Frequently Asked Questions - Children

Lots of people have different ideas about what being gifted means. Some say that it means you are cleverer than other kids your age. But what you might ask what it means to be clever.

It’s all about your brain and how it works. You might be able to do something more quickly, in more detail or better in some other way.

Some people say that being gifted means that you are more clever than 95% of other kids the same age. You might even be gifted but not get good marks at school.

There are lots of different ways to be gifted. Most people are gifted in one or two ways. You can even be gifted in one way but not very clever in another way. It doesn't mean you are not gifted in the first way. Some of the things you can be gifted in are numbers, patterns, words, speaking, writing, spelling, reading, art, dancing, acting, music and sport. Some other types of giftedness are creative or deep thinking, organising, leading others and general knowledge.

Usually, you will just know that you are able to think or do things better than other kids your age. You might notice that you can do things way past what your school mates can do. Or you might find the work given to kids your age far too easy.

There are some other ways that you might realise you are gifted. Maybe you learn things really fast and don't have to do them over before you're ready to go on to the next thing. You might be able to come up with a way to do something that is different to the method your teacher explained. You might be able to work out things in your head that other kids can't. Sometimes you might feel really frustrated when your teacher wants you to use a slower method to work out something that you can do quickly and easily.

Another sign that you are gifted could be that you feel you could be like the description above but you just haven't been able to work out how to do it yet or show it to anyone. It's possible to be gifted but not to have worked out how to use it yet.

Sometimes you might feel frustrated about being told or knowing that you are 'gifted'. It might be annoying if you have to do more work than the other kids or you miss out on activities because you have classes for gifted children. Perhaps other kids are always asking you to help them but you would just like to get on with your own thing. Sometimes you aren't allowed to work ahead when you finish work early or you have to do more of the same easy work. Do you ever feel as though your friends, teachers or family don't understand you? Or do they expect too much of you?

If you often feel frustrated about being gifted, try to find someone you can talk to about it. If you have other friends who are gifted, they probably feel the same. Or maybe there is an adult who would understand? You might like to write a journal about your feelings. Focus on the things you enjoy doing most and the people you feel comfortable with. Try to do these things more often.

Lots of kids say that school is boring from time to time. But if you are gifted, you might find school boring because you love learning and you aren't getting much chance to learn new things. Or it could be that most of the work you are given is too easy. Sometimes you can feel as though you are going to explode if you can't use your brain more.

If this is what it feels like for you, there are some people you can talk to. You can talk to your parents about this and ask them to help you work out what to do. They might speak to your teacher to explain how frustrated you are. Once the teacher knows how you feel, he or she can find out what type of work is best for you and give you that instead.

Also, you might sometimes feel comfortable to talk to your teacher when you are doing a task that is not challenging for you. Try to think of a way to adapt the activity so that it is more challenging for you. If you politely suggest this to the teacher, he or she is more likely to agree and let you do it.