Determining whether or not your child is gifted can be a bit of a process if you are not sure where to start. While “gifted” might be defined by different people as representing different levels of exceptional talent, most schools and school districts define a student as gifted and talented “based on how the student learns and processes information.” Read on for indicators regarding a child’s giftedness and how to test to confirm that your child is gifted.
- While bright students may enjoy school and know the answers to most of the questions asked of them, gifted students enjoy learning in any setting and provide deeper insight.
- Bright students may enjoy company of their peers and have good ideas, while gifted students enjoy company of adults or older kids and may have wild imaginations and exciting ideas.
- Bright students are often good at memorizing and learning sequentially, while gifted students enjoy complex learning and general knowledge rather than memorization.
- Bright students often enjoy learning and easily absorb the material, while gifted learners are always wanting to learn more and use what they know to grow their knowledge.
If your child displays some or any of these indicators, you may want to consider having your child screened for an IQ test. Educational testing or gifted testing can be conducted on a few different scales to determine if your child is in fact gifted. Once you have your child tested, you will be able to better understand what programs and educational plans are right for your child and your family. Gifted education programs and schools will vary, and doing your research will be the best method to find the right fit for your child.
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