Question

Who are gifted children? Give any six characteristics of gifted children.

Answer 1

According to Marland report (1972), “the gifted are those who possess outstanding abilities or potential in the areas of general ‘ intellectual capacity, specific academic aptitude, creative or productive thinking, leadership ability, visual or performing arts and psycho-motor activity”.

Characteristics of gifted children are as follows:

Physical characteristics: Their developmental milestones are observed way earlier than average children. An appropriate correlation is found between height and weight.

Mental or intellectual characteristics: They have a special ability of analysis and logic. They have a good ability to understand abstract ideas. They have original thinking.

Educational characteristics: They take an interest in reading reference books, newspapers, journals. They obtain good marks with less efforts than normal. They are systematic in their study.

Personality characteristics: They have a well-balanced temperament and a high ability of adjustment. They are goal-oriented, self-confident and have good conduct.

Social characteristics: They have a special ability of leadership, they are trustworthy like to play with children of older age group than themselves, high moral thinking and empathy and more tolerance ability.

Negative characteristics: Negative characteristics include stubbornness, shyness, demanding, poor handwriting, tend to question laws, rules authorities, overactive physically and mentally, absent-minded.