High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Thinker ~ CAG Santa Lucia Region 5

The following chart, by Bertie Kingore and included in last summer’s issue of the CAG journal, Gifted Education Communicator, may be helpful to teachers who have trouble discerning between those students who are gifted (regardless of achievement levels), those who are high achieving (although perhaps not gifted), and those who are highly creative.

When teachers provide students with a variety of differentiated assignments, they can more appropriately serve students in all three groups. Obviously, all students should be seen as individuals, but the chart can provide insight as to the variety of academic needs our advanced students have.

Please contact Steve Kahl (steven (dot) kahl (at) mvla (dot) net) if you would like support in developing assignments for students in any or all of these groups. He is happy to work with you.

High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Thinker (B. Kingore, 2004)

A HIGH ACHIEVER	A GIFTED LEARNER	A CREATIVE THINKER
Remember the answers.	Poses unforeseen questions.	Sees exceptions.
Is interested.	Is curious.	Wonders.
Is attentive.	Is selectively mentally engaged.	Daydreams; may seem off task.
Generates advanced ideas.	Generates complex, abstract ideas.	Overflows with ideas, many of which will never be developed.
Works hard to achieve.	Often knows without working hard.	Plays with ideas and concepts.
Answers the questions in detail.	Ponders with depth and multiple perspectives.	Injects new possibilities.
Performs at the top of the group.	Is beyond the group.	Is in own group.
Responds with interest and opinions.	Exhibits feelings and opinions from multiple perspectives.	Shares bizarre, sometimes conflicting opinions.
Needs 6 to 8 repetitions to master.	Needs 1 to 3 repetitions to master.	Questions the need for mastery.
Learns with ease.	Often already knows.	Questions: What if…
Comprehends at a high level.	Comprehends in-depth, complex ideas.	Abstracts beyond original ideas.
Enjoys the company of age peers.	Prefers the company of intellectual peers.	Prefers the company of creative peers.
Understands complex, abstract humor.	Creates complex, abstract humor.	Relishes wild, off-the-wall humor.
Grasps the meaning.	Infers and connects concepts.	Makes mental leaps: Aha!
Completes assignments on time.	Initiates projects and extensions of assignments.	Initiates more projects than will ever be completed.
Is receptive.	Is intense.	Is independent and unconventional.
Is accurate and complete.	Is original and continually developing.	Is original, ever changing, and misunderstood.
Enjoys school often.	Enjoys self-directed learning.	Enjoys creating.
Absorbs information.	Manipulates information.	Improvises.
Is a technician with expertise in a field.	Is an expert, abstracts beyond the field.	Is an inventor and idea generator.
Memorizes well.	Guesses and infers well.	Creates and brainstorms well.
Is highly alert and observant.	Anticipates and relates observations.	Is intuitive.
Is pleased with own learning.	Is self-critical.	Is never finished with possibilities.
Gets A's.	May not be motivated by grades.	May not be motivated by grades.
Is able.	Is intellectual.	Is idiosyncratic.