Frequently Asked Questions - Parents

A gifted child may display some, but not necessarily all of these traits

Traits in young children

• As infants may get fussy if facing one direction for too long
• As infants, appear alert
• Need less sleep, even as infants
• Frequently reach ‘milestones’ such as walking and first speech earlier than average
• May speak late, but then speak in complete sentences
• Strong desire to explore, investigate, and master the environment
• Toys and games mastered early, then discarded
• Very active (but activity with a purpose, not to be confused with ADHD)
• Can distinguish between reality and fantasy (questions about Santa or the tooth fairy come very early!)

Source: Courtesy of Carol Bainbridge

Traits in children

• Extremely Curious
• Intense interests
• Excellent memory
• Long attention span
• Excellent reasoning skills
• Well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis
• Quickly and easily sees relationships in ideas, objects, or facts
• Fluent and flexible thinking
• Elaborate and original thinking
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Learns quickly and with less practice and repetition
• Unusual and/or vivid imagination

Source: Courtesy of Carol Bainbridge

School aged traits

• Advanced language skills, extensive vocabulary
• Rapid learning rate/need for stimulation
• Excellent memory/attention to detail
• Good problem solving, abstract reasoning, intellectual curiosity/insightfulness
• Deep sense of fairness and moral justice
• Heightened sensitivities/empathy
• Vivid imagination/keen humour
• Perfectionist/perseverance
• Fear of failure
• May appear inattentive
• May be reluctant writers
• Resist drill and repetition
• May impact friendship development
• May conform to be accepted

Source: Courtesy Catholic Education, NSW

The first thing you should consider is reading some additional information about gifted children so as to be clear in your mind about the issues.

You may want to approach your child’s teacher and explain that you think your child is gifted and why.

If you think that your child’s teacher did not accept your explanation, you could consult the principal or psychologist at your child’s school.

You could consider having your child’s IQ assessed externally to the school in order to confirm what you suspect.

Source: Courtesy Catholic Education, NSW

• Always make an appointment to see your child’s teacher. This is basic courtesy, shows that you are treating the teacher as a professional and ensures that the teacher will have the time to give you his/her full attention.
• It is also worthwhile to inform the teacher what you would like to discuss. This allows the teacher time to prepare for the meeting.
• At the meeting, be prepared to give concrete examples of your child’s work, feelings or behaviour, to illustrate their giftedness, not just your own impressions.
  • Link: GERRIC Checklist for Parents
• Keep in mind that you and the teacher are most likely concerned with the same basic goal – helping your child. Speak to your child’s teacher is a supportive and non-threatening way and they will probably respond in the same fashion.

Source: Courtesy Catholic Education, NSW

• Some questions you might consider asking the principal of a prospective school for your gifted child include:
• Does your school have a policy on gifted education?
• Is there an assessment procedure or formal identification process for finding gifted children in your school? Could you please explain this process?
• Could you explain how the school might cater for a gifted child?
• Is there a particular teacher who looks after the needs of gifted education at your school?
• Would it be possible to discuss what the school offers in this area in more detail with that person?

Source: Courtesy Catholic Education, NSW

Link: Article: Double, P (2006). Choosing a school for your gifted child. Vision (VAGTC) Volume 16 Number 2.

• Speak to your child’s teacher and discuss why your child may be bored. Boredom can mean many things to a child such as having to apply effort or completing an activity that requires lower level thinking before beginning a more complex task.
• Let them peruse the interests they are most passionate about out of school hours. For example you might consider giving them art or music lessons.

Most parents want their children to:

• Enjoy school
• Have access to great teachers and a supportive school staff
• Be motivated to do their best
• Have the opportunity to reach their full potential
• And have friends

If enrolment in an enrichment program/class can help your child with these goals, then it’s probably a good move. If he/she’s already succeeding in these ways, then the choice is not so critical.

Source: Palmer Learning

• The type of program your child has a chance to participate in will be limited by what the district or school has to offer.
• Some districts offer only one option, while others offer a choice. Some let individual schools run their own programs; others centralise all programs at one or two sites – an approach which often requires that children be transported to a school outside their neighbourhood.

Source: Palmer Learning

Not necessarily.

• The worth of any program will depend on the teacher involved, the support she is given, and the needs of the child. Those who are doing well in a general education classroom and are able to make social connections there may do better in a pull-out program where they are spending only a portion of their time with a group of other identified kids. Those who are totally out of place, socially and academically, in a regular class might do better in a self-contained gifted education room where they spend more time in a modified curriculum around other kids with similar interests and abilities.
• Making educational choices is really a matter of seeing what's available to you, and then making the best decision you can with the information you have at the time. Also keep in mind that your child is a developing, evolving creature whose needs may well change over time. What works one year, may not the next. Be flexible, expect change, and go with the flow.

Source: Palmer Learning

The Australian Psychological Society website has a "find" feature. Check out the following website: The Australian Psychological Society

Gifted students are not necessarily straight “A” students.  Straight “A’ students are not always gifted. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, not all gifted students have strengths in all academic domains. There are many who may excel in only one or two areas. Some students may qualify for gifted services but may also have a disability that interferes with their ability to perform well in certain curricular areas. Students may also be underachieving for a wide variety of other environmental reasons such as peer pressure.  

When a child should be referred and possibly tested is determined by the school and the parent. It is important that the student’s educational needs are being met. Often, by identifying a student and completing the necessary steps in the identification process, the school and parents can gain a greater understanding of the educational needs of the child.

A school with a gifted education program will typically incorporate some ability grouping, acceleration strategies and an appropriately differentiated curriculum.  It is also important to consider learning styles, relative strengths and weaknesses and the interests of the student. Differentiating the curriculum includes incorporating a focus on higher order critical and creative thinking skills.