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Common Gifted Myths

  • Gifted students do not need help. -Gifted students need specific differentaiation in the classroom and they still need to be taught.  Often, gifted students can be disorganized and need help with time-management skills.

  • Gifted students are self-directed.  -Gifted students can be perfectionist and may procrastinate because of this.  Gifted students need guidance and support.

  • Gifted students develop at the same level as their age peers.  -Many gifted students experience asynchrous development.  They may develop mentally faster than they develop socially or physically.  This is confusing for the student.  Many students may need time with peers on the same intellectual level as they are.

  • Gifted students are high achievers.  -Gifted students can be perfectionist and may underperform because they do not meet their own expectations.  Underachievement is also common among gifted students because they want to hide their giftedness to avoid the stigma associated with it.

  • Gifted students need to serve as examples for other children. -Gifted students may experience stress associated with their talent.  Pressure from themselves and the adults in their lives can cause high anxiety and may manifest in negative behaviors.  They should not be required to tutor or be an example for other students.

  • Gifted students are teacher pleasers.  -Gifted students may see the world as just or unjust.  This since of fairness often contributes to clashing with authority figures.

How can you support your gifted students?

Do

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  • Offer challenge and choice.

  • Allow time for high ability students to work together.

  • Use literature in which the students’ can connect to the characters on a social/emotional level.

  • Foster acceptance of individual differences and discourage bullying.

  • Focus on the process, not the product.

  • Promote collaboration.

  • Encourage risk taking and model making mistakes.

  • Provide clear expectations and rubrics.

  • Teach time management and organization.

  • Encourage expression of feelings via different mediums.

Avoid

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  • competition

  • stereotyping by gender

  • focusing only on high ability

  • exemplifying students publicly based on high ability

  • ignoring students’ feelings

  • creating a class helper

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