What comes to mind when you think of intelligence? Some may think book smarts, some may think street smarts, and others will argue it’s a combination of both.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “intelligence” as the:
- ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations
- ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria
- act of understanding
- ability to perform computer functions
Clearly, intelligence is not something that we can shove into a single box or fit underneath one umbrella. People can objectively be intelligent, but how we measure intelligence is often subjective.
Don’t think so? Just look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Jay-Z, and Lady Gaga who all dropped out of school and have become incredible success stories.
This list has been adopted from the book, “A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children”:
-
- Unusual alertness from infancy
- Rapid learner
- Excellent memory
- Unusually large vocabulary and complex sentence structure for age
- Advanced comprehension of language (e.g., language nuances, metaphors, abstract ideas)
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the most common characteristics of gifted individuals.
- Problem-solving skills (i.e., with numbers and puzzles)
- Usually self-taught reading and writing skills in preschool
- Deep, intense feelings and reactions
- Highly sensitive
- Thinking is abstract, complex, logical, and insightful
- Idealism and sense of justice early on
- Concern with social and political issues and injustices
- Longer attention span and intense concentration
- Preoccupied with own thoughts
- Learns new (and basic) skills quickly and seamlessly
- Inquisitive (always asks “why” questions)
- Wide range of interests (or extreme focus in one area)
- Extremely curious
- Enjoys experimenting and doing things differently
- Puts idea or things together that are not typical
- Keen and/or unusual sense of humor
- Desire to organize people/things through games or complex plans
- Vivid imaginations
Identifying gifted children can be challenging. But the sooner parents and educators are able to do so, the sooner a child’s gifts can be nurtured and become talents – talents that they will remember for a lifetime.
So, be aware of how your child is developing. If you notice any of those 23 signs of giftedness, encourage them to keep exploring in their advanced and unique ways. Because it is gifted children who will likely be the ones who help transform our world into a better place.
