A Parent's Perspective

Who are High-Ability Learners? A Parent's Perspective.

Who are the high ability students? This question may come from you, the parent; the teacher; the school; or even the district that your child attends. It is not always easily answered because high ability students are as diverse a group as the general population. Parents begin to suspect their child may be different when they are babies because they learn at a faster rate, can be very intense, and have advanced understanding of concepts. Success for these students begins at home and knowing some of the characteristics of high ability learners can help parents understand their child better. (see Parenting the High-Ability Child Characteristics and Needs of High Ability Learners)

Characteristics of a high ability learner:

• Demonstrates verbal ability well above age peers
• Has an extensive vocabulary
• Reads avidly (sometimes only in interest area)
• Processes information quickly – learns rapidly
• Retains information
• Curious about many things, inquisitive
• Observant of his/her environment
• Recognizes patterns in concrete and abstract information
• Sees relationships across subject areas
• Persistent and goal directed in area of interest, long attention span
• Reasons and problem solves well
• Sees humor where others may not
• Sensitive to others and self
• May be intense
• Exhibits asynchrony in development (cognitive, emotional, and social development may all be at different levels of development)
• Often is a perfectionist

Characteristics of creative thinkers:

• Has a vivid imagination
• Curious about many things
• Generates original ideas
• Fantasizes
• Problem solves often with unique solutions
• Is non-conforming to those around him/her
• Adventurous

Characteristics that tend to screen high ability students out of programs:

• Bored with routine tasks, refuses to do rote homework
• Difficult to get him/her away from interest area
• Is self-critical, impatient with failures
• Is critical about others, of the teachers
• May disagree vocally with others, with the teacher
• Makes jokes or puns at inappropriate times
• Emotionally sensitive, may over-react, get angry easily or ready to cry if things go wrong
• Not interested in details
• Refuses to accept authority:  nonconforming,, stubborn
• Tends to dominate others