Vocabulary notes

attitude – отношение

capacity for work – работоспособность

embarrassment – смущение, неловкость, препятствие, трудность

gifted – одаренный, талантливый

keen – проницательный, увлеченный, стремящийся

precocious – рано развившийся, не погодам развитой

share – делить, разделять (мнения), использовать совместно

soul mate – родная душа, единомышленник

trait – черта, особенность

"Giftedness is not something you do. Giftedness is something you are." Gifted children are unique individuals with unique needs. They are different, whether they want to be or not. When thinking about what it means to be "gifted," people usually think of intelligence or perhaps talent. Rarely do people think of unusual personality traits or the social and emotional characteristics that a gifted person might possess.

Yet if asked to describe a gifted individual that they know, people almost always list personality descriptors. A common descriptor that emerges is intensity: intensity of thought, intensity of purpose, intensity of emotion, intensity of spirit, intensity of soul. A gifted child must learn to channel this "intensity" and the adults in his or her world should learn to help.

Leta Hollingworth found through her studies that "children of 140 IQ waste half their time. Those above 170 IQ waste practically all their time in school." Wanting to do something to stop this waste, she started the first school for the gifted in 1922. She did not focus solely on the intellectual aspects of development, but rather incorporated what she considered even more important: "... elements of an exceptional education - challenge, fun, enthusiasm, and new adventures." She found that extremely precocious children were bored in traditional school and that is why they tended to act out.

Also highly intelligent young people have problems with finding friends because their age mates often do not share the same interests. Yet, their intellectual peers may not wish to form friendships with a much younger child, even though they may share the same interests. Schools for the gifted offer a place where age mates can also be soul mates.

Another social issue is that many times highly intelligent young people seem to have a negative attitude toward authority. They tend to correct their teachers or peers, which may cause embarrassment or be interpreted as socially unacceptable.

Gifted children need to learn patience and tolerance towards those who may not be as intellectually gifted if they want to be accepted by others and develop friendships.

A last social issue is the fact that children of profound intelligence tend to question big issues at an early age and the adults around them may not be willing or able to deal with such profound thought and questioning. These young people will not be satisfied with a "that's just the way it is" answer, or a typical busy parent's "because I said so!" response. The need to know and understand the reasons behind things can be frustrating and difficult for teachers and parents to deal with.

A gifted child has varied interests and exhibits strong curiosity; demonstrates a high level of language development and verbal ability; has extensive vocabulary; early or avid reader. He or she has an unusual capacity for processing information quickly; comprehensively synthesizes problems; reasons well. A gifted child early uses differential patterns in thought processing and he or she is a keen observer.

Gifted individuals are not a homogeneous group, and therefore, may exhibit these characteristics in varying degrees and intensities. It is not expected that a gifted child will exhibit all of the traits listed nor are the presence of any of these characteristics proof that a child is gifted.

(J. Delisle. Gifted individuals and their social and emotional needs/The stories and scholars of gifted education. – L, 2000.)