Giftedness isn’t about what you can do, but who you are. From the time a child is born until they are elderly, giftedness is present. Our society needs to stop thinking of giftedness as academic achievement, because it isn’t. It is different brain wiring.
While many gifted individuals are high achieving, giftedness isn’t about high achievement. You will find some gifted children who hit developmental milestones early and some who don’t. Giftedness is who the person is and not what they do. It describes how their brain functions. Just as every person in the world is unique, giftedness is uniquely presented in each individual and it can be seen across the lifespan.
Giftedness Seen Across the Lifespan
The infant who needs constant stimulation….giftedness is here.
The toddler who cries and covers his ears when the vacuum turns on….giftedness is here.
The preschooler who has an intense need to know more and more about a topic…giftedness is here.
The 5 year old that reads without being taught…giftedness is here.
The 8 year old who reads on grade level, but excels in math….giftedness is here.
The 10 year old who always gets in trouble for daydreaming in class…giftedness is here.
The preteen whose normally strong feelings intensify at the onset of puberty….giftedness is here.
The teenager who goes full-speed toward a passionate interest….giftedness is here.
The young adult figuring out how he or she fits in the world…giftedness is here.
The stay at home mom who needs to feed her interests because the day in and out of housework drives her crazy….giftedness is here
The middle aged man who is disillusioned with the business world and needs to make a fresh start….giftedness is here.
A newly retired man who embarks full-speed on a new or often neglected interest…giftedness is here.
The elderly woman with a well-loved daily crossword at the table every morning…giftedness is here.
In our society giftedness is often seen as something that just exists for the child’s school years. This is not true. Giftedness is a constant. It is there from birth all the way through the lifespan.
Hop on over to Gifted Homeschoolers Forum and take a peek at what other bloggers have to say about giftedness at different ages and stages.
Great examples of expressions of giftedness throughout the lifespan!
Giftedness is not about achievement!!! So true. Thanks for the post!
I love your examples of different situations! Thank you!
This was poetic. Beautiful!
Love this! It’s so funny how once you are out of school people shrug it off, like a piece of clothing, when it’s really something inherent. Thank you for this post!