Intellectually Gifted--These students are developmentally advanced in intellectual ability. They are able to solve problems, think metacognitively and see relationships that other children their age are not able to see. Because of this, some but not all are successful in school. Many of these children have a keen interest in several areas and accelerated language ability. As young children, they are described as inquisitive, eager, having long attention spans, a large vocabulary, and the ability to produce original ideas. As these children get older, their high abilities may surpass their social skills and make them socially different from their peers. This difference can cause them to experience emotional difficulty. These students often have such things as a superior sense of humor, moral development, and empathy.
Academically Gifted--Students who are academically gifted may have some of the same traits as intellectually gifted students. Their abilities are focused into one or two areas. A student who is academically gifted in the math area may be three years ahead of his/her peers in math reasoning and calculation, but at grade level for other subject areas.
Creativity--These students are often independent, confident, adventurous, playful, idealistic, and can be risk takers; however, their high energy level and humor make them fun in a casual setting but sometimes difficult in a formal structured one. Their curiosity often produces students with wide interests. Creative students are usually aware of their own creativity by the time they are adolescents. They can become so totally immersed in their ideas and creations that they are unaware of the other areas of their life.
Artistic--Artistic students can often be divided into two groups: those who are gifted in the performance area (i.e. dance, drama), and those gifted in the visual area (i.e. drawing, sculpting). These students often are able to best express themselves through some form of art. They may feel or act differently from their peers as they search for their artistic selves.
Leadership--There are students who are positive leaders for their class and others who are seen as negative leaders, leading their peers to do things that are inappropriate. Leaders in general are charismatic. Their intuitiveness and ability to interpret subtle cues makes them able to sense what is happening. A student with this ability will often be able to involve group members in a task and keep people involved. Students with leadership potential are assertive decision makers. They are persuasive, resourceful, persistent, and creative. They possess an ability to communicate and facilitate.
Compiled with some help from the following source:
Davis, Gary A., and Silvia B. Rimm. Education of the Gifted and Talented. Allen and Bacon, Boston, MS
