Characteristics of gifted children

Cognitive Traits

• Very Observant
• Extremely Curious
• Intense interests
• Excellent memory
• Long attention span
• Excellent reasoning skills
• Well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis
• Quickly and easily sees relationships in ideas, objects, or facts
• Fluent and flexible thinking
• Elaborate and original thinking
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Learns quickly and with less practice and repetition
• Unusual and/or vivid imagination

 Social and Emotional Traits (see Supersensitivities in Gifted Children)

• Interested in philosophical and social issues
• Very sensitive, emotionally and even physically
• Concerned about fairness and injustice
• Perfectionistic
• Energetic
• Well-Developed Sense of Humor
• Usually intrinsically motivated
• Relates well to parents, teachers and other adults

Language Traits (See Language Development in Gifted Children)

• Extensive Vocabulary
• May Read Early
• Reads Rapidly and Widely
• Asks "what if" questions   
• Additional Traits
  
  • Enjoys learning new things
  • Enjoys intellectual activity
  • Displays intellectual playfulness
  • Prefers books and magazines meant for older children
  • Skeptical, critical, and evaluative
  • Asynchronous development