not only who qualifies
but also what the programs offer.

In some schools, students are identified through parent and

teacher referrals, though this practice can be biased against
students of color, and it puts students without a strong family
advocate at a disadvantage. Other districts have tried to eliminate
bias by testing all children for giftedness, and while universal
testing has been shown to increase the representation of low-
income and minority students in GATE, critics point out that
parents and families with means and motivation can pay for test
preparation for their students, giving them an advantage over their
peers. Additionally, testing for giftedness is typically not as
accurate with young children. Experts agree, for the most part,
that testing before the age of six is too early to truly identify
"giftedness."

Simply identifying what qualifies a students as "gifted" is also a

challenge. There is not a consensus on gifted and talented
program orientation and implementation across the country.
Unlike special education services, students who are above the
spectrum of typical are not federally mandated to be served.
States have uneven and unequal policies for identifying, funding,
and supporting gifted students. Some states have mandate
programs and others have no definitions or categories for gifted
and talented students. In funding and in certification, tremendous
differences exists as well, one state may have specific certifications
required, and another no additional accreditation needed.
The disparities in law to address the needs of gifted students is
clear; unless their gifts create a problem in learning (such as
causing distraction or trouble focusing during class time), there is
very little consistent legislation to meet their needs. To see
widespread transformation, change needs to come from the state
and federal level, but in the meantime, there are accessible
practices classroom teachers can use to support students’ gifts.

What to look for in a student that could be Gifted and

Talented
Outside of formal identification processes, there are some things a
classroom teacher can look out for that may gauge if a student
could be considered gifted. Here are a few indicators:

 IQ Testing

Average scores fall between 85–115 on a standard IQ test, with 100

being considered typical. The farther away from the absolute norm
of 100 a child is, the greater the need for special educational
accommodations, regardless of whether the distance is above or
below 100. While an average intelligence score is 90–110, gifted
children will typically score well above this. Often, districts will use
the IQ tests like Woodcock-Johnson IV (WJ IV), Wechsler Intelligence
Scale for Children (WISC), or Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales as a
first step in identifying students for gifted programs.

However, these tests have inherent faults. Teachers may not be

trained or qualified to interpret the IQ assessment,
and NAGC reports that EAL (English as an additional language)/ESL
(English as a second language) students may be underrepresented,
along with minorities and students from low-income families in the
results of these assessments. Far too often, it is gifted learners are
underchallenged or never identified, especially if the identification
process begins and ends with an assessment. This
singlemindedness can create a process that is flawed.

Exceptional Talent

Gifted students may have the ability to perform a task or skill at a

level not usually reached until later years, sometimes as late as
adulthood. This can also pose a problem. If the exceptional talent
is in a creative discipline such as music or art, the child may not be
identified as gifted by the school because most testing for gifted
programs is based on academic ability or achievement.

High Achievement

Gifted children are usually, but not always, high achievers. They
may not get good grades, but they score high on achievement
tests. Often, these children simply love to learn and are good at it.
They may not be motivated by grades, but they are rather
interested in the process of learning.

Unique Disposition

Heightened sensitivity, intrinsic motivation, nonconformity, and

total absorption in an activity and thought—these are hints, not a
checklist, of unique behaviors and sensitivities that gifted children
often have. They can also be more aware of the thoughts and
feelings of other people. However, this understanding does not
necessarily translate into knowing how to deal with their zeal
through appropriate social channels.
Imagination and Humor

Gifted students use imagery and infer intuitive theories that are
more creative or tangential in their thinking. In the classroom, their
interpretations are often unexpected.

Extraordinary Vocabulary

Verbally gifted students can intuit the direction of the teaching and
appear to be ahead of the room. They often understand and use
more words than their peers. Younger students may include
abstract and figurative language that appears far ahead of typical
development. This may be because they are reading more, as well
as more advanced texts. It can also be related to a heightened
sensitivity to syntax and an ability to guess at the meaning of new
words encountered in context. They acquire language with ease
and are more at ease communicating with adults. Gifted students
ask a lot of questions, listen intently to the answers, and will talk a
blue streak on topics they are interested in. They remember the
answers, work independently, and retain all the words. Sometimes
an extensive vocabulary or advanced reading level is an indicator.

Advanced Interests

Perseveration refers to the obsessive and highly selective focus on

things. In the context of gifted students, this can center around a
current area of interest. They can demonstrate a need to know
everything there is to know about a topic. Or similarly, they may be
quite passionate about topics and hold strong opinions. You can
teach around that. Use this excitement and obsession to teach
skills.
This is not a comprehensive list. A child may be a gifted trumpet
player, more amazing than anyone else has ever been in the
history of trumpet players, but struggle in math. Giftedness is also
not fixed; it does not mean a student is necessarily smarter than
any other student, nor does it mean other things will come more
easily to a gifted student. A student could be gifted at writing and
reading comprehension but find spelling a challenge. Or fabulous
at classical piano but struggle with jazz. Where does a GATE
program fit in for this student?

Strong gifted and talented programs are not designed to teach the
content, but rather to open opportunities for creative thinking.
These students are unique, a soup of learners with differing
abilities and talents, and as such, it is the opportunity to learn and
be guided that drives a good program. That brings us to a very
important question.

Ultimately, does it matter if the student is identified as

gifted?
Students identified as gifted and talented may learn more rapidly,
have stronger recall, or learn differently from their peers. They are
capable of mastering new content faster and more deeply than
their peers. They may have wild imaginations and create intricate
and sophisticated stories, songs, or plays. They may be witty,
demonstrating an advanced appreciation for humor. While it is
important to remember that these students may share similar
characteristics and defining qualities, they can also be passionately
interested in different things and fuel those interests.

A gifted learning profile manifests in a myriad of ways. Much of the

information taught in school is made up of concepts that are
linked around a topic or theme. Gifted students can make unique
connections to the content. A gifted child is an original thinker and
able to access abstract reasoning and bring together ideas from
different areas.

When we look at a typical classroom full of children, isn’t that what

we see when we stumble across a student’s passion? If we build a
general education classroom that pays attention to the whole
child, we are often blessed with the accidental presence of a gifted
lesson, when the activity targets the learner’s obsessions.

So, does it matter if a student is formally identified as gifted? The

short answer is no—as long as you can recognize that the students
in your class have gifts, especially as you lesson plan.

If educators can keep a few things in mind when teaching, we can

tap into techniques for teaching ALL kinds of students.

1. Support acceleration and enrichment

 
2. Allow for topic immersion
 
3. Telescope the curriculum
 
4. Build intentional flexible learning groups
 
5. Incorporate creative questioning
 
6. Allow for self-direction
 
7. Set deadlines
 
By incorporating these concepts with all students, gifted students
(identified and not) will reap the benefit of a gifted lesson.

Why teaching gifted students matters (whether or not

they are identified)
The population of gifted students has the potential to contribute
significantly to our world and change how we live. Gifted students
are innovators. They give us the big ideas, possibilities, and
options. They could be our future engineers, scientists, designers,
writers, and leaders.

Identifying students who are gifted can help determine special

services and differentiated approaches to instruction. However,
while waiting for the assessment wraparound services, these
approaches can benefit the general education students too. Keep
that in mind that when planning your lessons, you may find you
have a classroom full of visionaries

Winnie O'Leary
Winnie O’Leary has spent over 25 years in education, as a classroom teacher, school board
member, a family advocate, special education teacher, curriculum writer and currently
a Curriculum Manager for Edmentum. Her experiences have allowed her to work with districts
all over the country where she finds something new and exciting every day. 
Identifying Gifted and Talented Students: What to Consider | Edmentum Blog