A gifted child exhibits, or has the potential to exhibit, high performance in one or more areas. These areas may include creativity, leadership or special aptitude in a specific academic subject. According to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), 5 percent of the U.S. student population is gifted.
The Javits Act of 1988 outlined grants for educational programs designed for high-performing children who come from low-income families. The criteria for these grants requires that the student exhibit intellectual, artistic and/or leadership talents, or high performance in a specialized academic field.
According to the NAGC, a gifted student generally is an avid reader and possesses a strong interest in science or literature. He may also provide quick and accurate responses to questions, enjoy a wide range of interests, be emotionally secure, self disciplined, exhibit great curiosity, exhibit originality in oral and written forms and apply knowledge readily and easily.
Teacher recommendations, high IQ scores and academic grades do not always indicate giftedness. Teachers and parents should not rely only on these benchmarks as indicators of giftedness.
In 1993, the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) dropped the term gifted and replaced it with "outstanding talent." The OERI also stated that the characteristics of a child with outstanding talent can be revealed in all socioeconomic and cultural groups.
Famous gifted children in history include Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin. While each of these excelled in specific academic areas, they struggled in others. Einstein and Franklin struggled with math, and Edison didn't read until he was 9 years old.