Gifted education has always been criticized for its inability to identify giftedness in all populations. Since the pandemic, gifted education has fallen even further behind as educators struggle to meet the general population’s academic standards in reading and math.
Is gifted education still relevant? I argue that it is more important than ever. The greatest minds deserve the opportunity to be challenged and developed. They will be our future creative and intellectual leaders. Without support, gifted children risk settling into mediocrity or underachievement. Being gifted does not give children a “golden ticket” to academic success. Adults may see gifted children as having more accessibility in school than children of average ability. In fact, gifted children can:
- Give up on education due to boredom and drop out of school.
- Self-medicate with drugs to dull their senses and fit in with the crowd.
- Make life choices that keep them from maximizing their potential. Just like Michael Phelps would not have won multiple gold medals in swimming if he had not had access to a pool, a gifted child would not follow their passions without appropriate opportunities to explore them.
Finding and supporting intellectually giftedness is important for children who live in economic poverty. This allows them to access the kinds of creative and critical thinking activities they may not be exposed to at home. These students often exhibit characteristics that may not align with traditional perceptions of what intelligence “looks like,” making it crucial for educators to recognize and nurture their potential despite societal and economic barriers.
Students from impoverished communities frequently use informal language, which can be mistakenly interpreted as a lack of intelligence. This linguistic gap, influenced by their home environment, does not reflect their cognitive abilities but their cultural and socio-economic context. Educators must look beyond language proficiency and focus on the students’ problem-solving skills and creativity to identify giftedness. This is not an easy task, but it’s a crucial one for the future of these students.
Behavioral differences also play a role in the misidentification of gifted students. Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may exhibit loud or seemingly inappropriate behavior in social settings. Unlike their middle class peers, who are often taught to conform to certain social norms, these students may express themselves more freely and assertively. Such behavior, though sometimes disruptive, can be a sign of high energy levels and a keen intellect that needs appropriate channels for expression.
Another barrier is the lack of enrichment experiences for children raised in poverty. Many impoverished students cannot access the extracurricular activities, educational trips, and stimulating environments that their middle class counterparts enjoy. This disparity can lead teachers to underestimate their innate intellectual abilities, as their talents may not manifest in conventional ways.
Recognizing and nurturing the intellectual gifts of students from impoverished backgrounds is not just one more task to burden school counselors and teachers. It is a necessity. It requires a shift in perspective. Educators must employ a holistic approach by considering the diverse expressions of intelligence and creating opportunities for all students to shine. Doing so ensures that no gifted mind is left undiscovered, regardless of socioeconomic status. This approach is not just beneficial; it’s essential for children’s futures in our classrooms.
Changes such as using building-level norms for identification instead of district-level norms will help serve students on impoverished campuses. If your district has all the gifted students in a building that serves wealthy or upper middle class students but no gifted students identified at a Title 1 campus, your district is not adequately identifying the students who live in poverty.
Economic poverty crosses all demographics. It is not tied to race or religion. More and more children who once lived in apartments or middle class homes have become homeless in the last ten years. Just because a child lives on the street does not mean they cannot be identified as gifted. In our book, Removing the Mask: How to Identify and Develop Giftedness in Students from Poverty, Third Edition, Dr. Ruby Payne, Paul Slocumb, and I give you tools you can use to identify children on your campus equitably. I would love to talk more with you about giftedness. Contact aha! Process today to schedule a workshop, either online or in person.
