Smart Children vs.

Gifted Children
Source: Helping Gifted Children Soar, by Carol Strip, 2000, Great Potential Press, Inc.

Smart Children
Level of Interest
Ask questions and are curious about a number of things Finish projects as assigned

Gifted Children
Show intense curiosity about nearly everything or often immerse themselves in an area that interests them. Get deeply involved and may not finish projects on time because theyve become engrossed in or distracted by a particular aspect of the assignment. They can become so interested in a specific topic that they ignore other areas. Show so much energy and enthusiasm for their areas of interest that they may dream up their own assignments and projects. Require minimal direction and suggestions.

Work hard and energetically. Work to please others Learn new vocabulary easily, but choose words that are typical for their ages. Take turns in conversation because their minds are attuned to the give and take of relationships with others. Understand structure of language and can learn new languages with practice.

Language Ability
Use extensive, advanced vocabularies, understand verbal nuances that escape others, enjoy wordplay and puns, and often talk over the heads of their playmates (and sometimes over adults, too). Can dominate conversations at home or at school because of their intense excitement about ideas, although there are many quietly gifted children who have to be encouraged to share their thoughts. Learn language skills rapidly. Gifted immigrant students typically learn their new language much faster than other students, sometimes in as little as two months. Process information in unique ways. They may use reverse engineering to solve problemsthat is, they gain the answer through intuition and then work back through the steps required to arrive at the initial question. Dislike drills and rote learning because theyve mastered what theyre supposed to learn by the first or second repetition. Prefer finding new ways to solve problems, but are able to follow directions if necessary. Synthesize information presented in class and can apply it to new situations.

Learning Speed and Application of Concepts

Benefit from practice and repetition and are patient with some types of rote learning. Follow directions well. Take in and understand the information presented in class.

Questioning Style
Ask questions that have answers. Try to gather facts that relate to the current task. May prefer that facts be presented in a sequence they can follow. May ask the same question more than once. Show emotion, but generally are able to get past an upsetting incident fairly easily. They are usually able to articulate whats bothering them and will talk relatively freely about their emotions. Understand that relationships have ups and downs. They can argue heatedly with a friend, yet be best buddies again by the end of the day. Ask questions about abstract ideas, concepts and theories that may not have easy answers. Enjoy figuring out relationships, seeing cause and effect, and predicting new possibilities. Like complexity and are sometimes comfortable with ambiguous answers to questions. May ask the same question more than once, but rarely in the same way. Experience heightened, sometimes all-consuming, emotions that may hamper other areas of thought or work. They are passionate and they feel deeply. Some are amazingly empathetic, but may bottle up and internalize their feelings or be afraid to show their emotions. Invest heavily in relationships and can be excessively distraught if those relationships are disturbed by a disagreement, a perceived wrong, or a friends defection or disloyalty. Generally have high self-esteem, but some may feel different from others, may not fit in, and so may develop low self-esteem. Express dissatisfaction with their performance because theres so much more to do or I just didnt do it right. Can be intensely self-critical and perfectionistic. Show concern about fairness and equity far more intensely and on a more global scale. They are able to grasp the subtleties of complex moral and ethical questions, such as those relating to war and environmental issues, and they will defend their viewpoints with fervor and cogency. Will emphasize and debate fairness of a situation.

Emotional Outlook

Self-Image
Share interests with peers and fit in at school; they tend to think that others like them, and thus develop high self-esteem. Strive, achieve, and enjoy their accomplishments. Seldom worry about being perfect. State firm opinions about whats fair, but those opinions usually relate to personal situations, such as, He has more cereal in his bowl than I do.

Concern with Fairness

Understand reasoning with regard to whats fair and what isnt.