GiftedThis article needs . Gifted children are those considered by educational systems to have significantly higher than normal levels of one or more forms of intelligence. During the 20th century these children were often classified by the use of IQ tests, but recent developments in theories of intelligence have thrown doubt on the use of such testing. While IQ testing remains a controversial subject, the fact remains that there are those children who are beyond their peers and often feel either alienated or limited by those about them. Towards this end, many schools in both the US and Europe attempt to sort out and offer additional or specialized education for these students, in hopes of nurturing their talents. The general cutoff for such programs occurs around the sigma 2 level on a standardized intelligence test, children above this level being labled 'gifted'. Generally, these students learn more quickly than most of the population; and even may be able at the same level as normal children who are significantly older. Many schools offer gifted education programs: however, many of these programs (by nature only targeting a portion of the population) are often cut back due to budget restrictions. For some children, the only educationally available options are homeschooling, grade acceleration, or early college. These children are characterized by high reasoning ability, creativity, curiosity, a large vocabulary, and an excellent memory. They often learn to read early and can master a subject with few repetitions. They are also often very physically and emotionally sensitive, perfectionistic, and likely to question authority. Some have trouble relating to their peers because of differences in vocabulary size (especially in the early years), personality, and interests, and so they prefer the company of older children or adults. The Columbus Group (1991) offers this definition: "Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally." These differences do not disappear when children become adults or leave school. Gifted adults are seldom recognized as a special population, but they still have unique psychological, social, and emotional issues related to their high intelligence, as illustrated by one woman's story. (http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/optimum_intelligence.htm) Levels of GiftednessIQ testers use these classifications to describe differing levels of giftedness. The following bands apply with a standard deviation of σ = 15 on a standardized IQ test.
Unfortunately, most IQ tests do not have the capacity to discriminate accurately at higher IQ levels, being designed more to sort out gifted students than to distinguish between them. Although the Wechsler tests have a ceiling of 160, their creator has admitted that they are only accurate within the normal range (between 70 and 130) and should not be used to determine levels of giftedness. The Stanford-Binet form L-M, though outdated, is the only test that is known to identify the exceptionally and profoundly gifted. The Stanford-Binet form V, recently released, is currently being tested on this population. See alsoNational Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth External linksHoagies' Gifted Education Page (http://www.hoagiesgifted.com) Gifted Development Center (http://www.gifteddevelopment.com) Gifted Education Research Resource and Information Centre (http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au) de:Begabung Categories: AskFactMaster.Com cleanup |
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