Characteristics of

Gifted
and
Highly Able
Students
Morris School District
2007
 Introduction
The Morris School District Behavioral Characteristics
Checklist consists of 10 traits: advanced communication
skills, creativity, humor, inquiry, insight, interests,
memory, motivation, problem solving ability, and
reasoning. Gifted students exhibit many of these
characteristics, but not necessarily all. Some of the
characteristics can be viewed as negatives in certain
situations and environments.

According to research, these attributes are evidenced across

culture, disability, language, and socio-economic
status.
 Advanced
Communication Skills
 Reads above grade level with complex interpretations (in
native language)
 Uses similes, metaphors, or analogies, rich imagery
 Questions word meanings; for example, “How can a bat be
an animal and also be something we use to hit a ball?”
 Demonstrates leadership abilities in nontraditional settings;
playground, home, church, clubs, sports, etc.
 Demonstrates social maturity, especially in the home or
community.
 Expresses similarities and differences
 Uses specific language of a discipline
 Asks questions
 Eagerly translates for peers and adults
 Learns a second language at an accelerated pace
 Often disagrees vocally with others, with teacher
 Tends to dominate others
 Creativity
 Generates new ideas and unique solutions to
problems
 Develops, adapts, improves, or modifies objects
or ideas related to learning experiences
 Demonstrates advanced coordination in physical
activities
 Uses movement or music to demonstrate
understanding
 Tends to select artistic outlet for free activity or
classroom projects: dance, music, drawing,
technology
 Turns in messy work; not interested in details
 Humor
 Catches adult’s subtle or sophisticated jokes
 Displays intellectual playfulness
 Says or does something indicating a sense of
humor beyond age mates
 Plays with language by using figurative language
or puns for humorous effect
 Uses humor that may be absurd or far out
 Understands jokes and puns related to cultural
differences
 Makes jokes or puns at inappropriate times
 Inquiry
 Poses unforeseen questions
 Is curious about new words and phrases
 Enjoys problem solving
 Accesses data with ease using an
unexpected variety of tools
 Becomes absorbed with self-selected
problems, topics, issues
 Insight
 Interprets past, present and future ramifications
 Interprets another’s point of view
 Demonstrates complex perspective in writing, oral
discussions, art, or problem solving
 Listens to others with sensitivity; expresses empathy
 Exhibits intense concern for human issues
 Is self-critical, impatient with failures
 Emotionally sensitive - may overreact, get angry
easily, or get ready to cry if things go wrong
 Is critical of others, including teachers
 Interests
 Presents a long attention span in areas of
interest
 Bases friendships on similarity of interests
rather than age
 Displays expertise in a single subject
 Bored with routine tasks (i.e. rote work)
 Challenges the need for rote learning
 Reluctance to explore assigned topics
 Memory
 Requires minimum repetition for mastery
 Organizes, collects ideas in unique ways (using a
self-developed mnemonic device)
 Retains, easily recalls, and uses new information
 Demonstrates extraordinary ability to process and
retain information
 Motivation
 Is curious, asks provocative questions,
innovative experiments
 Takes the initiative to pursue areas of interest
 Prefers to work independently
 Prefers to work with students whose level of
English proficiency is higher than their own
 Intense need to understand, asks penetrating
questions
 Bored with routine tasks (i.e. rote work)
 Reluctance to explore assigned topics;
intensely focused
 Problem Solving Ability
 Takes apart and reassembles ideas,
objects, or experiences
 Enjoys analyzing and solving more
difficult problems
 Offers alternate solutions; sees many
possibilities
 Challenges self and others to generate
creative/non-traditional ideas or
concepts
 Reasoning
 Recognizes relationships or patterns between diverse
ideas or experiences
 Ponders multiple perspectives
 Comprehends advanced ideas, concepts, or implications
 Comprehends symbolic representations: musical,
numerical, alphabetical or mapping
 Analyzes classroom tasks and instructional techniques
 Refuses to accept authority, nonconforming, stubborn
 Is critical of others, including teachers
 Thinks critically, may lead to skepticism
 Sources
 Castellano and Diaz (2002)
 Clark (1988)
 Frasier, et al (1995)
 Kingore (2001)
 Renzulli (1986)
 Tomlinson, Ford, Reis, Briggs,
Strickland (2004)