High achiever, gifted learner or creative thinker

**jaq** · 30-04-2010 22:11

I'm doing a bit of research on giftedness and stumbled across THIS chart, and it all became clear. Absolutely CRITICAL reading if you are facing the "are they or aren't they" conundrum.

I think I'd been fobbing myself off with the fact that Annika might just be on the clever side of ordinary, whereas she ticks almost every box in that middle column.

Mindblowing stuff. The thinking has clearly come from THIS guy, who actually explains it AND gives references. Lots of reading for both parents and teachers on his website, really practical stuff for dealing with "challenging" kids.

**Ana Gram** · 30-04-2010 22:20

Ruby is pretty much straight down the middle too. No surprises there

**Pax** · 30-04-2010 22:26

haha just had a giggle when i read creative thinkers Questions the need for mastery

i dont know why that is funny but it is..

**jaq** · 30-04-2010 22:32

I'm still chuckling at "shares bizarre and often conflicting opinions". We could analyse all of BH on that line alone!

The High Achievers ...

The Gifted Learners ...

And us poor Creative Thinkers

**KatiesMum** · 30-04-2010 22:56

lalalalalala *with hands over ears*

I have been telling myself for ages now that Katie is NOT gifted. She is just advanced and enjoys learning .....

My sister is gifted, and has had so many issues .... I dont know that I am up to the task of being mother to someone who is so much smarter than me.

It is becoming evident to me though that I cant continue to deny the bleeding obvious ...

**blissfullybonkers** · 30-04-2010 23:00

Hmm gives me some food for thought, people(some only having just met DD) have mentioned to me that DD is very smart for her age, or very 'switched on' compared to others her age... will have a better look at that chart!

**SPC** · 30-04-2010 23:18

I've spent my whole life in column 3 and I suspect so did Esme's father; Esme has a double dose and at 8 months daycare ladies, [been there 26, 16 and 13 years], said they had never met a child like her. *sigh* Her problem solving skills at 18 months are making baby proofing a challenge. But hey, I have a child whose first word was hello and second was thank you, so at least she's polite.

**xkwzit** · 01-05-2010 06:43

That's really interesting Jaq. DD1 taught herself to read and write very early, so you might have thought early on that she was gifted, but as she has grown up I see that she is some high achiever, some gifted learner. The class environment suits her well and she is keen to impress her teachers.

DD2 is much more on the creative side

And I think that will be challenging

**peanutbutter&jelly** · 01-05-2010 07:42

I grew up in a house where there were 3 kids.
One was gifted.
One was under the term 'talented'.
One was gifted and learning disabled.

All were (and are) creative thinkers as well, but the talented and GLD are more so.
Dinners at Mum's are always uh... interesting

**mim1** · 01-05-2010 07:55

When my ds was 18 months old I did some research and confirmed my 'fears' that he was a gifted learner. He definitely fits into that middle column. My dh & I both fell into the 'gifted' category as children and socially it was SO isolating and frustrating. I was SO upset when I realised that my ds had that in his future. I think I cried for days.

But, I got over it and now we're just enjoying our special little boy. Life is never boring with our ds. He continues to surprise us day after day. Thankfully with the resources now available on the 'net and the potential for guided accelerated learning online will hopefully make it easier for parenting a gifted child.

To think that my ds stopped breathing & his heart stopped beating at 1 minute after birth and had swelling in his brain. The paediatrician said he could suffer long term developmental delay and we'd have to wait til he was 5 to assess that. It's a miracle really that he's not even remotely in that category.